This is part 2 of a series on the interaction between the rental housing market and rents. Read part 1, “How I Set Apartment Rents.” Housing markets are complex, and here I attempt to explain how there can be a broad market trend and submarkets bucking that trend. I’m also going to imagine what might happen on a […]
In Minneapolis, there is an active discussion about rising rents, whether supply and demand affect rents, and what to do about providing enough affordable and work-force housing. Related issues — markets, incomes, land use controls, local politics and processes, public subsidy and how it’s used — are all complex. No blog post, tweet, or newspaper article […]
Professional soccer is coming to Minneapolis, probably. Sports Illustrated reported last week that Minnesota United is likely the next addition to Major League Soccer. This is exciting news for many. For others, it begs the question: Do we need another stadium? I’ll leave the politics to Alex Schieferdecker. Instead, I wanted to ask the question: […]
The Twin Cities region sits at the edge of the populous eastern third of the United States. There aren’t big million-plus metropolitan areas for long distances to the west, so when looking at plans for passenger rail expansion, there aren’t many obvious destinations. However, the lone intercity train to pass through Minnesota, the Empire Builder, is […]
On Wednesday, Target CEO Brian Cornell announced that “several thousand” employees, mainly at their Downtown Minneapolis headquarters, would be laid off in the next couple of years as they “adapt to changing shopper habits.” We quickly learned that everyone in Minnesota has a good friend at the c-suite level at Target, and the sizzling hot takes […]
Two weeks ago, the Atlantic published a short (and facile) post called “the Miracle of Minneapolis” that (as is the way of media circles in insecure places) launched itself right onto the forefront of the Twin Cities social media scene. And, with good reason, the article re-kindled conversations about racial disparities that have been going on for […]
Minneapolis city budget negotiations this year sparked a public conversation about city finances and the details of budgeting. There was one piece missing, however, from the public conversation. It is the difference between the tax levy and the taxes levied. The former is the targeted budget set by the city. The latter is the method […]
Last year I worked with St. Paul Women on Bikes to produce a series of short videos looking at why “We Bicycle St. Paul.” These three videos explore why people bike in St. Paul, what would make riding a bike easier, and the role of bike infrastructure in safety and economic development. Why Bike? (Embedded above.) St. […]
A few weeks ago a post about a business located inside of a single-family house on Grand Ave in St. Paul wanting to expand out to the sidewalk reminded me how much I like single-family houses with storefronts on them. As far as I can tell, this type of building represents the best of all worlds […]
Another big transportation event is happening this week in the Minnesota State Capitol. Sponsored and organized by Transit for Livable Communities and Move MN, Thursday, February 12 is Transportation Day of Action. The main event of the day will be a march from the National Guard Armory (600 Cedar Street) to the State Capitol. Supporters can […]