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.
Cityscape
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.
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.
Never take a good street parade for granted
Can MayDay and Grand Old Day find a way to march toward a sustainable future?
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.
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.
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.
