Archive | Neighborhoods RSS feed for this section

Why I’m proud to be “offended” by the judgemental map of Minneapolis

By on April 29, 2013 in Culture, Featured, Neighborhoods

I’m sure the frequent readers of streets.mn have already viewed last week’s buzz map of Minneapolis. It depicts Minnesota’s largest city with a solid touch of satire and preconceived notion poking-fun-of. If you haven’t seen it, here it is below: Obviously, this post may make you feel differently from your next door neighbor. You may [...]

Read full story • Comments { 17 }

Reconsidering the Nicollet Mall Redesign

By on April 16, 2013 in Environment, Featured, Infrastructure, Land use, Neighborhoods

There is a $20 million sum of state money that may be dedicated to redesign Nicollet Mall. While $20 million could bring some impressive changes to the pedestrian mall, these funds would represent an unfortunate misapplication of limited resources. We need to reconnect Nicollet Avenue- not redesign Nicollet Mall. Nicollet Mall, the nation’s first pedestrian transit way, [...]

Read full story • Comments { 26 }
Minneapolis Buses

NIMBY: Park and Ride? But Think of the Children!

By on April 11, 2013 in children, Land use, Neighborhoods, Parking, Transit

Now, sure. In general, parking lots are an urban blight. Streetsblog is doing a March Madness bracket of parking craters. Streets.mn has repeatedly covered the issues of subsidizing parking over investing in responsible alternatives. Meanwhile, in the suburbs? We learn that Park-and-Ride lots make intersections less safe, and apparently invite predators to watch baseball practice. [...]

Read full story • Comments { 3 }

I love the U of M

By on February 15, 2013 in Featured, Land use, Neighborhoods, Transit, Walking, What I love about Minnesota

I love the University of Minnesota. With 50,000 students plus large contingents and staff, it is a city within a city, and one remarkably distinct from the rest of the Twin Cities.  There’s a tremendous degree of pedestrian activity each day, particularly between class periods.  The better parts of campus are highly permeable, with small [...]

Read full story • Comments { 9 }

7-story mixed-use development planned for Totino’s site

By on February 1, 2013 in Housing, Land use, Neighborhoods, Plans

The Minneapolis Department of Community Planning & Economic Development (CPED) has put up a document describing the development planned at the former Totino’s site in Northeast Minneapolis, the namesake of General Mills’ Totino’s pizza brand. The pizza joint had been a landmark of the city, but the building has fallen into disrepair. There are efforts [...]

Read full story • Comments { 13 }
child in rear-facing car seat

Kids, Carpools & Walking: How a Safety Mentality Creates Unsafe Spaces

By on January 30, 2013 in children, History, Housing, Infrastructure, Land use, Neighborhoods, Parking, Streets, Transportation, Walking

In the long-ago days of my misspent youth, I lived in an absolutely flat suburban community named for one of the seven hills of Rome. As children, we all walked to school, crossing two moderately busy streets along the way. On days when it unexpectedly began hailing sideways during the school day, a parent or [...]

Read full story • Comments { 11 }

Newflash: St. Paul isn’t Minneapolis (and that’s a good thing)

By on January 21, 2013 in Environment, Featured, Governance, Neighborhoods, Walking

If you were to read the City of St. Paul’s legislative wish list, you’d see a list of big projects such as: $14 million to improve the Children’s Museum $7 million for parking and transportation improvements at Como Park $32 million loan forgiveness tied to the Xcel Energy Center (in an effort to not pay [...]

Read full story • Comments { 24 }
Macy

Ideas: Let’s Reuse St. Paul Macy’s!

By on January 3, 2013 in Infrastructure, Land use, Neighborhoods, Plans, Transportation, urban agriculture

The sad, forlorn Macy’s in downtown St. Paul has announced its pending closure, having reached the end of its 10 year agreement to stay open. Mayor Chris Coleman says that the closing presents “tremendous opportunity.” We’re sure. The site is one of 4 downtown stops for the new Central Corridor light rail line. It’s also [...]

Read full story • Comments { 17 }

2012 Best Farmer’s Market: St. Paul Farmer’s Market

By on December 26, 2012 in Best of, Featured, Neighborhoods, Shopping, Trends, urban agriculture

The farmer’s market: Among the oldest forms of direct-to-consumer sales, these truly urban agoras bring the rural to the city, and exist all around the world in some form or another. They bridge the gap between city and country with commerce, and thus, it was inevitable we at streets.mn would ask readers where their favorite [...]

Read full story • Comments { 3 }
Snow Miser

A Salute To Snowy Streets

By on December 11, 2012 in Neighborhoods, Streets, Transportation, Weather

As the Twin Cities and the Minnesota area recover from a “winter snow event,” it is time to pay tribute to those who make the streets and sidewalks of Minnesota interesting. First:We live in Minnesota. Why, oh why, do people forget how to drive on snow and ice annually? This is a life skill, much [...]

Read full story • Comments { 6 }