> As I understand it the main cost in S&H is personnel, as with most businesses. So either you need more automation or higher wages for the people who need to buy S&H services.
You just highlighted one opportunity for a technological improvement ("automation"). Warehouse automation: a decades-long trend which -- while it can be slowed -- so far seems to be unstoppable by political force. Driverless vehicles and drones: which, which technical solutions, and contingent upon political outcomes. OTOH 90% of the politics is around how these will be deployed on public land and air space, and those politics could be avoided if the players decided to build their own infrastructure like the big railroads did back in the day. Etc.
Yes, but you're handwaving away the complexity of actually doing it. The article, to me, seems to be approaching this from a "earth shattering revelation" viewpoint where people think we can fix systemic issues we have suffered for decades and just make houses cheaper. The only viable solution either of us has so far is not immediately viable.
I’m not focused right now on how complex the solutions will be: I’m focused on whether they’re solvable technologically, or only politically.
People like to dodge problems by saying “high housing cost is a political problem, therefore engineers cannot improve the situation because they’re ill-equipped to solve problems that are political in nature”. That’s a rephrasing of what OP said and IMO it’s throwing the towel in too soon. This problem has political components and technological components. There are enough technological components that’s I think engineers can have a positive impact. No, I’m not saying that implementing those improvements is simple. Just that those technological improvements are possible.
You just highlighted one opportunity for a technological improvement ("automation"). Warehouse automation: a decades-long trend which -- while it can be slowed -- so far seems to be unstoppable by political force. Driverless vehicles and drones: which, which technical solutions, and contingent upon political outcomes. OTOH 90% of the politics is around how these will be deployed on public land and air space, and those politics could be avoided if the players decided to build their own infrastructure like the big railroads did back in the day. Etc.