Featured Stories

From Grain Exchange to "Brain Exchange"

Elizabeth Millard Wednesday, October 24, 2012

The historic Minneapolis building, once given over entirely to commodities like wheat and rye, is turning into one of the major hubs for high-tech in the Twin Cities. Credit an ambitious coworking space as catalyst, an ideal downtown location, and (surprise!) the continuing need for techies to actually inhabit the same physical space.

Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Design, Emerging Technology, Entrepreneurship, High Technology, Reuse / Rebuild, Strong Local Economy

Downtown

A Line or Two: China in the Morning

Jon Spayde Wednesday, October 10, 2012

In A Line or Two, I share some of my discoveries and enthusiasms as I make my way around the Twin Cities.Call it an editor's note as blog entry. This week: The ever-deeper Minnesota-China connection, over breakfast.

Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Leadership, diversity, Entrepreneurship, Strong Local Economy

A Tale of Three Kickstarts

Michelle Bruch Wednesday, October 03, 2012

Crowdfunding powerhouse Kickstarter is becoming the go-to support system for a wider and wider variety of business ventures locally and nationally. Here are three Twin Cities success stories: a wallet, a home-security device, a restaurant--that illustrate how Kickstarter fuses funding, marketing, R and D, and even a kind of before-the-fact customer support.

Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Design, Emerging Technology, Entrepreneurship, Strong Local Economy

Uptown/Lyn Lake

Solera Chef Jorge Guzman with Gunnar Liden of the Youth Farm and Market Project

Farm in the Cities: A Slide Show

Bill Kelley Wednesday, September 26, 2012

The two groups that anchor the Twin Cities' food and restaurant renaissance--the growers and the chefs--came together in impressive numbers Sunday night for Farm in the Cities, the second annual celebration of furrow-to-table hyperlocal food culture, held at our preeminent Spanish restaurant, Solera. And Managing Photographer Bill Kelley was there.

Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Entrepreneurship, Strong Local Economy, Sustainability

Downtown

Victoria, Paul, and Bill: Northbound Smokehouse

A Line or Two: Northbound Smokehouse and Paul's Ball

Jon Spayde Wednesday, September 26, 2012

In A Line or Two, I share some of my discoveries and enthusiasms as I make my way around the Twin Cities. Call it an editor's note as blog entry. This week: A lively lunch at Minneapolis' newest brewpub on its first day--and a first look at Paul's Ball.

Arts and Culture, Creative Economy, Design, Entrepreneurship, Strong Local Economy

Longfellow

Issue Media Update: Crowdfunding to the Rescue

Lee Chilcote Wednesday, September 19, 2012

If you've got a startup ready or revving, but don't happen to live in the investment hotbeds on the East or West coasts, it can be a challenge to fund your dreams. Enter crowd-sourced funding. Once pretty much limited to artistic projects like new bands, Kickstarter and its cousins are becoming the recourse of choice for a wider and wider array of baby businesses.

Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Strong Local Economy

VideoLine: Broken Crow's Mural Menagerie

Springboard for the Arts Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Mike Fitzsimmons and John Grider, AKA Broken Crow, explain how the Irrigate initiative helped get their intense, stylish animal images up on a University Avenue business--helping that business to stand out during light rail construction.

Arts and Culture, Central Corridor, Creative Economy, Design, Entrepreneurship, Strong Local Economy

Saint Anthony Park

Chris Coleman's Saint Paul: A City with a Scene

Jon Spayde Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Saint Paul's music-loving mayor wants a city with a scene--a dynamic downtown with the special energy that only art and music provide. Last Thursday he shared some successes, some hopes, and some rock-concert memories with The Line.

Arts and Culture, Central Corridor, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Design, Entrepreneurship, Nightlife, Strong Local Economy, Transit Oriented Development

Downtown/Lowertown

John Spayde speaking with Dane Smith and Maureen Ramirez

The Big Picture: Dane Smith and Maureen Ramirez on justice, jobs, and education

Jon Spayde Wednesday, August 15, 2012

The president and the research/policy director of the local think tank Growth and Justice are "business-oriented progressives." In the face of dogma to the contrary, they dare to assert that there's an unbreakable link between economic fairness and economic growth. And they're bringing that spirit to the most compelling economic issue of all: jobs.

Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Leadership, diversity, Higher Education, Philanthropy, Strong Local Economy, Talent Dividend

Saint Anthony Park

A Line or Two: Of Cold Ramen and Rice Balls

Jon Spayde Wednesday, August 08, 2012

In A Line or Two, I share some of my discoveries and enthusiasms as I make my way around the Twin Cities. Call it an editor's note as blog entry. This week: a lunchtime celebration of local Japanese food.

Arts and Culture, Creative Economy, Entrepreneurship, Nightlife, Strong Local Economy

Riverfront/Mill District, University, Lake Street, Uptown/Lyn Lake, Downtown/Lowertown, Summit Hill and Crocus Hill, Warehouse/North Loop

Joel Coen directs Richard Kind in A Serious Man

Wanted: More Minnesota-Made Movies

Michelle Bruch Wednesday, July 25, 2012

How are Minnesota and the Twin Cities doing as film production centers and locations? There have been some major disappointments recently, but new moves give us reason to hope we can lure Hollywood back.

Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Design, Regionalism, Strong Local Economy

The Broadband Challenge

Julie Kendrick Wednesday, July 18, 2012

What can the Twin Cities learn from other communities' success with municipal broadband? For one thing, that "bright cable" has a bright future. For another, that every city's situation is different.

Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Design, Emerging Technology, High Technology, Regionalism, Strong Local Economy

Issue Media Update: The City as a Startup

Tracy Certo Wednesday, July 11, 2012

"The ingredients for a successful startup and a successful city are remarkably similar," wrote Jon Bischke, a guest blogger on TechCrunch. A group of urban leaders recently met in Cincinnati to explore the implications of that statement--and came up with a cluster of surprising ideas for urban vitality.

Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Strong Local Economy

A Line or Two: Find the Food Trucks

Jon Spayde Wednesday, June 27, 2012

In A Line or Two, I share some of my discoveries and enthusiasms as I make my way around the Twin Cities. Call it an editor's note as blog entry. This week: Online tools for zeroing in on mobile eats.

Entrepreneurship, Strong Local Economy

Farmers' Market confidential

Elizabeth Millard Wednesday, June 20, 2012

The debut of a new market in Minneapolis' Linden Hills neighborhood underlines the exciting upsides--and a few lesser-known downsides--of the farmers' market boom.

Coordination/Collaboration, Entrepreneurship, Green Jobs, Strong Local Economy, Sustainability

Southwest

Strong Local Economy : Featured Stories