Author: Janne Flisrand

Janne Flisrand

Janne Flisrand spends her time thinking about how people interact with the space around them. Why do they (or don't they) walk or bike or shop somewhere? How do spaces feel? Why do people sit here and not there? Why bus instead of bike, bike instead of drive? What sorts of spaces build community, and what sorts kill it? Can spaces build civic trust and engagement?

An In-Person Review of Cycletracks

• October 29, 2013

I recently had a chance to test out a contentious type of bike infrastructure, one much-discussed on this site. One of my volunteer gigs is as the volunteer who coordinates volunteers for the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition. I don’t decide what the Coalition might advocate for, but I do end up telling people about protected bikeways. […]

Nicely Located (if inadequate in number) Bike Parking
Nicely Located (if inadequate in number) Bike Parking

Making Spaces Work for People is the Same Inside and Out

• October 1, 2013

There were many reasons I signed up for a full-time office space at Work at CoCo Minneapolis. It’s not because co-working is trendy, and Streets.MN readers know it isn’t because of the great urbanism of Downtown East. The two biggest ones were the physical and social feel of my entire day — not least including my commute. Let’s […]

New Bike Lanes!
New bike lanes! This stretch of road feels totally different.

Proof of Concept: the Effects of Paint

• September 27, 2013

On my bike commute Wednesday morning, I reached the bottom of Lowry Hill to find a surprise — new bike lanes! It’s on a stretch of road just west of the Walker that I’ve always found awkwardly wide.  Is it two lanes?  One wide lane and parking? Magically, now it was clear what to do, […]