Author: Joe Scott

Joe Scott

Joe Scott

http://www.mplstopography.blogspot.com/

We Should Have a State Parliament

Under the U.S. constitution, states are the most powerful level of government. The constitution delegates all power not explicitly reserved in it to the states. In practice, the federal government has devised ways to coerce states, such as by withholding funding, and the Supreme Court has interpreted parts of the constitution like the commerce clause […]

How to Really Fix Cedar/Franklin/Minnehaha

The exact intersection of the Phillips, Seward, and Cedar-Riverside neighborhoods is at the center of this photograph: We all know the story. These neighborhoods were sacrificed for the convenience of newly minted suburbanites. It’s weird how vigorously the government reshaped our patterns of living in the era of urban freeway building, and how timidly it now approaches […]

New Oak Street Protected Bike…What is That?

Like a vestigial twin growing its own weird, hairy tumor, the already complex Washington Avenue transit mall has sprouted a new unsightly appendage: The Oak Street protected bike… whatever this is. I was very skeptical of protected bikeways for a long time and this is exactly why. For someone who is relatively comfortable biking in traffic, […]

The Four-Way Stop that Almost Is

Shortly after moving into my house on 10th Avenue and 25th Street in South Minneapolis, I noticed that there seemed to be an inordinate amount of honking coming from the intersection. Not even kidding, as I typed that sentence a long blaring horn sounded from the corner outside. Several times an hour, it was HONK HONK […]

Friday Video – Crosswalk Audit

Yesterday I strapped a GoPro to my forehead and put Minnesota statute 169.21 subd. 2 to the test. Here’s the video:   First of all, this went a lot better than I expected. I really thought I would get honked at and yelled at a lot more than I did. Crossing Lake street at least […]

Win a Green Line Hat Winner

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Win a Green Line Hat sweepstakes. There were several charming and thought-provoking anecdotes about the Green line. There was a spontaneous sing-along, an unfortunate tale of casual intolerance, and a celebrity sighting, but one theme that emerged was people not understanding the difference between the Green and Blue […]

Win a Green Line Hat

In honor of its one-year anniversary, this is your chance to win a piece of the Green Line! This green, 100% cotton, one-size-fits-all baseball cap comes with a patch of actual Green Line seat upholstery sewn on the front. Share your most interesting anecdote about riding the Green Line in the comments by this Friday. The […]

On Ugly Buildings

I’ve recently found myself getting frustrated by the discourses surrounding architectural aesthetics I’ve been coming across. Here’s an example from the Star Tribune. Yes, I know, the Strib comment section is terrible (bless those of you who take the time to try and ameliorate it), but humor me. One person’s garbage is another person’s treasure. […]

Friday Photo: It’s Time to Restore Cedar Avenue

Other people have excavated the history of the area, and made the case convincingly, so this post is simply intended as a minor addendum to bolster and keep this worthwhile dream alive: The stretch of Cedar Ave. between 24th st. and Franklin Ave. is the most garbage-strewn place I have ever seen. Most common are shards of […]