At the corner of Portland Avenue and Third Street in Minneapolis, I stood in a large sneckdown corner, no tire tracks in the area since the snow had started falling only a few hours previous.

(For the uninitiated, a sneckdown “is effectively a curb extension caused by snowfall,” according to Wikipedia, which calls this charmingly named phenomenon “a natural form of traffic calming.” Sneckdowns also “shorten pedestrian crossing distances,” contributing to safer street design.)

“There’s so much room here,” said I to myself, “You could really spread out and take up a lot of space here safely. The snow is perfect for a snow angel — and I haven’t made one yet this winter.”

So I did. It sure would be nice if we could get some big trees on those corners instead, but a seasonal micro-park can be a small joy to happen upon.