The Reflective Urbanist

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https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/no-time-for-games
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https://uppbeat.io/t/goldeny/sunshine-strut
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https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/cheeky-chops
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https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfQyC5w9E-63YLesP2EpwFZRofikHbXBGCjVgn9ldYrxDDoKw/viewform
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#P015: What do we have to do to get those darned private sector developers to build more affordable housing?

Season 1 · Episode 15

Wednesday, May 14, 2025 • Duration 12:38

Why aren’t those greedy developers building more affordable housing? Well, what if the problem isn’t them—it’s us? In this episode, I unpack why pointing fingers at the private sector misses the mark, and how local politics, zoning drama, and good old-fashioned NIMBYism are quietly sabotaging housing solutions. If you've ever said “I support affordable housing, just not there,” this one’s for you.

Episode music: A Charming Day by Albert Behar

License code: IXYJBHSOTKRUMWFQ

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#P014: They called us "tourists"

Season 1 · Episode 14

Wednesday, May 7, 2025 • Duration 11:07

We were the private-sector pros brought in to fix a sluggish city bureaucracy. Confidence? We had it. Experience? Not so much. This episode dives into what happens when political appointees try to move the machine—and what they learn from the civil servants who’ve kept it running all along.

Episode music: 'Excusez-Moi?' by Roo Walker

License code: QWKDKG5GBE2Q9TRJ

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#P005: Two developers walk into a city planning commission meeting

Season 1 · Episode 5

Wednesday, March 19, 2025 • Duration 05:28

When it comes to development approvals, the rules aren’t always as clear-cut as they seem. This essay dives into a real-life planning commission meeting where two similar projects—just a block apart—got very different treatment. One developer was required to add costly brick to match the neighborhood, while the other was waved through with a sleek, modern design. What gives? The answer lies in how individual planners and commissioners interpret the rules, a concept explored in Street-Level Bureaucracy. As this story shows, when discretion comes into play, fairness isn’t always guaranteed—and sometimes, it just comes down to luck.

Episode music: Covert Affair by Kevin Macleod

License code: JVEUZMVSQP4E1IEM

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#P004: Strange Bedfellows

Season 1 · Episode 4

Tuesday, March 18, 2025 • Duration 10:25

San Francisco’s longshoremen and historic preservationists formed an unlikely alliance to block waterfront redevelopment. As shipping jobs disappeared and piers sat empty, longshoremen held out hope for cargo’s return, while preservationists fought to save the area’s historic warehouses. Despite different motivations, they found common ground in opposing new development, stalling projects for decades—proof that politics truly makes strange bedfellows.

Episode music: Crooked Old Shrew by Fernweh Goldfish

License code: YCBMZLPSVPTLXDCN

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#P003: He fired my daughter

Monday, March 17, 2025 • Duration 05:34

In "He Fired My Daughter," a senior partner attempts to impress a nonprofit CEO by name-dropping a mutual acquaintance, Bob, during a high-stakes interview for a development contract. Unbeknownst to him, Bob had previously fired the CEO's daughter, making the tactic backfire and contributing to the firm's loss of the project. The essay underscores the risks of name-dropping, highlighting research that shows it often leads to negative impressions rather than the intended positive ones.

Episode music: Cheeky Chops by All Good Folks

License code: NKFBZA7W3PWNTNB4

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#P002: How to get a sidewalk built ... quick

Season 1 · Episode 7

Monday, March 17, 2025 • Duration 06:14

Peter shares a compelling tale of a city manager who, frustrated by bureaucratic delays, snaps a photo of a mother and child dangerously navigating a busy road without a sidewalk. This simple act jolts county officials into action, leading to the rapid construction of the much-needed sidewalk. The essay uses this story to illustrate John Kingdon's framework on policy change, emphasizing how problems, solutions, and political circumstances must align—often propelled by a proactive "policy entrepreneur"—to open a "policy window" for effective action.

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#P001: Who do I have to pay?

Season 1 · Episode 1

Monday, March 17, 2025 • Duration 08:52

Why does the same development process feel straightforward in one city and like a bureaucratic maze in another? In Who do I have to pay?, Peter unpacks this mystery through a Chicago developer’s blunt question about Minneapolis red tape. Drawing on Daniel Elazar’s political subcultures—moralistic, traditionalistic, and individualistic—Peter explores why different cities play by different rules and how those unwritten norms shape urban governance.

Episode music: Looming by Yeti Music

License code: FFW1IPDSPL62YKOK

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#P000: The Reflective Urbanist

Season 1

Saturday, March 15, 2025 • Duration 09:57

The Reflective Urbanist is a series of essays that bridge the gap between theory and practice in city-building. Drawing from a career that has spanned architecture, government, real estate development, and academia, I explore how big ideas shape—and are shaped by—the realities of urban development. Each essay follows a simple structure: a story, a theory, and a lesson, offering insights for architects, planners, developers, officials, and engaged citizens alike. Inspired by years of moving between worlds, from the drafting table to City Hall to the classroom, this series aims to make the complexities of urban development more accessible, thought-provoking, and, above all, fun.

Episode music: No Time for Games by Soundroll.

License code: Y8X35U1A2D9KU8KT

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#P013: Your hourly rate seems a little high

Season 1 · Episode 10

Wednesday, April 30, 2025 • Duration 07:27

When a developer balked at the price of a consultant’s time, he nearly lost a $300,000 grant. In this episode, Peter unpacks a real-life story about urgency, expertise, and the often-misunderstood difference between price and value. It’s a sharp, short take on why what something costs isn’t always what it’s worth—especially when the stakes are high and the deadline’s tonight.

Episode Music: Guitars de France by Jonny Boyle

License code: AHA1GWA6NYTFBFUZ

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#P012: Because we have always done it that way

Season 1 · Episode 12

Wednesday, April 23, 2025 • Duration 14:19

Why are Minneapolis signal poles painted green and yellow—Packers colors—in Vikings territory?

It started with a simple design question on a downtown street project... and ended with a new city policy, a Cold War case study, and maybe—just maybe—two lifelong Packers fans in the public works department pulling off the ultimate prank.

This episode, we peel back the layers of city decision-making through a Cold War lens, explore why bureaucratic SOPs can outlast billion-dollar stadiums, and ask: what really drives the choices our cities make?

Tune in to find out why sometimes, the answer to “why?” is just: “Because we’ve always done it that way.”

Episode music: Jump and Jive by All Good Folks

License code: IFAGW9VTZ4TDHG9B

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The Reflective Urbanist – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

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The Reflective Urbanist – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other64

Google Docs1

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Other64

Google Docs1