Group Makes Plans For Walkable Minneapolis

"It's hard to imagine a pleasant stroll through Downtown [Minneapolis] when the day's high temperature is 20 degrees and wind tunnels necessitate an escape into the skyway system.

But that is exactly what a newly formed private foundation called Walking Minneapolis is aiming to do.

Beginning early next year, the group will study outdoor additions such as riverfront vendors selling coffee in the winter and ice cream in the summer, way-finding signs so elaborate they print out maps between the Guthrie Theater and Walker Art Center, and activities that draw people out to the streets, such as performances and outdoor chess boards."

The group plans to raise money from private donors, and business improvement district assessments.