
“This is a town where there are three pastimes: politics, sports and revenge.” The town is Boston.
Seemingly dry topics become gripping political dramas in this Peabody Award winning show from creator Ian Coss and GBH News. Each season of “The Big Dig” uncovers a different facet of society – infrastructure, gambling, food, healthcare – together the pieces connect to tell the story of modern Americ... more
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 48 | Founded | 3 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Category | History | |||

The Big Dig in Boston was a fluke, a unicorn, something we may never see again. But there are simpler and cheaper ways to rethink our urban highways – Providence, RI tried one.
Guests: Edward Fitzpatrick, Zack Cunha, Mike Lewis
Recorded live with G... more
Even as cities try to heal the damage of the interstate era, we are also continuing to expand our urban highways, continuing to turn parks and neighborhoods into new lanes and new off-ramps. So why is it so hard to stop?
Guests: Inga Saffron, Daniel... more
This episode is about a very different kind of teardown – one that came suddenly, tragically, and without warning. But within this utterly unique story there are some universal questions about how we build for the present and the future.
Guests: Joh... more
In the stories we tell about public works, there is a constant bias towards the projects that actually happened, but it’s the apparently ‘failed’ projects that can often teach us the most.
Guests: Marcus Green, Tyler Allen, Ken Herndon
Recorded li... more
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I’m really enjoying the expansion on season one with the tour around the United States. I hope Ian sticks to the subject of infrastructure in future seasons if he’s interested.
This is a great podcast about the struggle between communities, government, and economic forces told through the lens of infrastructure podcasts. Even if you think you don’t care about the stories of highways, you’ll be fascinated by these stories. If you like 99% Invisible, Planet Money, Endless Thread, or This American Life, you’ll dig this show.
Love this podcast and series!
I was listening to The Wild by Chris Morgan, and an ad came up for this podcast. I was so intrigued I had to start listening to it and I could not stop. It was so good.
The Big Dig is a fascinating look at a massive public infrastructure project that transformed downtown Boston.
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
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Apple Podcasts | #236 |
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
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The show explores large-scale public projects and policy through deeply reported, narrative storytelling. Recent episodes center on urban highway removal, caps and covers, and transportation equity, with on-the-ground voices from activists, journalists, and municipal officials. Across seasons, the host threads together historical context, civic decision-making, and human impact, turning technical infrastructure topics into gripping human stories. Notable is the approach of weaving archival material, local perspectives, and broader national patterns to illuminate how cities rethink mobility, climate concerns, and community resilience. A standout trait is its veteran storytelling voice, strong investigative rigor, and a clear focus on how pol... more
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These podcasts share a similar audience with The Big Dig:
1. This American Life
2. On the Media
3. Decoder Ring
4. Throughline
5. Reveal
The Big Dig launched 3 years ago and published 48 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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Recent guests on The Big Dig include:
1. Ken Herndon
2. Marcus Green
3. Tyler Allen
4. Shawn Granton
5. Chris Smith
6. Sharon Gary-Smith
7. Lillian Karabaic
8. Greg Nickels
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