The Reflective Urbanist

#P007: We couldn't afford to worry about a few ducks


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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. Despite claiming to be baffled by modern life, Keyrock has no trouble making a slick case for a new development, brushing off environmental concerns with a winning smile and a nostalgic shrug. While exaggerated for comedy, the sketch is barely a parody of real-life zoning battles, where conflicting views on land use boil down to one fundamental question: is a place valuable for what it is, or for what it could become?

Episode Music: The Incident by Soundroll

License code: LZ4JBCWESKHIZ4OM

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The Reflective UrbanistBy Peter Hendee Brown