Minnesota

$320 million dollars and 13 years after construction began, the Northstar commuter rail began running today between Big Lake and Minneapolis.

Forbes Magazine jumps into the fray once again with their list of "America's Safest Cities." Violent crime, workplace deaths, fatal crashes and natural disasters are all a part of the data considered.

A new HVAC system for a building in Minnesota that was expected to meet high environmental standards was going to come in at almost three times its originally estimated costs. So city officials are delaying.

At the Midwest High Speed Rail Summit today in Chicago, an agreement was struck between eight states to work cooperatively to achieve Recovery Act funding to develop the Chicago Hub High Speed Rail Corridor - also called the Midwest corridor.

Conrad DeFebre of Minnesota 2020 went to an exhibit about transportation at the Minnesota History Center titled "Going Places: The Mystique of Mobility" and found an overt bias against transit.

As farmland prices skyrocketed, so did the cost of growing a suburb.

For low-income people in the Mankato, Minnesota area, there might be no hope for assistance from government vouchers.

Fuled by casino cash, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community is buying up sections of Scott County, Minnesota at a rate that has local planners spinning.

A new LEED Platinum building in suburban Minneapolis may be the greenest single building in the state, but what about all those who must drive there? The City of Lakes blog looks at the fallacy of LEED rankings when location is not factored in.

Concrete in a Minneapolis bridge replacing that which collapsed in 2007 is made of a concoction that boasts less environmental impact and durability. And it's self-cleaning.

Target Field is the forthcoming ballpark for the Minnesota Twins, and the team and their sponsor recently unveiled their plans for the public space in front of the park. Designs include 40 ft. topiary and a giant bronze glove.

Mayor R.T. Rybak of Minneapolis is changing the rules of urban economic redevelopment, mainly by not handing out large tax incentives to big businesses.

The chairman of the Twin Cities' Metropolitan Council announced Monday plans to use federal stimulus money to fund the bus system rather than "shovel-ready" projects for which they were intended.

Ridership is up on transit in the Twin Cities. Fewer cars are being sold, and tax revenues are down. With little funding expected to fill the gap, transit fare increases may be on the horizon.

Urban development needs to be re-considered as urban redevelopment, according to this column from MinnPost.

The town of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, has grand plans for a new, pedestrian-oriented downtown, but making this idea reality involves getting rid of one large and vocal neighbor: WalMart.

St. Paul, Minnesota's artist-in-residence has instituted a program where poems are imprinted into sidewalks throughout the city.