Sunday Summary – October 20, 2019

It is that time of year when we ask you to Join the streets.mn Board for Better Places in Minnesota: “All are welcome to apply, and absolutely no policy or planning experience is required. We do ask, however, that you are passionate about our mission: “To foster positive connections and inclusive conversations about better places in Minnesota.” – click through to go to the application.  And keep reading for last week on streets.mn:

Voter Guide 2019

Dan Choma (with others) has sent candidates in his own Ward 1 area some questions to help voters make up their minds; we’ll publish them as they come in.  Two responses this week:  Saint Paul Ward 1 Candidate Questionnaire: Abu Nayeem and Dai Thao.

Bike trips

Nathaniel Unger planned a bike route to follow the SWLRT Construction: A Bike Tour of the Construction.  Follow the photos from Eden Prairie to Minneapolis.

Wolfie Browender was Winding My Way Down On Baker Street this past summer on a 17+ mile bike ride through the Mac-Groveland neighborhood, West 7th Street and the West Side of Saint Paul.  As always, this is a ride through history, past interesting places, and introducing us to some people along the way.

Rochester

Rochester has Another Kmart, Another Controversy – Part 1 which Hannah Pritchard starts to consider for us.  The Kmart has closed and the property needs to be redeveloped, but “The parcel itself is weird, the current plan is disappointing, and the public process for such a large site in the supposed Destination Medical Center area has been…lacking.”  So far, the plan is to turn the (rest of the site) into a surface parking lot, but Hannah shows us what’s there now and promises some better ideas for the future in Part 2.

Traffic

A History of Traffic Management Technology by Monte Castleman continues his deep dives into highways and history, “By the late 1960s the Minnesota Highway Department (MHD) realized there wasn’t political will to build our way out of congestion, and so they began looking at technology to make the most of what physical pavement  existed. One of the first ideas was the concept of the ramp meter.”  In addition to the ramp meters, read about HOV lanes, cameras, signs, and more.  Keep reading in the comments for more details.

Strong statements

Devin Hogan gives us Manufacturing Consent: A Timeline of Policing and Propaganda in Minneapolis starting from the Minneapolis’ first police department in 1867, selecting policing and power problems since then to the present day as well as highlighting the resources commanded by law enforcement.

Regular features

National Links: Idealism in City Planning from Jeff Wood and The Overhead Wire.

Walking All the Streets of Southern Lowry Hill with Max Hailperin.