Minnesota

The Washington St Bridge in Minneapolis is shown with downtown Minneapolis in the background.

Minnesota Republicans Kill Passenger Rail, Freeway Cap Projects

Republicans in the Minnesota State Senate blocked the planning of a proposed passenger rail route between Duluth and the Twin Cities in addition to a plan for a freeway cap in a historically Black neighborhood in St. Paul.

May 19, 2022 - MPR News

An image of St. Paul, Minnesota and the Mississippi River at nightfall.

Minneapolis Housing Activists Hope To Revive 2014 Federal Complaint

A 2014 complaint about segregated housing lodged with the Department of Housing and Urban Development could revive integrationist housing policies to improve opportunities for all residents.

May 18, 2022 - Governing

Twin Cities

Minneapolis Housing Plan a Success—Not for the Reason You Think

Housing advocates praise the city’s move to eliminate single-family zoning by legalizing triplexes on single-family lots, but that isn’t why housing construction is growing.

May 13, 2022 - Reason

A series of pedestrian bridges, linking buildings on either side of the street, are illuminated int he night in downtown Minneapolis.

The Pandemic Has Not Been Kind to Pedestrian Skyways in the Twin Cities

Already a source of eternal controversy for their effects on street life and local business, pedestrian skyways have proven even more problematic during the pandemic.

April 18, 2022 - Governing

Maumee River

Great Lakes To Receive $1 Billion from Infrastructure Bill For Restoration

An additional $1 billion in federal funding will bolster current efforts to clean polluted water sources and restore ecosystems in the Great Lakes region.

February 24, 2022 - Wyoming News Now

Twin Cities

Mapping Injustice Project Receives Grant to Fight Housing Inequality

A 'transformative' grant will help a University of Minnesota think tank foster conversations to address structural housing inequality in Minneapolis.

December 30, 2021 - Continuum

Minneapolis, Minnesota

An 'Explosion' of Investor-Owned Homes in Minneapolis' Low-Income Neighborhoods

The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis has noticed an alarming spike in investor-owned homes in Minneapolis since the Great Recession.

December 8, 2021 - Marketwatch

Mississippi River, Downtown Minneapolis

Minneapolis, St. Paul Voters Say ‘Yes’ to Rent Stabilization

Despite an all-out effort by the housing industry to stop them, two rent stabilization initiatives were given the green light following this month’s election.

November 29, 2021 - Shelterforce Magazine

Water Works at Mill Ruins Park

New Minneapolis Park Connects City to the Mississippi River

The newly built Water Works Park and Pavilion incorporates elements of historic mills and provides amenities long absent from the city's waterfront.

November 24, 2021 - The Architect's Newspaper

George Floyd

The Racial Reckoning in Public Spaces

Following George Floyd’s murder in 2020, there was an explosion of anti-racist street art across the country. “When we allow ourselves to release our emotions, oftentimes what is produced out of that is art.”

November 18, 2021 - Shelterforce Magazine

Weathered stone slabs with the words Juvenile Court Entrance engraved into it.

Minor Defendants: Kids Are Being Named in Evictions

Absurd as it may sound, minor children are sometimes named in eviction filings. If a child’s name makes in onto official court records—especially if those records are public and online—the damage can be irreversible.

November 17, 2021 - Shelterforce Magazine

One man, wearing a mask, walks down an otherwise empty 16th St in Denver.

COVID: Colorado Activates Partial Crisis Standards of Care

In a sign that the pandemic is far from over, Colorado reactivated its crisis standards of care for staffing of health care systems on Nov. 9 as infections increased modestly nationwide. Gov. Polis made all vaccinated adults eligible for a booster.

November 14, 2021 - Bloomberg Prognosis

Contracting with the Community

To connect with hard-to-reach communities, a Twin Cities agency diverted some of its consulting budget away from national firms and to organizations that already had those relationships.

November 12, 2021 - Shelterforce Magazine

A busy street in Duluth, full of cars and buses.

New High-Frequency Bus Service Dubbed 'Go Lines' in Duluth

The city of Duluth's reimagined bus transit system will go into effect in Summer 2022 along green and blue "Go Lines."

November 4, 2021 - Duluth News Tribune

St. Paul Minnesota

Aggressive Rent Control Measure Approved by St. Paul Voters

One of the nation's most aggressive rent stabilization measures, which caps rent increases at 3 percent regardless of inflation or the age of the building, will become the law in St. Paul.

November 3, 2021 - Pioneer Press

The city of Duluth, Minnesota, pictured from Lake Superior.

Welcoming the First Climate Migrants to Duluth, and Preparing for More

While the data still shows many Americans moving toward climate risk, an increasing number have noted the obvious effects of climate change and decided to move toward fresh water and milder climates.

October 20, 2021 - MPR News

Electric Vehicle Charging

Five Midwest States to Develop EV Charging Network

The governors hope the agreement will create jobs, reduce emissions, and encourage more widespread adoption of electric vehicles in their states.

October 7, 2021 - NPR

Metro Transit Green Line

Three New Programs to Increase Transit Ridership in the Twin Cities

With peak hour commuter travel not expected to rebound to pre-pandemic levels, Metro Transit is getting creative in its efforts to attract new riders.

October 1, 2021 - MinnPost

An image of St. Paul, Minnesota and the Mississippi River at nightfall.

Opinion: St. Paul's Proposed Rent Control Law Would Halt New Development

Rent control is a popular response to the ongoing housing affordability crisis in many parts of the United States, but there is still a chorus of economists and planners who argue that rent control can do more harm than good to housing affordability.

September 24, 2021 - twin cities sidewalks

St. Paul Minnesota

St. Paul Voters Could Pass the Nation's Strictest Rent Stabilization Ordinance

The extremely strict proposal would eliminate sharp rent increases, but could stifle housing construction and worsen the city's housing crisis.

September 10, 2021 - Minneapolis Post

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