DiscoverThe Reflective Urbanist#P012: Because we have always done it that way
#P012: Because we have always done it that way

#P012: Because we have always done it that way

Update: 2025-04-23
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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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#P012: Because we have always done it that way

#P012: Because we have always done it that way

Peter Hendee Brown