How COVID-19 is affecting six of the Twin Cities’ shuttered bars
They’ve gotten some help at the margins, but bar owners are worried about everything from upcoming bills to potential break-ins.
Cityscape
Demolition or preservation? St. Paul’s vacant 1914 Ford Building sits in limbo
It’s one of the two dozen “branch factories” that Henry Ford built to produce the Model T. It ran as a car plant for 21 years, before eventually being bought by the state in the early ’70s. It was used for office space until 2004, and has been vacant ever since.
How do market-rate building projects affect nearby housing costs?
A proposed St. Paul apartment complex has sparked a lot of pushback in the surrounding Lex-Ham, Rondo, and Frogtown neighborhoods over what the building would do to affordability in the area.
Traffic fatalities: Can ‘Vision Zero’ be a realistic goal for Minneapolis?
The average annual number of fatal and severe crashes in the city has bounced around 100 for a decade, and that’s even with a lot of recent safety improvements.
What causes ice storms like the one that recently wreaked havoc in the Twin Cities?
The Dec. 28 storm resulted in around 500 crashes, dozens of severe injuries, and two deaths.
Minneapolis’ tight rules usher in a new era of window shopping
Shop windows still sit at the center of an ongoing debate in planning circles about how to foster street life.
Ambient public music: Some love it, and some leave it
Music sets a mood, creates a vibe, and can be an acoustic welcome mat for people to enjoy themselves in the city. Or, if you prefer, it pollutes the atmosphere and inflicts ear worms on innocent passers-by.
TAP is a lifesaver for many Metro Transit riders
Once folks get enrolled, their card is registered under their name for a year, allowing them to get dollar fares at any fare box or light rail station.
Risky Hennepin and Ramsey County streets are increasingly being put on ‘road diets’
Both counties are aggressively replacing four-lane street designs with a three-lane concept, where turning traffic takes up a center lane.
St. Paul is rethinking its speed limits
The compromises forged at the end of last year’s legislative session included a new law that allows Minnesota cities to set their own speed limits on city streets.
When it comes to getting kids to school, is there a better way?
Combating the chaos of pick-up and drop-off.
Bde Maka Ska area ‘conservation district’ proposal allowed to move forward
On a 5-3 vote, the Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) gave the budding district the go-ahead Tuesday to receive further study and potential design guidelines that could shape future development in the 3.2 acre area.
Weeklong mural festival aims to bring Creative Enterprise Zone out into the light
From Sept. 7 to 14, the Chroma Zone Mural Festival will bring public art, placemaking, and whimsy out into the streets of St. Paul.
How is Minnesota allocating its $47 million from the Volkswagen settlement?
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is spending the $47 million in three distinct phases, with a pause between each phase to collect data and evaluate how the grants and goals are working.
Is there a solution for the buses vs. blockers bottleneck in downtown Minneapolis?
Especially in a time when so much time, money, and resources are spent planning for improved downtown transit, routine “box blocking” is a sure transportation travesty.
Soccer’s popularity creates acute need for more fields in St. Paul
Thanks to demographics and changing tastes, the demand for soccer means that youth soccer clubs in St. Paul and Minneapolis sometimes have to travel to distant suburbs to find a playable pitch for their ostensible home games.
‘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.
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.
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.
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.
