Inclusionary zoning–a local government mandate that some new developments set aside some housing units at an “affordable” price point–is being discussed in Minnesota. Several Minneapolis council members have been supportive of an inclusionary zoning ordinance, and the council gave notice at the end of last year that they’re studying inclusionary zoning with an eye towards […]
Here’s a chart from an wonky, slightly-old, provocative book called Transportation for Liveable Cities by a Pennsylvania transportation professor named Vukan Vuchic. It shows Vuchic’s estimates of the total costs for different travel choices in a dense urban city, showing a peak-hour car trip with tolls and parking, an off-peak car trip without those costs, a typical […]
In America, nothing can be said to be certain, except death, taxes, and apartments killing neighboring property values. Especially big ones that block sun and bring noise and traffic and transients who park on your street full of single family homes. We’ve known this truth for almost a century now. The United States Supreme Court’s […]
Lot going on in South Minneapolis lately! Just yesterday, the public got wind of two new proposals for buildings along the Midtown Greenway–five and six story buildings on both sides of Grand Avenue directly south of the Greenway. While there has recently been lots and lots of redevelopment west of Lyndale Avenue along what is […]
That planned park across from the new Vikings stadium in Minneapolis’ Downtown East neighborhood won’t have firepits–darn. Also, the fundraising effort for it is short by about $10 million dollars, out of about $22 million dollars that the Downtown Council and others have been looking for to fund this here park: Yesterday, the Star Tribune reported that […]
Cargill may be headquartered in Minnesota now, but it got its start 150 years ago in a small Iowa town. Conover was one of many prairie communities that sprang up as the railroads ventured westward. It was sketched out in 1864 as the McGregor Western Railroad moved into the area and incorporated in 1866. The town […]
Via Barry Ritholz’ blog, here’s a wonky economic chart from a recent Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco report, about the difference between this housing market and the housing bubble of the early 2000s. This chart shows both the mortgage debt-to-income ratio (which is still declining from the peak) and the house price-to-rent ratio (which […]
Tax increment financing (TIF) is funding mechanism used by cities to aid redevelopment. Controversial at times, some cities make greater use of it than others. Over the years, Minnesota’s laws regarding how TIF can be used have changed. Cities with significant redevelopment areas tend to make greater use of TIF than more stable cities. Example: In the agenda for Saint […]
Via Planetizen, here’s a fascinating chart showing the “total cost” of travel according to different modes. While I’m skeptical about the ability to commensurably compare time with money, that’s basically what this tries to do. Here’s driving vs. walking vs. bicycling: The article, by the indispensable Todd Litman, makes the following argument.. Of course, these […]
You might have noticed the story floating around the internet this week about the new bike lanes in Salt Lake City, on a main commercial street in the downtown area. To build them, the city had to remove on-street (angle) parking. As it turns out, getting rid of parking didn’t kill business on the street. […]