Featured Stories

David Graham at Gold Medal Park and Zenith Condos

Q+A: David Graham, the city building architect, and his ecosystem approach to density

Camille LeFevre Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Affordable Housing, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Design, Reuse / Rebuild, Strong Local Economy, Sustainability, Transit Oriented Development, Transportation

Riverfront/Mill District, Downtown, Uptown/Lyn Lake, Northeast

City Art: New thinking about public art in Saint Paul is transforming the public sphere

Christine Podas-Larson Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Arts and Culture, Central Corridor, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Leadership, Design, diversity, Sustainability, Transit Oriented Development, Transportation

Saint Anthony Park, Downtown/Lowertown, Thomas - Dale/Frogtown, Payne - Phalen

Throughout the U.S., Public Art Engages Communities and Transforms Neighborhoods

Elaine Labalme Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Public art has evolved into an essential element of urban placemaking and social engagement. From murals on vacant buidlings to art in laundormats to temporary art installations that invite public participation, we take a look at public art and how it's changing cities.

Arts and Culture, Central Corridor, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Leadership, Design, diversity, Regionalism, Strong Local Economy, Transit Oriented Development, Transportation

Downtown/Lowertown, Thomas - Dale/Frogtown

"Open-Source"--The Next Big Thing in Twin Cities Car- and Bike-Sharing?

Conrad deFiebre Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Sustainability, Transportation

Anthony Ongaro aboard a familiar green bicycle

Nice Ride's Next Roll: A Conversation with Anthony Ongaro

Jon Spayde Wednesday, September 11, 2013

With new ventures in greater Minnesota, plans for "inspansion" in the Twin Cities, and a bicycle that makes ice cream, the bikeshare program is both growing fast and becoming a (sometimes quirky) part of Minnesota culture. Nice Ride's marketing director fills us in.

Creative Leadership, Regionalism, Sustainability, Transportation

These entrepreneurs chose the Green Line

Elizabeth Millard Wednesday, June 19, 2013

It's been an article of faith since Central Corridor light rail (Green Line) construction began that, despite all the disruption and traffic chaos of the building stage, the line would eventually become a magnet for local entrepreneurs. That scenario appears to be playing out; here are three entrepreneurial ventures that were lured to the line by light rail's promise.

Central Corridor, Coordination/Collaboration, diversity, Entrepreneurship, Healthcare, Life Sciences, Strong Local Economy, Transportation

Midway, Saint Anthony Park, Thomas - Dale/Frogtown, Summit - University

A charging station at Saint Paul's RiverCentre

Where to charge your car: Electric-car "refueling" stations in the Twin Cities

Anna Pratt Wednesday, June 05, 2013

Charging stations for electric cars are popping up here and there in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. In fact, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is working to install up to 76 electric car-charging stations throughout the metro area, adding to an already expanding network. Here's our guide (a work in progress) to our towns' car-charging infrastructure.

Coordination/Collaboration, Emerging Technologies, Emerging Technology, Strong Local Economy, Sustainability, Transit Oriented Development, Transportation

Travis Peebles and James Rychak of Blazing Saddle Cycle--photo by Bob Perkoski

The Two-Wheel Entrepreneurs: Bike culture spawns businesses nationwide

Lee Chilcote Wednesday, May 22, 2013

While the Twin Cities duke it out with Portland over which metropolis sets the gold standard of bike culture, other cities--some of them unlikely--are becoming serious players in the boom. Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, DC, and Tampa are among the places where ingenious entrepreneurs are "riding" the new bike culture,

Creative Economy, Entrepreneurship, Strong Local Economy, Transportation

A Line or Two: ARTCRANK Cranks Up Its Bike-Themed Art Power

Jon Spayde Wednesday, April 03, 2013

This week: Get in gear (or jump on your fixie) for what ARTCRANK, our high-powered local (and national and international) poster collective, touts as "the biggest bike-art shindig ever thrown," this Saturday.

Arts and Culture, Design, Transportation

Northeast

Change comes to car country: Biking, walking on the rise in the suburbs

Jay Walljasper Wednesday, February 27, 2013

From "road diets" to "advisory bike lanes" to Complete Streets programs, Twin Cities suburbs are beginning to create infrastructure and policy to turn their familiar auto-only paradigm into a new vision of walkable, bikeable streets.

Creative Leadership, Regionalism, Sustainability, Transportation

Public Transit Head to Head: Portland versus Minneapolis

Amber Collett Wednesday, February 06, 2013

According to Amber Collett, a transit and bike activist (and a former Twin Cities resident), we've got reason to envy Portland's bike-friendly transit system. But Minneapolis actually wins in the comparison. Why? Read on.

Central Corridor, Transit Oriented Development, Transportation

Artist rendering of the Capitol East Station

Central Corridor Success: The Green Line is Already Earning Greenbacks

Conrad DeFiebre Wednesday, January 23, 2013

The Central Corridor light rail line (aka the Green Line) won't be finished till 2014, but it's already earning its keep, writes Conrad LeFiebre of MN 2020, as development advances, once-disrupted business stabilizes, and observers add up the unique advantages of a line that connects two downtowns.

Central Corridor, Coordination/Collaboration, Regionalism, Strong Local Economy, Transit Oriented Development, Transportation

Urbanist Charles Landry on the Twin Cities: reknit the urban fabric, learn to brag

Jay Walljasper Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Jay Walljasper checks in with British urbanist Charles Landry, who recaps his experience touring the Twin Cities, meeting a wide array of local urban changemakers, and applying his principles of city vitality to our reality. And Landry draws some conclusions about how our towns can thrive in the coming decades.

Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Design, diversity, Transit Oriented Development, Transportation

Where light rail can't go: "rapid bus" is coming

Conrad deFiebre Wednesday, November 14, 2012

In this blog post from Minnesota 2020, Conrad deFiebre argues that, while light rail is both successful and expanding in the Twin Cities, it's not the only answer to the 21st-century transit question in our metro. Meet the "rapid bus," a transit mode that mimics rail--on rubber tires.

Central Corridor, Transit Oriented Development, Transportation

Bikes Mean Better Business

Jay Walljasper Wednesday, November 07, 2012

It's long been known that biking is good for your health, good as a transportation option, good for reducing carbon emissions. But it's becoming clearer and clearer that cities that are bike-friendly are also attracting the kind of talent that builds the businesses of the future.

Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Leadership, Sustainability, Transportation

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