Minnesota

A park planned to accompany Minneapolis' new football stadium has raised controversy because of the amount of proposed subsidies. While the details are worked out, planners consider the elements that will ensure its success.

December 24, 2013 - Next City

Illustrative diagrams are one of the primary tools used by architects and planners to explain existing conditions and design concepts. An art project that produces frivolous diagrams reveals the heft that well crafted drawings bring.

December 6, 2013 - WebUrbanist

Population loss has been a fact of life for many of the United States' rural towns for decades. But if the experiences of rural towns across Minnesota are any indication, manufacturing, farming, and technology may generate a widespread rural revival.

December 3, 2013 - Star Tribune

MnDOT Transportation Commissioner Charles Zelle needs to fill a $12 billion gap over the next 20 years. The most common question he's asked: "Can it be done without raising fees or taxes?" He stopped by The Mankato Free Press for an interview.

November 30, 2013 - The Mankato Free Press

A study prepared for the McKnight Foundation’s Food for Thought series has searched far and wide for lessons for keeping Minneapolis-St. Paul a prosperous and livable place.

November 23, 2013 - MinnPost

Motivated in part by the E.P.A.'s proposed rules to reduce power plant emissions, Minn. Power is burning a greener variety of coal by adding wood to the fuel, helping to meet its renewable power goal and reduce conventional air pollutants and CO2.

November 4, 2013 - The New York Times - Business Day

Southern California's powerful regional planning association is one of the many public agencies across the United States that sees the future of road funding in a new technology called a 'black box'.

October 29, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) and the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota (PAM) have reached a settlement with the City of Minneapolis to preserve and rehabilitate Peavey Plaza, ending a lawsuit brought by the groups to prevent demolition.

October 8, 2013 - The Architect's Newspaper Blog

Although they've been derided by urbanists near and far, Minneapolitans overwhelmingly support the city's Skyways. James Corner Field Operations embraces the skyway system as a key element in its proposal for the city's Nicollet Mall Redesign.

October 7, 2013 - Streets MN

While bike commuting is gaining nationwide, it's actually dropping in Portland which has held the enviable title of tops in bike commuting for large cities since 2005. Minneapolis and Seattle, #2 and #3 respectively, are gaining, warns BikePortland.

September 26, 2013 - BikePortland

According to a study by U. of Minn's Jason Cao published in the journal, Transportation, there is a positive correlation between living near light rail transit and satisfaction with life. He based it on the Hiawatha light rail line in Minneapolis.

September 14, 2013 - Salon

After a year of closed-door negotiations, the Twins and Hennepin County have reached agreement on a plan to transform the rail hub being built adjacent to the team's new ballpark into an engine for revitalizing the surrounding neighborhood.

September 13, 2013 - Star Tribune

From solar panels to waste-to-energy to geothermal systems, small cities across Minnesota are exploring ways to take advantage of the latest in distributed energy generation technologies to reduce costs and improve local economies.

September 12, 2013 - Minnesota Public Radio

As the housing market roars back to life, the price of "dirt", or developable land, is surging in America's most desirable areas - including the outer suburbs. A shortage of lots is said to be hampering the housing recovery.

September 9, 2013 - The New York Times

Perhaps it's not surprising to learn that HOT lane usage increases when prices increase. Higher prices, after all, signal congestion up ahead. What is surprising is the amount drivers are willing to pay to shave mere minutes off their commute.

August 19, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

In the first of two articles looking at how Minneapolis-St. Paul can remain a prosperous and livable place, Jay Walljasper examines the Twin Cities' identity crisis.

July 27, 2013 - MinnPost

In an affluent suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota's first 'residential redevelopment coordinator' works as a buffer between aggressive builders and residents upset about the side effects of mansionization.

July 23, 2013 - Minneapolis Star Tribune

A $112 million BRT route is set to debut this weekend in the Twin Cities, the first route of its type in the area. Officials hope that with strong ridership, the service will become a model for statewide expansion.

June 22, 2013 - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Despite a flurry of new commuter rail lines in operation, ridership increased a mere .5% during a record year for transit. Worse yet, some of the newer lines saw the greatest decreases. The answer: increase service to attract riders.

June 18, 2013 - Governing Magazine

A fragmented network of sidewalks is commonplace in the suburbs of Hennepin County, Minnesota. Mary Jane Smetanka reports on controversial efforts to fill in the gaps and retrofit these suburban neighborhoods as walkable places.

June 12, 2013 - Star Tribune