The World's Worst Located Cities

This episode of Everything Everywhere Daily explores four of the world's worst-located cities—New Orleans, Mexico City, Jakarta, and Tehran—each facing severe, long-term challenges due to their geographical foundations. Despite initial strategic advantages, all four cities were built on unstable, water-rich soils that have led to catastrophic subsidence over time. New Orleans and Mexico City sit on ancient lake beds and delta sediments that compact when drained, causing neighborhoods to sink below sea level. Jakarta faces similar issues from groundwater extraction and coastal flooding, prompting Indonesia to relocate its capital. Tehran, though in a semi-arid region, suffers from water scarcity and sinkholes due to over-pumping aquifers. The episode emphasizes that these cities are not just vulnerable to natural disasters but are actively being undermined by the very ground beneath them. The recurring theme is that urban planning ignored long-term geological realities, leading to massive engineering burdens and existential threats to the cities' futures.