Featured Stories

Take Me Out to a Ballgame and Brewpub: Your Guide to Game Day Transit and Venturing Afield

Brian Martucci Tuesday, June 02, 2015

Baseball season is upon us. Why not turn game day into an opportunity to explore neighborhoods around CHS Field in St. Paul's Lowertown and Target Field in Minneapolis' North Loop, which are bookended by Green Line light-rail stops?

Central Corridor, Nightlife, Strong Local Economy, Transit Oriented Development, Transportation

University, Cedar - Riverside/West Bank, Downtown, Saint Anthony Park, Downtown/Lowertown, Warehouse/North Loop

Living the Life: Seven Members of MSP's Growing Coastal-Transplant Community

Brian Martucci Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Strike up a conversation at an art opening, microbrewery, maker event, co-working space, tech-entrepreneur gathering, placemaking conference or food truck, and chances are that person is a coastal transplant living the life they’ve always wanted.

Creative Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Strong Local Economy, Transportation

Riverfront/Mill District, Uptown/Lyn Lake, West Seventh, Downtown/Lowertown, Northeast

spring veggies,courtesy Bill GourmetFoods, MIll City.jpg

Eat Up! 7 Transit-Friendly Farmers Markets in MSP

Brian Martucci Tuesday, May 05, 2015

Looking to sample the region’s freshest produce without braving traffic? In celebration of the Green Line’s first full farmers market season, here are seven MSP markets within walking distance of a major transit line (in many cases, the Green Line itself).

Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, diversity, Entrepreneurship, Green Jobs, Shopping, Transit Oriented Development, Transportation

Riverfront/Mill District, University, Downtown, Lake Street, Southwest, Downtown/Lowertown

How a Car-Free Calling Led to a Healthier, Fuller, Smaller-Footprint Life

Brian Martucci Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Tami Traeger, Nice Ride MN's director of outreach and sponsor relationships, explains how a car-free calling led her to align her lifestyle with her values and smaller-footprint living.

Central Corridor, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Leadership, Strong Local Economy, Sustainability, Transportation

Seward

Ryan Companies' work in DT East includes two office towers (right) for Wells Fargo, courtesy Ryan Co

A Long Way From Surface Parking Lots: Downtown East's Rapid Transformation

Brian Martucci Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Downtown East could soon become the national face of MSP; quite a step up for a neighborhood that barely existed a decade ago.

Affordable Housing, Central Corridor, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Leadership, Design, High Technology, Nightlife, Regionalism, Strong Local Economy, Transit Oriented Development, Transportation

Riverfront/Mill District, Cedar - Riverside/West Bank, Downtown

An L.A. Native and Her Husband Embrace the Pedal-Powered Lifestyle

Brian Martucci Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Janis LaDouceur relocated to The North in the late 1980s and began a two-decade process of disengaging from car culture.Today, LaDouceur and her husband, Sean Burns, live an almost totally car-free lifestyle.

Coordination/Collaboration, Design, Sustainability, Transportation

University, Warehouse/North Loop

From Ken's forthcoming graphic novel, Bicyclopolis

Embracing the Creative Nexus of Bikes, Transit and Art

Brian Martucci Sunday, December 14, 2014

Ken and Roberta Avidor have been car-free since 2010. Union Depot is their jumping-off point for bike, bus and train trips around the Twin Cities—and beyond. They're also making a name for themselves in the Twin Cities’ urban-sketching movement.

Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Entrepreneurship, Sustainability, Transportation

Downtown/Lowertown

How a Car-Free Lifestyle Led to a More Experience-Based Life

Brian Martucci Wednesday, November 19, 2014

A transit user and cyclist explains why he traded the conveniences of car ownership for an “experience-based lifestyle.”

Sustainability, Transportation

Seward, Warehouse/North Loop

An enthusiastic cyclist at work during a Grease Rag event, photo courtesy Grease Rag

Grrl Power: Initiatives in the Twin Cities Getting More Women on Bicycles

Brian Martucci Wednesday, November 12, 2014

With momentum on multiple fronts, a number of women-led initiatives are expanding the future of cycling to create a healthier, safer, more opportunity-rich Twin Cities for female cyclists.

Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, diversity, Sustainability, Transportation

Downtown, Lake Street, North Side, Uptown/Lyn Lake, Downtown/Lowertown, Thomas - Dale/Frogtown, Powderhorn

Outside Nic on Fifth, courtesy Nic on Fifth

The Two Towers: New Minneapolis Highrises Are Poised to Change Downtown Living

Chris Dall Wednesday, November 05, 2014

Architects, developers and city officials hope that two new apartment towers, which are changing the skyline of downtown Minneapolis, will transform street life and commerce with an influx of new residents and new businesses.

Creative Economy, Nightlife, Reuse / Rebuild, Shopping, Sustainability, Transit Oriented Development, Transportation

Downtown

Cycling in the Cities: Seven New Local Inventions for Bike Enthusiasts Here and Around the Globe

Brian Martucci Wednesday, October 22, 2014

The Twin Cities is a leader in bicycle use and a major innovator in bicycle design and technology. The seven inventions profiled here have, or will have, an impact on the local and global cycling industry. And the pace of innovation shows no sign of slowing down.

Central Corridor, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Design, Emerging Technologies, Emerging Technology, Entrepreneurship, Strong Local Economy, Sustainability, Transportation

Shawn Combs Walding, photo by Brian Martucci

Q+A: Shawn Combs Walding, MnDOT's Transit Advantages Coordinator

Brian Martucci Wednesday, October 15, 2014

We recently sat down with Shawn Combs Walding, MnDOT’s Transit Advantages Coordinator for the Twin Cities Metro District to discuss alternative transportation in the Twin Cities, what local entities can do to promote transit use, and how easy it really is to be car-free.

Central Corridor, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, diversity, Sustainability, Transit Oriented Development, Transportation

Rail~Volution Recap: The Power of Millennials and Transit Planning in the Twin Cities

Brian Martucci and Kyle Mianulli Wednesday, October 15, 2014

The message of this year's Rail~Volution conference in the Twin Cities was clear: To attract and retain top talent in the coming decades, cities must meet Millennials' preferences for effective transit options.

Central Corridor, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Emerging Technologies, Regionalism, Strong Local Economy, Sustainability, Transit Oriented Development, Transportation

Downtown, Downtown/Lowertown

Nancy Fischer and Lars Christiansen, photo by Brian Martucci

How Being "Car Ownership Free" Led to Healthy Living, Community Organizing and Embracing Transit

Brian Martucci Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Two years ago, Lars Christiansen and Nancy Fischer sold their car and plunged into the Twin Cities’ rich network of public and alternative modes of transportation, which led to a healthier lifestyle and innovating the Friendly Streets Initiative.

Central Corridor, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Leadership, Sustainability, Transportation

Midway, Cedar - Riverside/West Bank, Seward, Thomas - Dale/Frogtown

The Real-World Impacts of Creative Placemaking in MSP

Sheila Regan Wednesday, September 10, 2014

NEA, ArtPlace and others have poured millions of dollars toward creative placemaking projects in the Twin Cities in recent years. What are the street-level results of those investments?

Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, diversity, Transportation

University, Lake Street, North Side, Uptown/Lyn Lake, Seward, Longfellow, Powderhorn