Minnesota

Minneapolis Officially Ends Single-Family Zoning; Change to Take Effect January 1
The end of single-family zoning, a key component of a comprehensive plan adopted last year in Minneapolis, has now been set in code.

Two Years In, a Look at the Twin Cities Fare Discount Program
In 2017, Metro Transit in the Twin Cities raised fares but also started a program for low-income riders to help ease the burden of travel costs.

Traffic Fatalities Compel New Standards for Road Diets
In the Twin Cities, traffic engineers are reconsidering traffic congestion on four-lane arterials in the face of unrelenting tragedy on these car-centric corridors. Road diets, designed for safety, are now a more tenable proposition.

Cities Report Declining Revenues
The annual "City Fiscal Conditions" report by the National League of Cities delivers a warning signal about the state of the economy.

Bus Rapid Transit Chosen for Big Mayo Clinic-Adjacent Economic Development Program
Rochester, the third-most-populous city in Minnesota and birthplace of the Mayo Clinic, has approved a plan to build bus rapid transit.

Minneapolis Debates Inclusionary Zoning
The city of Minneapolis approved an interim inclusionary zoning measure in December 2018, but very few projects were subject to the policy. Supporters and opponents of the policy are sparring over the policy's future.

Rethinking Speed Limits in the Twin Cities
Minneapolis and St. Paul are celebrating their newfound local control on matters of traffic safety be reconsidering the speed limits on city-owned streets and roads.

The Case for Gender Mainstreaming in Transportation Planning
Like the curb cut effect achieved by the Americans With Disabilities Act, which benefitted a much larger cross-section of the population than the legislation originally intended, gender mainstreaming could multiply benefits in the public realm.

Opinion: End of Single-Family Zoning Won’t Solve Minneapolis' Housing Problems
Even as density increases in Minneapolis, affordable housing is not going to be accessible to the people who need it, according to an article by James S. Russell.

Minnesota DOT Report Calls for Low-Emissions Vehicle Standard
The report “Pathways to Decarbonizing Transportation in Minnesota” also calls for a greater adoption of biofuels and actions to decrease vehicle miles traveled.

A Test Ride for Mobility Hubs
Offering multiple, non-automobile options for transportation in one place is the idea behind mobility hubs. The city of Minneapolis is now testing the concept at four locations.

The Past and Future of Pedestrian Malls
Pedestrian malls, a common urban design goal of the 1960s and 1970s have so fallen out of fashion that failed examples from history are cited as boogeyman like "bridges to nowhere" and "big digs."

Diversifying Neighborhood Associations More Challenging Than Assumed
The schedule for the Neighborhoods 2020 initiative in Minneapolis has been pushed as neighborhood organizations have pushed back on the city's efforts to remake the system in a more representative form.

Lower Speed Limits Included in Early Vision Zero Recommendations for Minneapolis
A report on how to implement Vision Zero traffic safety improvements in the city of Minneapolis included an ambitious menu of options, including lower speed limits citywide.

The Life and Death of Neighborhood Rebrandings
Surveying the history of neighborhood rebranding in Minneapolis is like taking a tour of post-recession redevelopment.

Planning New 'Cultural Districts' in Minneapolis
Planners are giving shape to one of the potentially controversial aspects of the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

Twin Cities Light Rail Cuts Overnight Service, Displaces Hundreds of Homeless Riders
Homeless and working class riders won't have the shelter and mobility offered by Green Line trains in the Twin Cities, as Metro Transit cuts overnight service.

A Comprehensive Plan for Every Neighborhood Park
Minneapolis wants more equity in its parks spending—and new plans are a key step in the process of delivering more equitable results.

One Vote Left for Proposed Citywide Ban of New Drive-Throughs in Minneapolis
The city of Minneapolis could achieve another first of land use regulation next week if the City Council votes to prohibit the construction of all drive-through facilities in the entire city.

Two for One: A Dog Park and a Beer Bar
Stepping up the urban amenity game in Minneapolis.
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