In this episode, I talk with Jeral Poskey, former project executive at Google, and current Founder and CEO of Swyft Cities, about a radically different approach to urban transportation that’s fast, flexible, and surprisingly affordable. Spoiler: it's not autonomous or flying cars.When I first heard about Swyft’s solution, I was skeptical.  But I’m increasingly excited about the possibilities, and how it could unlock walkable districts and neighborhoods within the suburban sprawl context (so basically everywhere).  We get into how Jeral’s experience inside Google’s real estate division led to the birth of Project Swyft, why traditional mass-transit infrastructure isn’t feasible (at least on its own), and how Swyft’s solution solves for the last few miles, weaves between buildings, and adapts to cities as they grow.If you're into urbanism, real estate, autonomous vehicles, or just want to understand what could actually make our cities function better (without waiting 20 years and wasting billions of dollars for a new train–looking at you, California), this one’s worth your time.  And excitingly, Swyft has numerous projects underway around the world beginning in 2026.CHAPTERS00:00 Introduction to Project Switch and Urban Transportation01:48 The Origins of Swyft Cities05:08 Innovative Transportation Solutions10:31 Skepticism to Curiosity14:09 The Last Mile Connection and Urban Challenges17:34 Economic Models and Urban Growth19:23 Modularity and Network Effects in Urban Transit21:16 AI and Efficiency in Transportation Systems23:40 Cost Comparisons and Infrastructure Decisions24:15 Understanding the Station Design and Functionality26:22 Infrastructure Flexibility and Cost Efficiency29:09 The Competition: Self-Driving Cars and Urban Mobility32:52 Private vs. Public Sector Transportation Solutions35:16 Real-World Applications and Case Studies40:01 Overcoming Skepticism and Educating Stakeholders43:45 Induced Demand: A Positive Perspective on Urban Transportation48:13 Future Vision: Scaling and Real Estate IntegrationWebsite: https://swyftcities.com/Newsletter: https://swyftcities.us10.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=04dae35275c37b51b049b89c9&id=349fe9a899Twitter: https://x.com/jeralpo Twitter: https://x.com/swyftcitiesLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jposkey/CONNECT WITH AUSTIN TUNNELL:Newsletter: https://playbook.buildingculture.com/