What happens when the machinery of war is turned loose on the home front? In this episode of Built to Divide, host Dimitrius Lynch traces how the end of World War II, the GI Bill, and federal housing policy combined to build the largest middle-class expansion in U.S. history—while quietly deepening racial and economic division.

Beginning with the surrender in Tokyo Bay and the massive demobilization of Operation Magic Carpet, Lynch follows millions of returning veterans back to a country racing to answer a simple question: Where will they all live? The answer reshaped the nation. FHA and VA loans, the rise of Fannie Mae, and the secondary mortgage market drove homeownership from 43% to nearly 62% by 1960, cementing the single-family house as the centerpiece of the American Dream.

But this “great reset” came with a price. Lynch unpacks how zoning laws, redlining, racial covenants, and underwriting standards drew hard lines around who could belong in postwar suburbia. He contrasts the inclusive vision of Case Study Houses and Eichler Homes with the mass-produced segregation of Levittown, where black families were explicitly barred and violence met the first to cross the color line.

From John Dean’s warning about homeownership “booby traps” to the weaponization of media by business elites like Henry Regnery, this episode reveals how corporate interests used patriotism, racial fear, and Cold War anxiety to roll back New Deal gains and reframe government as the enemy. Along the way, Lynch explores how Fannie Mae’s privatization, the birth of American Express credit cards, and the cultural glorification of the nuclear family turned housing into a speculative asset, a consumption engine, and a source of isolation.

We end in Roseto, Pennsylvania, where a community’s disappearing social bonds literally changed its heart attack rates—proof that how we house ourselves shapes how we live, connect, and survive.

If you want to understand how postwar housing policy, suburbanization, zoning, media, and finance fused into a system that still determines who gets stability and who gets left behind, this episode shows how the board was reset—and who it was reset for.

Episode Extras - Photos, videos, sources and links to additional content found during research.

Episode Credits:

Production in collaboration with Gābl Media

Written & Executive Produced by Dimitrius Lynch

Audio Engineering and Sound Design by Jeff Alvarez

At the dawn of the 20th century, American finance looked modern—telegraphs, syndicates, Wall Street empires—but it had no brakes. In this episode of Built to Divide, host Dimitrius Lynch follows the chain reaction from the Panic of 1907 to the creation of the Federal Reserve, revealing how crises, central banking, and policy choices concentrated power at the top and quietly reshaped who gets to own a home in America.

We move from J.P. Morgan locking bankers in his library to stabilize markets, to the secret Jekyll Island meeting that birthed the blueprint for the Fed, to a global financial order built on austerity, gold, and central banks. Lynch unpacks how this shift—from robber barons to central bankers—centralized control over money and credit, setting the stage for a financial system that could either stabilize the economy or supercharge inequality.

In parallel, the episode traces a second, brutal story: the clash between slave labor and wage labor, the Civil War, broken promises like Special Field Orders No. 15, Reconstruction, the 13th and 14th Amendments, and the massive land giveaways of the Homestead and Railway Acts that seeded a two-track wealth system. That system was later hardened by Black Codes, Jim Crow, and the rise of the National Association of Realtors, whose restrictive covenants and ethics codes turned racism and class exclusion into standard practice.

As Lynch connects the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, Hoover’s homeownership gospel, and New Deal housing programs—HOLC, FHA, Fannie Mae—listeners see how federal support for mortgages expanded opportunity for some while redlining, racial covenants, and “good neighborhood” ideology locked others out. Housing was transformed into a mass wealth engine built on division.

This episode is a deep dive into how central banking, war finance, slavery, segregation, real estate professionalization, and federal housing policy fused into a system where housing isn’t just shelter or asset—it’s a sorting mechanism. If you want to understand why today’s housing market feels rigged, this chapter shows how the rig was built.

Episode Extras - Photos, videos, sources and links to additional content found during research.

Episode Credits:

Production in collaboration with Gābl Media

Written & Executive Produced by Dimitrius Lynch

Audio Engineering and Sound Design by Jeff Alvarez

Why does housing in America feel so unattainable—and why does it seem designed that way? In this sweeping opening chapter of Built to Divide, host Dimitrius Lynch traces the origins of today’s housing affordability crisis back more than 100,000 years, revealing how our primal instincts around territory, ownership, and status have been shaped—and exploited—over millennia.

From the campfire rituals of early humans to feudal Europe’s enclosures, from the rise of divine kingship to the first mortgage systems, and from the U.S. labor movement to the FHA’s propaganda-style push for suburban homeownership, this episode exposes how housing evolved from a shared human necessity to a powerful engine of inequality.

Lynch weaves anthropology, architecture, public health data, urban history, and political economy into a gripping narrative that shows how today’s housing insecurity, record-high rents, soaring home prices, and widening inequality were not an accident. They were engineered—over centuries—through policies, incentives, and cultural stories built to divide us.

Listeners will learn how the built environment reflects our deepest psychological wiring, how financialization transformed shelter into a commodity, how zoning and mortgages reshaped American life, and why housing policy is inseparable from health, safety, democracy, and collective well-being.

This cinematic episode sets the foundation for the entire series, revealing a simple but radical truth: the world we live in was designed—and can be redesigned.

Episode Extras - Photos, videos, sources and links to additional content found during research.

Episode Credits:

Production in collaboration with Gābl Media

Written & Executive Produced by Dimitrius Lynch

Audio Engineering and Sound Design by Jeff Alvarez

Built to Divide is a cinematic audio documentary that unearths how America’s homes became the front lines of inequality. From land giveaways to red lines, gated communities to algorithmic rent hikes—each episode reveals the forces that shaped not only where we live, but who gets to belong.

Guided by host Dimitrius Lynch Jr., an award-winning architect with a storyteller’s eye for systems and design, this series traces how policy, psychology, and profit converged to build division into the very architecture of everyday life. Through vivid historical narratives, archival sound, and modern parallels, Built to Divide exposes how the dream of homeownership became both symbol and weapon—binding generations to debt, geography, and identity.

Across twelve episodes, listeners journey from the dawn of land speculation to today’s algorithmic landlords, uncovering how the built environment reflects our deepest social divides—and what it will take to design something better.

In this SPACES Recheck, we're revisiting a standout episode from the archive that you may have missed...

The incarcerated population has ballooned over the last 50 years and public attitudes have slowly shifted towards active pursuit of criminal justice reform. However, we can't forget about prison design itself. In this episode we highlight key points of criminal justice reform and discuss the evolution of prison design and potential improvements for the future.

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In this SPACES Recheck, we're revisiting a standout episode from the archive that you may have missed...

We tackle the controversial, complex, and rapidly evolving industry of cannabis...and its history will definitely spark a conversation, maybe even shock you. We also discuss issues and considerations for the various facility types: dispensary, grow, and extraction. Anthony Winston III, of Winston Engineering, helps us out by sharing his expertise in mechanical and electrical engineering. Lastly, Jason and Michelle are quizzed on their cannabis knowledge in a game sponsored by lift-gift.com. How many can you get right?

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In this SPACES Recheck, we're revisiting a standout episode from the archive that you may have missed...

The controversial art form of Graffiti has grown from its outlaw past to be an accepted element in beautifying some urban communities. Danni Simpson, commercial and street artist, of Danni Simpson Art joins the show to discuss her style and inspiration, participation in the movement and experience of a renewed relationship between graffiti/street art, municipalities and the building industry.

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In this SPACES Recheck, we're revisiting a standout episode from the archive that you may have missed...

Urban population growth and the dependence on transportation has reached a point where 30 to 60% of urban areas are taken by roads and parking lots. Subsequently, mobility issues have exponentially increased. Brandon Reyes P.E., Project Manager at Michael Baker International joins the show to discuss changes in transportation on the horizon and how they may affect the future of spaces we occupy every day.

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In this SPACES Recheck, we're revisiting a standout episode from the archive that you may have missed...

With busier lifestyles, an array of entertainment options, cable television, streaming services, and social distancing, movie theaters are facing an unprecedented number of challenges that will likely spur evolution in design. Robert McCall, AIA, NCARB, Principal at JKRP Architects joins us in this wide-ranging conversation, discussing various aspects of movie theaters including design, construction, operations, and much more!

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In this SPACES Recheck, we're revisiting a standout episode from the archive that you may have missed...

What will future stadiums look like? Licensed engineer...architect...AND LEED BD+C certified professional, Erleen Hatfield, PE, AIA, Managing Partner of the Hatfield Group, joins us to discuss structural engineering, stadiums, and her work on the Atlanta Falcons Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Francisco Gonzalez Pulido, from FGP Atelier, shares his experience designing the Diablos Stadium in Mexico City.

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Going Green is a Finalist in the Signal Awards—the largest award solely dedicated to podcasting!

Now I need YOUR help: The Listener’s Choice Awards are open for voting worldwide through October 9th. Vote here today!

Going Green uncovers the untold stories about our environment that everyone needs to hear. Whether you're curious about how energy impacts your daily life, questioning mainstream narratives, or seeking authentic, unfiltered insights into the forces shaping our world, this series delivers the information that matters most. Dive deep into the complex intersections of energy, environment, and policy to discover groundbreaking innovations and pivotal decisions that shape our future. With a wide-ranging, compelling perspective, Going Green reveals the powerful influences driving change—and the roles we all play in building a sustainable tomorrow.

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