Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis 2040 Plan Could Proceed Under New Law

A state law awaiting the governor’s signature could exempt comprehensive plans from environmental review, freeing the plan from recent lawsuits.

May 21, 2024 - Minnesota Reformer

Row of six cyclists riding down asphalt road with large trees on side.

Twin Cities Suburbs Look to Improve Bike Facilities

Communities around Minneapolis and St. Paul are working to build more robust bike infrastructure networks.

May 13, 2024 - Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Sunset view of downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota skyline.

Minneapolis as a Model for Housing Affordability

Through a combination of policies, the city has managed to limit the severity of the nationwide housing crisis.

April 24, 2024 - Brown Political Review

Yellow and silver Metro Transit light rail train pulling into outdoor station in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Twin Cities Trains Move to Fewer Cars, Higher Frequency

Headways will drop from 15 minutes to 12 minutes.

April 16, 2024 - Axios

Downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota skylinw with stone arched brige in foreground.

Minneapolis: An Urban Planner's Guide to the City

Known as the first city to eliminate single-family zoning, Minneapolis has a lot to live up to — a host of challenges beyond housing.

April 7, 2024 - Planetizen

Downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota skylinw with stone arched brige in foreground.

Study: How to Revitalize Downtown Minneapolis

A proposal calls for a reevaluation of the city’s skyways, a focus on street-facing businesses, and an improved public realm.

March 28, 2024 - Minneapolis Post

Light rail train at station in St, Paul, Minnesota.

St. Paul ‘Arterial BRT’ Could Be Faster, Cost Less Than Streetcar

Officials are eyeing a plan that could replace a proposed streetcar line with a bus rapid transit line.

March 13, 2024 - Star Tribune

White microbus with yellow stripe on rural road with empty road and blue sky in background.

Minnesota, Vermont Experiment With Rural Trip Planning Websites

Pilot programs in the two states aimed to make transit information more accessible for riders in rural areas, where on-demand and microtransit services make trip planning more complex.

March 13, 2024 - The Daily Yonder

People sitting at small tables in a public parklet in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Minneapolis Opens 2024 Parklet Season

The program supports nonprofits and other groups who want to build parklets and outdoor dining spaces on public right-of-way.

February 28, 2024 - Hoodline

Front of city bus driving down tree-lined street, surrounded by cars.

Free Bus Fare Pilot Boosts Ridership in Twin Cities

The free fare pilot program is only partially complete, but even if it is deemed “successful,” it is unclear how — or if — Metro Transit plans to adopt free fare policies for the long term.

February 11, 2024 - Axios Twin Cities

Low close-up of salt sprinkled on asphalt road in winter with person walking and car in background.

Minnesota Advocates Propose Tools to Limit Road Salt Use

Winter-oriented road design can limit the amount of polluting chloride used on the state’s roads to mitigate winter conditions.

February 5, 2024 - MPR News

People on bike share bikes on bridge with Minneapolis, Minnesota skyline in background

Minnesota Awards Active Transportation Grants

The grants are aimed at helping cities create action plans for improving their bike and pedestrian networks.

January 31, 2024 - KEYC News Now

View of parking structures and downtown St. Paul, Minnesota skyline.

Minnesota Legislator Proposes Parking Reform Bill

The bill would build on nationwide momentum to eliminate minimum parking requirements.

January 30, 2024 - Star Tribune

Aerial view of John A. Blatnik Bridge and freight yard in Duluth, Minnesota.

Minnesota-Wisconsin Bridge Awarded $1B in Federal Funding

An important link between Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Canada is due for an upgrade.

January 26, 2024 - Pioneer Press

View of Minnesota state capitol dome from side with leafy tree branches slightly obscuring view.

Minnesota Launches Statewide Homelessness Response Plan

‘Crossroads to Justice’ provides a strategic, cross-agency roadmap to reducing the number of unhoused residents.

January 24, 2024 - Sahan Journal

White minibus with yellow "On-Demand" logo parked in an asphalt lot with grass field and dry fall trees in background in Edmonton, Canada.

Microtransit Can Boost Ridership, but Agencies Struggle With Cost

Minnesota’s on-demand microtransit service is helping connect residents to fixed-route service and daily needs.

January 16, 2024 - Minnesota Reformer

Girl walking in front og blue and white minibus with 'micro' logo in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Public Transit Alternatives to Rideshare Offer Affordable and Accessible Mobility

In Minnesota, local transit agencies are seeing growth in ridership for on-demand microtransit services since the start of the pandemic.

January 15, 2024 - Minnesota Reformer

Sunset view of downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota skyline.

Zoning Reform Is Working in Minneapolis

The city has grown its housing stock and limited rent cost increase to just 1 percent.

January 9, 2024 - Route Fifty

Aerial view of Minneapolis neighborhood and downtown skyline in winter with snow.

How One Minnesota County Cut Homelessness by 80 Percent

While homelessness rose in most U.S. regions, Hennepin County invested heavily in programs to end chronic homelessness and get people into temporary and supportive housing faster.

December 26, 2023 - Bloomberg CityLab

White and yellow Metro Transit streetcar in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Twin Cities Transit Agency Launches Safety Initiatives

The agency is pairing with nonprofit partners to provide on-site services and resources to riders and boosting fare enforcement without police involvement.

December 24, 2023 - Governing

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.