The Reflective Urbanist

#P053: GI Joe with the Kung Fu grip

In this week’s episode of The Reflective Urbanist, Peter uses a scene from Trading Places—and the unforgettable “G.I. Joe with the Kung Fu Grip”—to explore career transit

Season 4 Teaser

The Reflective Urbanist is back for Season 4! This season, Peter turns his attention to the messy, fascinating world of large public projects: the politics, funding, pa

#P052: Pretty good career advice

What makes for a good career—and an even better life? In this thoughtful season finale, Peter explores the tension between achievement and meaning, offering practical adv

#P051: Better lucky than good!

Dumb luck, smart luck, the two-road chance, and the lucky find: What happens when a $400 million redevelopment plan collides with rising costs, shifting markets, and the

#P050: Secret Mall Apartment

A hidden apartment inside a mall becomes the starting point for a deeper look at how we perceive and design space. This episode connects figure-ground theory and poché to

#P049: A Ferrari engine ... with bicycle brakes

At 57, Peter, a “problem student” discovers the truth: his brain was never broken—it was wired for something different. From ADHD to autism to dyslexia, we unpack why neu

#P048: So you're telling me there's a chance?

Are entrepreneurs born or made? Drawing on research in genetics, intelligence, and personality, this episode explores the scientific roots of entrepreneurial behavior—and

#P047: Welcome to the 7 1/2 floor

Step off the elevator onto the 7½ floor and into the strange, unsettling world of liminal space—those in-between places that feel both familiar and deeply off. From Being

#P046: Mailbag pt. 2

Mailbag Part 2 is here, and Peter is diving into your questions—from surprising choices in building materials to how port authorities really work. We’ll wrap it up with a

#P045: The Mailbag Episode pt. 1

One year in, The Reflective Urbanist opens the mailbag to unpack its journey so far—top episodes, surprising stats, and the stories that resonated most. It’s a candid loo

#P044: A Nation of Enemies, and why I can't stop thinking about Chile

What can a military coup in Chile teach us about polarization, inequality, and the uneasy feeling that we’re becoming strangers to one another? From a chance encounter on

#P043: Boom and Bust

Three real estate booms—the spec office surge of the 80s, the housing bubble of the 2000s, and today’s rental housing boom—shaped Peter’s career in unexpected ways. Each

#P042: Mansplaining - why men should listen more and talk less.

In a crucial client interview, a single tone-deaf decision—to ignore the women asking the questions—quietly seals the team’s fate. This episode tells the story of an inte

#P041: Surveillance pt. 2 - Liquid Modernity

A routine data breach notice becomes a window into a much larger transformation in how power operates. In Part Two of this surveillance series, personal experience, prote

#P040: Surveillance pt. 1 - Back in the U.S.S.R.

What does a Cold War summer in Leningrad reveal about the hidden psychology of being watched? Drawing on Jeremy Bentham, Michel Foucault, and David Lyon, this episode tra

#P039: When do developers earn their profit?

Developers aren’t paid when the headlines fade — they’re paid when the last unit sells. In this episode, we explore the risk, timing, and and hidden realities behind real

#P038: More stories about presentations!

Big presentations don’t always reward the best ideas—they reward luck, style, and the occasional spectacular failure. From RoboCop to real-world boardrooms, this episode

#P037.5: What happens next?

A reflection on V for Vendetta, Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny, and a city under federal siege—this episode asks what happens when fear replaces law, and fiction starts to l

Teaser for "What happens next?"

On the next episode of The Reflective Urbanist, part of Peter's Reflecting on Freedom series, exploring themes of freedom and authoritarianism through V for Vendetta and

#P037: What entrepreneurial developers really do

What if development is less about buildings and more about seeing differently? This episode explores how enterprising individuals combine overlooked assets and unmet dema