The Reflective Urbanist | Essays

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The
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#E020: Back to school

This fall feels like a fresh start—and what better way to kick off the new season than with a “Back-to-School” episode? In this first show of the season, I reflect on what it means to keep learning—long after we’ve left the classroom. From Rodney Dangerfield’s Back to School to real-life lessons about humility, curiosity, and growth, this episode explores why being a “learn-it-all” will always beat being a “know-it-all.”

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Essays

#E018: What is your endgame?

6/4/2025

When a capital project hit a deadlock, Peter had to fire an uncooperative architect—or did he? Join him as he shares what happened, and why you should always think several moves ahead in your own endgame.

#E017: Follow the instructions

What does a missed train, a cold beer, and a bureaucratic form have in common? The lost decade of I-676. In this episode, Peter unpacks how a simple lapse in judgment—and the inflexible gears of Weberian bureaucracy—delayed a major highway project for ten years.

#E016: Take 2 - What do we have to do to get those darned private sector developers to build more affordable housing?!

Peter Brown has a new answer to that familiar question—and this time, it starts with market failure, detours through Scandinavian tax policy, and ends with a pony.

#E015: What do we have to do to get those darned private sector developers to build more affordable housing?!

Why aren’t those greedy developers building more affordable housing? Well, what if the problem isn’t them—it’s us? In this episode, Peter unpacks 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.

#E014: They called us "tourists"

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.

#E013: Your hourly rate seems a little high

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 tight.

#E012: Because we have always done it that way

In this week's podcast, Draft Week! Listen to find out how Peter connects NFL Football, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Standard Operating Procedures to explain why Minneapolis paints its signal poles yellow and green.

#E011: Have you got a 27B/6?

In this week's essay, we revisit a scene from Terry Gilliam’s Brazil, where a rogue HVAC technician, a zipline, and a hostile Form 27B/6 collide in a surreal battle over one man’s broken air conditioner. It’s dystopian comedy at its finest—and a perfect setup for unpacking Robert K. Merton’s classic 1940 study on the bureaucratic personality. Spoiler: the system isn’t broken, it’s designed this way.

#E010: Don't overplay your hand

Think you're holding all the cards? You might be—but that doesn’t mean it’s time to play your ace. In this episode, Peter explores the quiet power of restraint. Whether you're in a pitch meeting, a tough conversation, or just trying not to be that guy, sometimes less really is more. It’s poker wisdom with a professional twist.

#E009: Definitely don't publish it

Who really holds the power—the big names on the door or the people behind the scenes? My architect friend knew the answer, and Kafka’s The Castle shows what happens when you don’t. Before you get lost in a bureaucratic maze, consider this: the key to success might be in the hands you’re overlooking.

#E008: The Mayor is a person of no importance

Who really holds the power—the big names on the door or the people behind the scenes? My architect friend knew the answer, and Kafka’s The Castle shows what happens when you don’t. Before you get lost in a bureaucratic maze, consider this: the key to success might be in the hands you’re overlooking.

#E007: We couldn't afford to worry about a few ducks

Public meetings about development projects often feel like a stage for well-rehearsed arguments: developers promise economic growth, while community members worry about what they stand to lose. But few presentations capture this dynamic as perfectly—or as hilariously—as an old Saturday Night Live sketch featuring Keyrock, the Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer.

#E006: Wait!

Architects are trained to follow a logical, step-by-step process—big decisions first, small refinements later, all leading smoothly from concept to completion. But in the world of real estate development, decisions don’t always happen on schedule.

#E005: Two developers walk into a city planning meeting ...

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.

#E004: Strange Bedfellows

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.

#E003: He fired my daughter

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.

#E002: How to get a sidewalk built ... quick

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.

#E001: Who do I have to pay?

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.

#E000: Welcome to The Reflective Urbanist

The Reflective Urbanist is for all city-builders, from design professionals, developers, and civil servants to elected officials, interest groups, and community members. Each episode combines a story, a theory, and a lesson, bridging between ideas and practice to illuminate how things get done in the city.

#E019: The Reflective Urbanist reflects

It’s the Season 1 finale of The Reflective Urbanist! Join Peter as he reflects on a year of exploring the intersection of stories and big ideas that shape our cities. He shares the lessons learned, celebrates the feedback that has made this journey so rewarding, and sets the stage for what’s to come. Don’t miss this heartfelt wrap-up — and a look at what’s next!

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