Author: Dana DeMaster

Dana DeMaster

About Dana DeMaster

Dana DeMaster, MPP, is a program evaluator and researcher for human services programs who lives and bikes in Saint Paul. When she’s not analyzing data, she can be found rabble-rousing for neighborhood bike improvements in Saint Paul, playing Legos with her two children, or sewing practical things. You can find some of her other writing on the Grease Rag and Wrench blog.

streets.mn Voter Guide – Saint Paul Mayoral Candidate Sharon Anderson

The filing deadline for Saint Paul mayoral candidates was August 15. Four more candidates filed on August 15 and we sent our questionnaire to the three with email addresses available on the Secretary of State’s website. The newest candidates to enter the race are Greg Copeland, Trahern Crews, and Sharon Anderson. Banabas Joshua Y’Shua is […]

streets.mn Voter Guide – Saint Paul Mayoral Candidate Pat Harris

Pat Harris is the latest of the Saint Paul mayoral candidates to return our joint questionnaire that was developed in partnership with the Saint Paul Bicycle Coalition and Transit for Livable Communities. We are still looking forward to responses from candidates Tom Goldstein and Tim Holden. 1. How do you get around in Saint Paul? With […]

streets.mn Vote Guide – Saint Paul Mayoral Candidate Melvin Carter

Melvin Carter is the latest of the Saint Paul mayoral candidates to return our joint questionnaire that was developed in partnership with the Saint Paul Bicycle Coalition and Transit for Livable Communities. We are still looking forward to responses from candidates Pat Harris, Tom Goldstein, and Tim Holden. 1. How do you get around in Saint […]

Real Public Engagement

In a recent post, Jason Brisson highlights the conflict between “top-down” planning, where experts provide the direction for a project, and “bottom-up” planning, where community members drive (ha, ha, drive, get it?) the project. I do not think this is an either/or issue where technocrats tell a community what it needs versus a community, no […]

streets.mn Voter Guide – Saint Paul Mayoral Candidate Dai Thao

We were pleased to receive responses to our Saint Paul mayoral questionnaire from Dai Thao on the eve of the city convention. 1. How do you get around in Saint Paul? Driving, walking, light rail, and biking. 2. In your opinion, what is Saint Paul’s greatest transportation challenge? How would you plan to address it […]

We Read the Traffic Congestion Report’s Comments So You Don’t Have To

When controversy happens….when tempers flare….we read the comments, so you don’t have to. Today the Center of the American Experiment, Minnesota’s Think Tank, released the report, “Twin Cities: Traffic Congestion: It’s No Accident.” The Star Tribune gave it above the fold coverage in their article, “What’s to blame for Twin Cities traffic congestion: regional growth […]

Women/Trans/Femme Writers Gathering

The mission of streets.mn  is to expand and enhance the conversation about transportation and land use through research and informed commentary. There are many ways to think about “expanding” and “enhancing,” from a wide-variety of blog posts to events to podcasts to the people who write the posts. streets.mn wants writers with different backgrounds, interests, and experiences so that […]

Victoria Park: A Short History of Intentions

The vigorous and spirited debate about the future of the Ford Plant site in Highland Park got me thinking about another large, polluted, previously industrial site in Saint Paul. The history of development of Victoria Park, which is bounded by West 7th Street, Otto Avenue, and Shepard Road, offers a lesson in plans changing over […]