Minneapolis Rents Drop, Bucking National Trends
Janne Flisrand • May 6, 2022 Twin Cities homes have become steadily less affordable since the 1990s. Recently, however, something has started to shift.
Author: Janne Flisrand
Janne Flisrand • May 6, 2022 
Reclaiming Hennepin’s Promise
Janne Flisrand • January 26, 2022 I was excited to live on a super-walkable street. After I moved in, I realized the unpleasantness of Hennepin between Franklin and Lake.
Map of the Day: Substandard Lot Sizes in Minneapolis
Janne Flisrand • November 26, 2020 There are more than 14,000 residential lots in Minneapolis that are smaller than what is currently required to build on per the current zoning code. Now, this is a messy statement. There are multiple minimum lot sizes (5,000 square feet, 6,000 square feet, and a large lot zone where the number is based on the […]
Will Minneapolis 2040 Live Up to its Promise?
Janne Flisrand • October 2, 2020 Undoing failed zoning by basing new rules on the development that occurred under that failed zoning is a cycle doomed to repeat past failures. If you want to get the diversity of buildings we used to have, you have to work back from what you want.
How TIF Can Solve a Market Failure in Minneapolis
I wrote an earlier post that explains what TIF is and how it works. Click through and read it here. In any community, we put things we want in plans. We want good jobs for the people who live here. We want homes people can afford to rent and buy. We want polluted land cleaned […]
FAQ: Tax Increment Financing
The recent Seward Commons debate highlighted an important discussion about how the city uses Tax Increment Financing, or TIF. It’s one of the few financial tools cities have and control fully. But it’s not broadly understood. So what is TIF and how does it work? What has Minneapolis used it for in the past? What […]
Minneapolis’ Secret 2040 Sauce was Engagement
Around the country, people advocating to build abundant homes are asking how Minneapolis did it. Why is Minneapolis the city passing a comprehensive plan that ends exclusionary zoning and allows triplexes everywhere? There are a multitude of reasons why. We’ve long had an active urbanist community, fostered by discussion on streets.mn, a nationally recognized bike […]
Extended Deadline: Opportunity to Apply to streets.mn Board Ends Wednesday
The streets.mn Board Development Committee is extending the deadline to apply for the streets.mn board by 48 hours to 8:00 a.m. Wednesday morning. Express your interest here: Deadline 8am Wednesday, November 14 We’re working hard to make sure our board looks more and more like the people who live in Minnesota’s communities. We’re building our capacity […]
Hidden Priorities, in Plain Sight
A friend compiled this series of Google Earth images. I scanned them, and intended to get on with my work, but I just couldn’t. I went through them again. And then again. I found myself rethinking the city I live in. Most people think Minneapolis looks like this: Or this: But, when you step back, […]
Yes to Homes, But I’m No “YIMBY”
A couple weeks ago, I packed my bags and headed off to Boston for an annual gathering called YIMBYtown. I’m no YIMBY. I want everyone to have a safe, affordable place to live, and for that to happen we need to build enough homes to go around. (Yes, that includes apartments, like my own apartment-that-is-a-home.) […]