Two weeks ago I posted about the importance of considering where in time a development occurs. Another key consideration is the overall rate at which development occurs. In the Death and Life of Great American Cities, Jane Jacobs wrote about the necessity of varied building ages for a healthy neighborhood. The basis of her argument […]
There’s been a healthy debate here recently on the merits of new construction and preservation, including issues of community representation, environmental impact, quality of design, etc. One facet of the issue that I would like to discuss more explicitly is the consequences of where development occurs in time. So I thought I’d give you you […]
Tim Kiser has taken a good, hard look at South Minneapolis. Since the site he uses doesn’t let you embed photos, I grabbed a screenshot of one, so I hope he doesn’t mind. I strongly recommend checking out the whole set! I can see South Minneapolis.
There’s a charming little patch of Queen Anne style houses on 2nd ave. and 31st st. in South Minneapolis. For awhile now there’s been a proliferation of yard signs there opposing a freeway expansion. If you’re wondering whether you’ve been transported back to 1965; nope, this is somehow currently happening. This is what the neighborhood […]
By now most of you have probably heard about the tragic fire that occurred in Cedar Riverside on New Year’s day. Fires, especially in the winter, have been eerie spectacles photographed throughout the cities’ history. The aftermath of the fire in Cedar Riverside. Photo by Kevin Horn. This photograph of a hotel fire in downtown […]
Oops, I forgot to think of an idea for Friday Photo this week! Looks like you’re stuck with minneapolis.jpg.
The area around the Metrodome oscillates between two lousy poles: it’s either packed with cars and football fans, or it’s deserted. On Sunday evening, catching a ride back into town after visiting family, I had my first experience with the former. We made the mistake of taking the Washington exit off of 35W, and immediately […]
Type Minneapolis, or the name of most other U.S. cities (just not Detroit) into Google image search. Try Houston or Denver or Seattle. What do you see? Endless shots of glowing skylines. The downtown towers jut futuristically into a moody sky. The cars blur into fiber-optic wisps – the city appears to be an orgy […]
The Minneapolis City Charter contains this provision: “When satisfied that the applicant is of good moral character and has met the requirements of this chapter, the director of licenses and consumer services shall issue a license to the applicant to engage in the business of street photography, and shall furnish the applicant with a circular […]
What’s one of the most annoying things for people who care about urbanism? The fact that normal people don’t even notice it. But a photograph creates an aesthetic object which invites scrutiny. The more banal the photograph, the better. One is confronted directly with something that would ordinarily be background noise. I imagine someone looking […]