To Solve Saint Paul’s Fiscal Problems, We Need More Density
Saint Paul needs to dramatically expand its property tax base to become a financially resilient city — updating its zoning rules to enable “dense” buildings is an obvious first step. Read »
Latest
National Links: Reform is Hard in Auto Oriented Cities
Charlotte's light rail systems, dead malls, and municipal wealth funds Read »
Walking All the Streets of Eastern Northeast Park
The straggly eastern portion of Northeast Park demanded a collection of relatively straight paths past a shopping center, two cemeteries, and an aerospace company. Read »
Guesswork at City Hall: How Midway’s Zoning Cap Got Waived
Saint Paul waived a zoning cap to let LuLuLand fill a vacant Herberger's, without publicly examining why the cap, or the corridor's transit vision, exist. Read »
National Links: Revealing the Urban Streets
Urban waterways, e-bike subsidies, and systemic change waves Read »
The Quarterly Transit Report–August 2026
This quarter's report includes two major bus line makeovers, plus an introduction to traffic signal priority for buses and trains. Read »
Feature
Are Food Trucks Good or Bad for the Twin Cities?
The Case Against Food Trucks I was at an urban planning function a while back when someone asked me, “What do you think of food trucks?” “I don’t know,” I replied. “They seem pretty good to me.” “They’re terrible!” he or she declared. “They suck all the business from legitimate restaurants. They’re ruining cities. Instead […] Read »