Minnesota
Managed Roads Favored Over Expansion in Twin Cities
Officials in the Twin Cities are looking to shift away from major road expansion projects and focus more on creating managed lanes that are intended to put a price on avoiding traffic within the two cities.
Will Light Rail Kill Businesses?
Rick Harrison tells a parable of a small businessman who's auto shop is decimated when a traffic engineer decides to put a median on the adjoining road, eliminating left turns into his shop. Will light rail essentially do the same?
Downtown Improvement District Lives Up To Name
This column from MinnPost praises the year-old Downtown Improvement District in Minneapolis for helping to revive the city's downtown core and give people a reason to walk.
Preserving Business During Construction Clutter
New transit facilities attract lots of foot traffic, but while the facility is being built the construction clutter drives potential customers away. A new program in Minneapolis attempts to preserve local businesses through the debris.
Money's "Best Place to Live" Is Seriously Lacking in Place
Eden Prairie, Minnesota tops Money Magazine's recent list of Best Places to Live 2010. Blogger Chris O'Leary points out that Eden Prairie is devoid of anything to separate it from any other suburb, and in fact has no downtown at all.
TOD: An Architect's View
The American Institute of Architects discovers that architects are finding work redesigning stations, and that a new focus on transit is driving development.
Minneapolis Launches Public Bicycle Share
Minneapolis follows Denver in launching it's public bicycle sharing program today. The bicycles will provide a fast, convenient and carbon neutral means of getting around and are based on the highly successful Parisian scheme.
Erasing a Sense of Place
PRAIRIEFORM argues that the central problem of modernist architecture is the way the buildings erase the sense of place inherent in the location where they are built.
Six States' Attempts To Increase Fuel Taxes
A new 21-page report evaluates the efforts of ID, NH, MA, MN, OR, and VT to raise state fuel taxes from 2006-2009. Why did only two succeed? This analysis looks only at how the debates were played out in print media in each of the states.
Seattle's Backyard Cottages Encouraged
Don't call them granny flats or inlaw units! These are separate units that can only be built on lots of 4,000 sq. ft. minimum. Only 50 have been built or permitted since the trial began in 2006. The goal is to bring affordabllity to SFH neighborhoods
Riverfront Easement Provokes Debate
In Red Wing, Minnesota, the city is seeking to turn 200-acres of marshes and forests into a permanent conservation easement. A citizen group has complained that locking down the land forever is a bad idea.
Smart Parking
A comparison of Brainerd, Minnesota's downtown parking and that of the planned town of Celebration, Florida shows what a big difference a parking plan can make.
Portland Demoted to America's Second Most Bike-Friendly City
The city of Portland is in a state of shock after being de-throned as America's most bike-friendly city.
Mall of America Weathering Recession Surprisingly Well
Foot traffic is up 3.5%, and even sales are up a little at Minnesota's megamall. Retail Traffic Magazine gleans some lessons from the Mall's success.
EPA Plots Plan to Restore Great Lakes
With heavily polluted waters and eroding shorelines, the Great Lakes are undergoing a rapid deterioration in health. The Environmental Protection Agency has unveiled a 5-year plan to restore the lakes.
Twin Cities-to-Chicago Rail Plans Released
The state of Minnesota has released its final plans for a high-speed rail route connecting the Twin Cities to Chicago.
Historic Preservation vs. Revitalization?
In Willmar, Minnesota, city officials were not pleased when a mandated environmental review concluded that the 68-year old airport building they wanted to demolish was historically significant.
Minneapolis-St. Paul Residents Get A New Commute
$320 million dollars and 13 years after construction began, the Northstar commuter rail began running today between Big Lake and Minneapolis.
Forbes Picks Safest Cities in U.S.
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.
When Going Green Is Less Important Than Saving Green
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.
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.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
