"And growth in an economy is normal and expected and good, not unsustainable" So far, we have not seen economic growth without proportional growth in material

"And growth in an economy is normal and expected and good, not unsustainable" So far, we have not seen economic growth without proportional growth in material inputs, including energy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dematerialization_(economics) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dematerialization_(economics) "We know, for sure, that housing can both be a good investment and affordable because it worked that way for a long time." You are referring to a period (the 20th century) that saw tremendous urbanization due to one-time advances in technology. Those will not be repeated. For details, see "Rise and Fall of American Growth" (Gordon).