An Educational Note Using Rules of the Game in the Built Environment: Teaching Institutions and Incentives with Economic Mysteries

This educational note explores how economic institutions, specifically changes in the rules of the game for taxation, have influenced incentives surrounding the built environment. It provides intriguing examples from around the globe, such as medieval jettying, Amsterdam's narrow buildings, unfinished buildings in Cairo, the French mansard roof, and the British window tax, which were all shaped by economic incentives. It uses the economic-mysteries pedagogical technique. Additionally, it includes a brief background for instructors on how institutions affect an economy, referring to the prominent economists Douglass North, Ronald Coase, and Elinor Ostrom. These examples illustrate the profound effects of economic principles on architecture and society, emphasizing the importance of understanding how institutions and incentives work in the real world.