Bill Lindeke, Ph.D., is an urban geographer and writer who focuses on how our environments shape our lives. He has taught at the University of Minnesota and Metro State University, blogs at Twin City Sidewalks and streets.mn. Follow Bill on Twitter: @BillLindeke.
A developer wants to transform the former Pier 1 Imports store into a chain restaurant and national bank branch. Nearby, the long-time owner of Dixie’s Restaurant wants to build a mixed-use project with 79 apartments atop commercial space on an acre lot.
While you’re perched on a stool, the intimate atmosphere at Mickey’s Diner and Al’s Breakfast adds flavor to your meal that transcends any spice rack. But you can be sure that tiny diners will be the last businesses to open back up after a pandemic.
Dubbed the Towerside district, the triangle of land along the BNSF rail yard between the Surly Brewery, the University of Minnesota and Minneapolis’ Prospect Park neighborhood might soon be one of the most energy efficient communities in the state.
As jobs become flexible, many longstanding assumptions about how to plan for urban transportation could be in trouble.
Two large parcels of land opened up for redevelopment around the same time, on opposite corners of the city. Their different fates tell us a lot about the economic imbalance across St. Paul.
A look at the Robin Hutcheson era as she moves on to a job in the Biden administration.
“Value per acre” maps show that, in most cities, downtowns and older neighborhoods are very economically productive.
A small rink, kept up by neighborhood dads, is keeping St. Paulites connected.
The agency is rapidly approaching a key decision point as a committee meets this week.
If you talk to people off the record, nobody likes the Nicollet streetcar proposal, at least not as it’s currently drafted.
One difficulty with modernist preservation is that so much of the architecture is deeply anti-urban.
For most people who work at home, COVID-19 has all but obliterated social serendipity, probably the thing I love most about living in the city.
The county has spent $7.2 million of CARES money on emergency shelter, on top of existing county dollars. In addition, the state earmarked almost $3 million for shelter.
Over the years, many studies have found that pursuits were rarely a good idea, given the long list of possibly disastrous consequences.
Bike planning takes a long time, but St. Paul is starting to see some major dividends from processes started decades ago.
City planners are engaged in an intense and drawn out debate over how to remake Minneapolis’ zoning code to match the goals set out in the 2040 plan.
A recent Amtrak map shared with the Rail Passengers Association showed one possible vision, including a line from Minneapolis to Duluth alongside better service to points east.
The end of City Pages and the impending closure of Southwest Journal cap a concerning trend. A few enterprising online efforts, including in Eden Prairie and West St. Paul, step up online.
The worst-case scenario is that undercounting ensures that the state’s political landscape — already balanced against renters, immigrants, and younger Americans — remains uneven for 10 more years.
The Spot, Palmer’s Bar and the Black Hart are hanging on. But with winter approaching and nothing but crickets from Congress, the coming season might be the worst for local pubs since Prohibition.
