Hello Streets.mn community,
Welcome to our biweekly newsletter, delivering the latest Streets.mn news and views directly to your inbox! In each issue, our editorial team will provide ongoing stories, news, updates and event information related to Streets.mn, city life and Greater Minnesota.
Reading our newsletter for the first time? Subscribe here to get it in your inbox bi-weekly.
New in Streets.mn:
Cole Hanson’s recent piece, Why the Midway’s Suburban Design Is Killing Its Commercial Future, seems to have struck a chord, especially on Instagram where it’s been our most engaged post. The article digs into how car-oriented planning and fragmented land use are undermining the Midway’s long-term prospects, and it clearly touched a nerve. There’s more conversation to be had about how to fix these issues and reimagine a thriving, people-centered future for the corridor.
We’re excited to share an incredible piece of neighborhood history from first-time contributor Lindsey Fenner, a proud East Phillips resident, public library worker, and community and union organizer. In Community and Connection: A History of 35th and 36th Streets, Lindsey uncovers how the construction of Interstate 35W disrupted the Black community in South Minneapolis, severing long-standing neighborhood ties while sparking new forms of resilience. It’s a thoughtful look at how freeways have carved through communities, and why remembering these stories matters for the future of our city.
Complete Streets aren’t just for people biking, walking or taking transit — they also create safer, more vibrant corridors that benefit motorists, residents and local businesses. In Complete Streets: Good for Business, Nick Hutchinson, Community Engagement Organizer at Our Streets, makes the case that redesigning our streets around people instead of cars strengthens neighborhood economies and improves quality of life. Drawing from examples such as the Whittier neighborhood and beyond, Nick shows why business owners have more to gain than lose when streets become welcoming, people-centered places.
Call for Pitches, Paid Opportunities to Discuss Equity in Highway Design
It’s been a long, interesting year covering all types of stories impacting land use and transit in Minnesota. There’s so much more we’d love to cover which is why we’re excited to announce a call for pitches for our recently-awarded recently-awarded Minnesota Historical Society grant.
Each project is paid $1000, to be split between the storyteller and photographer.
Participants do not need to be experienced journalists to participate in this opportunity. Pitches will be accepted through Oct. 10 and reviewed on a rolling basis. We will select four pitches to continue on as projects to final publishing.
There are four topic areas we are seeking story ideas for, but we’re open to others you may have in mind, as long as they are highways built through a city or area since the 1950s in suburban and Greater Minnesota that have not had significant coverage.
- U.S. Route 14 between New Ulm and Rochester
- State Highway 36 to Stillwater
- State Highway 3 through Northfield
- U.S. Route 52 through West St. Paul
If you have experience with one of our identified highway areas, we’re especially interested, but we’re also very open to contributors who have passion for the topic or process of learning to research and write articles as well.
Potential storytellers will pitch at the linked Call for Pitches form. The process of storytelling and photography will be approximately ten weeks long, beginning in October and moving through mid-December when we publish. Each storyteller and photographer will work with the Managing Editor.
New on the Podcast:
In the latest episode of the Streets.mn podcast, Board Member Parker Seaman and host Ian R Buck discuss Bowling Alone by Robert D Putnam, in a conversation moderated by Stina Neel.
Here’s What Else We’re Reading:
- Stanford researchers found that people living in more walkable neighborhoods take significantly more daily steps, underscoring the health benefits of urban planning that prioritizes walkability.
- Bill Linkeke highlights how Alex Tsatsoulis, frustrated by the lack of lighting along Minneapolis’s Midtown Greenway, took matters into his own hands by ordering lights, grabbing a ladder, and brightening the path himself.
- A new study links regular cycling to lower dementia risk, reinforcing what Twin Cities bike culture has long embraced: riding is good for getting around and good for the brain.
- YouTuber Beaver Geography explores why Minneapolis has America’s craziest freeways, offering a theory on suburban growth and overbuilt infrastructure that Twin Cities viewers may find intriguing even if not entirely convincing.
Walk the Talk — Events
Blue Line Extension Regional Summit — Saturday, October 4, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Earlier this month, the Blue Line Extension entered its 60% design phase, with plans to route light rail through North Minneapolis and northwest suburbs being further solidified. With these advances, project planners and community partners will provide an update for the Blue Line Extension this Saturday at the Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center in North Minneapolis. RSVP here to learn more about the future of the Blue Line!
Thank-A-Thon & Data Entry Pizza Party w/ Move MN — Tuesday, October 18, 5:30 to ~8 p.m.
Volunteer with Move Minnesota Tuesday, October 14 for an evening of thank-you calls, data entry, free food and music. Participants will be making thank-you calls sorting data gathered from recent advocacy actions; all that’s required is a laptop, phone and charger, and you’ll be guided through the rest. RSVP here!
Nightmare on Our Streets: Annual Fundraiser — Wednesday, October 8, 6 to 8 p.m.
The annual fundraiser for prolific advocacy org Our Streets returns October 8! Join Our Streets at Dual Citizen Brewing for pizza, prizes and a silent auction as they fundraise for streets that support walking, biking, rolling and busing. For those coming from the west, a group ride to the event will start at Humboldt Avenue and the Midtown Greenway at 5:15 p.m., or the Sabo Bridge at 5:45 p.m. Learn more and get your ticket here.
Love What We Do? Consider a Sustaining Donation Today!
Your support helps us continue publishing thoughtful stories, uplifting new voices and hosting events that build community—like the contributors’ workshop we’re planning in Duluth later this fall.
It’s an exciting time to be part of Streets.mn. Help us keep the momentum going by making a sustaining donation today.
Have a great day!
– The Streets.mn Editorial Committee