Per-acre analysis: a unique way of looking at urban economics
“Value per acre” maps show that, in most cities, downtowns and older neighborhoods are very economically productive.
Cityscape
Cityscape focuses on urban life in our metro area. Topics range from urban design and architecture to transportation, highways, traffic, transit, walking and biking. Cityscape also examines important urban issues — such as real estate development, education, crime, poverty and family life — as well as the arts, sports and entertainment in our community.
From landscape to lifeline: Lake Como skating gets kids out of the house
A small rink, kept up by neighborhood dads, is keeping St. Paulites connected.
Will MnDOT be responsive to communities’ I-94 non-expansion demands?
The agency is rapidly approaching a key decision point as a committee meets this week.
Nicollet Ave. project: a zombie streetcar and pot of Minneapolis money that nobody wants to talk about
If you talk to people off the record, nobody likes the Nicollet streetcar proposal, at least not as it’s currently drafted.
No, Minneapolis should not preserve the car-centric 21 North Washington building
One difficulty with modernist preservation is that so much of the architecture is deeply anti-urban.
Savoring the rare, fleeting instances of small talk and informal public life in a pandemic
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.
As temps go down, St. Paul and Ramsey County are increasing options for the homeless
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.
Police pursuits: Are they justifiable — and if so, when?
Over the years, many studies have found that pursuits were rarely a good idea, given the long list of possibly disastrous consequences.
After major upgrades to St. Paul’s routes, cyclists are in for a treat
Bike planning takes a long time, but St. Paul is starting to see some major dividends from processes started decades ago.
Minneapolis 2040 passed last year to much fanfare. Now comes figuring out what it actually means in practice
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.
What a well-funded passenger rail system could look like in the Midwest under ‘Amtrak Joe’
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.
Losses in local news pile up, with just a few glimmers of hope trying to fill the void
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.
U.S. Census in Minnesota: For several reasons, 2020’s count may be uniquely flawed
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.
How three classic Twin Cities bars are barely surviving COVID-19
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.
Libraries as pandemic lifelines: In the Twin Cities, they’ve been ramping up services
For the first step, as most of society transformed their operations with COVID precautions, librarians took a cue from restaurants.
Innovative Twin Cities car-share project to democratize electric vehicles
Car sharing and electric vehicles are both big ideas that could transform transportation in the Twin Cities. So why not combine them? That’s the plan for an ambitious pilot program.
Public policy needs more input from renters, but organizing them is difficult
The task of organizing tenants poses all sorts of social barriers. But physical barriers can be important too.
Twin Cities statues: ubiquitous but ‘not at the forefront’ of public art
“Public art has really moved away from that,” says Colleen Sheehy, executive director of Public Art Saint Paul.
A revived debate: What role should police play in traffic safety?
Those who want to see less police enforcement offer varied solutions, including design and education approaches; regulations on devices that distract drivers; and automatic cameras for red-light running.
Amid overlapping crises, two very different efforts have helped shelter people without homes in Minneapolis
Thanks to both unique efforts, over the last week in Minneapolis, hundreds of people with nowhere to go have remained safe in hotel rooms for days.
