A Look at the Border Wall and What It Could Be

Guest: Ronald Rael, Associate Professor and the Chair of the Graduate Committee, Department of Architecture, UC Berkeley, author of “Borderwall as Architecture” President Trump reiterated his promise to build a wall along the US-Mexico border today during a press conference with the president of Colombia. We need the wall to prevent drugs and criminals from crossing into the US, Trump said. What he didn’t point out – and what many people don’t realize – is that roughly one-third of the 2,000 mile border between the U.S. and Mexico already has some form of wall or fence for that very purpose. A closer look at how well that structure has worked offers important lessons as Trump struggles to convince Congress to fund his $20-billion wall.   Ronald Rael’s new book, “Borderwall as Architecture” explores the existing barrier and offers some fascinating thoughts on what it could be, if designed carefully.