Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Urban Planning

Radiohead: A Rock Band With a Firm Grasp of Urban Planning

Radiohead___OK_Computer_Poster_C10006049.jpeg

 

It looks like Radiohead's Thom Yorke may be reading the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers classic "Theory of Disappearing Traffic" study in his spare time. Here he is talking to the New York Times' Jon Pareles about the band's recent digital commerce experiment:

Signing a new major-label contract "would have killed us straight off," he added. "Money makes you numb, as M.I.A. wrote. I mean, it's tempting to have someone say to you, 'You will never have to worry about money ever again,' but no matter how much money someone gives you -- what, you're not going to spend it? You're not going to find stupid ways to get rid of it? Of course you are. It's like building roads and expecting there to be less traffic."

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Speaker Adams and DOT Are Eviscerating Daylighting Bill

Some are looking to the next mayor and Council to pass the life-saving measure.

November 21, 2025

Memo to Mamdani: Fifth Ave. Belongs to the People — Not the Ultra-Wealthy and Gridlock

Mayor-elect Mamdani should revive DOT's plan to transform Fifth Avenue — which Bill de Blasio and Eric Adams shelved at the behest of powerful business interests.

November 21, 2025

‘Dirty and Embarrassing’: Jim McGreevey Fights Street Safety in Jersey City Mayoral Run

All eyes are on the Garden State's second city, where a former governor plots a comeback with a divisive, anti-safety campaign.

November 21, 2025

Cutting Federal Transit Funding Won’t Close Budget Gaps — But Will Make Transportation Less Affordable

The Trump administration's proposal to eliminate the mass transit account of the Highway Trust Fund would be short-sighted, ineffective, and ruinous, a new analysis finds.

November 21, 2025

Friday Video: A New Urbanist Heard From

Joel Katuala is "pissed off" about the criminal crackdown on cyclists.

November 21, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Chi-Town Edition

Things are tense between Zohran Mamdani and Chi Ossé. Plus some other news.

November 21, 2025
See all posts