Cityscape
‘Legalizing’ historic complexity is a silver lining to zoning reform
New zoning changes offer relief to people who own a whole category of historic properties that have been marginalized by city’s 20th-century codes.
Bill Lindeke
Articles by this author:
Cityscape
St. Paul joins Minnesota cities planning for action on climate change
St. Paul’s plan is currently in draft form, and the city is accepting comments now. The big goal is to become carbon neutral within 30 years.
Cityscape
Minneapolis renters’ input informs new housing-stability proposals
“They have emergency situations, or a family member passes away,” said one renter, and soon people in crisis risk eviction and future denials of housing. Proposals are being developed to address these and other tenant issues, drawing pushback from some landlords.
Cityscape
Loss in popularity, climate change put pressure on public golf courses
Change is hard because golf is such a potent symbol. But fewer golfers and wetter conditions are creating dilemmas for local cities.
Cityscape
Amid a national tidying trend, new interest in micro apartments
It’s not just stuff. For some people, homes themselves are becoming simpler and smaller.
Cityscape
Never take a good street parade for granted
Can MayDay and Grand Old Day find a way to march toward a sustainable future?
Cityscape
From streetcar to BRT: The return of the Selby-Lake transit corridor?
The No. 21’s Selby-Lake-Marshall-University Avenue route wasn’t always so complicated. During the dawn of the streetcar era, the straight-shot Selby-Lake streetcar was one of the key east-west connections linking the Twin Cities.
Cityscape
It’s pothole-filling time. So where does the asphalt come from?
St. Paul’s Municipal Asphalt Plant is a 55-year-old structure that towers impressively over the ball fields and skate park on Front Avenue.
Politics & Policy
In the shadow of Nathan Hale, a small dispute over a small slice of land
In a corner of the Nathan Hale Park, a problem popped up this year when a neighboring fence mistakenly truncated a slim margin of land.
Community Sketchbook
How one St. Paul community is using an equity scorecard to direct neighborhood change
The hope is that, with the scorecard, both developers and residents can better understand at a glance what people community members want.
Politics & Policy
The Frogtown Neighborhood Association has launched an ambitious plan to democratize planning. Through cartoons
The jury is still out on whether Frogtown’s innovative gamble will work out. But at the very least, the new format has already increased engagement and access to knowledge.
A brief history of St. Paul ice palaces
The majority of St. Paul’s historical ice palaces were not actual physical buildings, but more like icy structures best viewed from a relative distance.
Politics & Policy
A century later, Minneapolis’ failed city plan still resonates
To my eyes, the document marked a watershed moment when Minneapolis leaders began to think publicly and holistically for the first time. The problem is that almost none of its recommendations ever got adopted.
Politics & Policy
St. Paul’s LED test illuminates the complexity of light itself
The history of urban street lighting is secretly fascinating, and once you open up Pandora’s light bulb, the resulting complexity is staggering.
Cityscape
End of an era on the West Bank as video store shuts its doors
The modern internet era, combined with the proliferation of cable, has made the brick-and-mortar video store as obsolete as an elevator operator.
