This weekend, you might have noticed groups of well-dressed people with nametags wandering Minneapolis and Saint Paul, looking at trains and apartment buildings with keen eyes. I spotted a LRT tour during University Avenue’s Open Streets yesterday, and then again found a nametag’d couple looking for a cab in downtown Saint Paul last night. (Ha!)
They asked me, “Are there any restaurants in downtown Saint Paul, or should we go back to Minneapolis?”
It was a Sunday night and Tanpopo was closed. I had to be honest, and told them to head West. (I’m not a sadist.)
Anyway, the annual Railvolution conference has over a thousand attendees who specialize in TOD and urban design. The conference organizers reached out to the streets.mn board a while back to ask us to organize a session. So, if you happen to be at the conference this week, consider stopping by to see some of the streets.mn writers discuss three of our most divisive local planning topics.
The streets.mn session is this Tuesday at 2:00 at the Hyatt (though I can’t find a room number on the website).
Here’s the panel description:
Bloggers x 3: Let the Debates Begin! AICP CM 1.5
Listen and learn as local transit bloggers go head to head over three issues specific to the Twin Cities: Hear the pros and cons of Minneapolis’ famous Skyway system. Weigh the ins and outs of regional transit expansion. Explore streetcar growth in the region. Three informative and vigorous debates moderated by Minneapolis TOD director David Frank. Bring your questions and get ready for provocative answers!
Moderator: David Frank, Director of Transit Development, City of Minneapolis, Minnesota
Janne K. Flisrand, Principal, Flisrand Consulting, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Nick Magrino, Blogger, streets.mn, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Sam Newberg, Urbanist, Joe-Urban.com, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Bill Lindeke, Blogger, streets.mn, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Alex Cecchini, Blogger, streets.mn, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Cameron Conway, Blogger, streets.mn, Minneapolis, Minnesota
(Also, David Levinson is also participating in a session earlier that day. If you’re going to be at the conference, stop by, or add your session in the comments below.)