How Zoning, Home Building, and “Intentional Communities” Kept Rent Lower in Minneapolis
Minneapolis beat back housing rent inflation through a combination of public policy reforms and lower interest rates that powered a historic housing expansion.
Category: Land Use
The Ghost on the Corner: A History of the Midway CVS
From a contested 2007 construction to boarded windows, looting, legal fights, and a city-forced demolition — the story of one building that became a symbol of everything Midway has struggled with for two decades.
The 2026 Urbanist Legislative Agenda: A Mid-Session Check-In
Session update: rail corridors, Waymo, Yes to Homes, e-motos, super speeders and the defensive work that didn’t make the podcast preview.
Progress from 2024: Minneapolis Adds 574 New Homes with Adaptive Reuse
Through adaptive reuse, Minneapolis turned office space into 574 apartments. Possible new State legislature may make this easier, though the retail market remains challenging.
Rerouted Lives: How Route 52 Transformed West St. Paul
In the 1960s, St. Paul’s West Side Flats were razed for highway and industrial development: displacing families, shuttering businesses, and leaving lasting social, economic and cultural scars.
An Ode to the Nicollet Avenue Bridge Over the Midtown Greenway
A look at unique features and changes to the area amidst the demolition of the Nicollet Avenue bridge over the Midtown Greenway.
Brooklyn Park Adopts the Ambitious Northwest Growth Area Development Plan
Brooklyn Park approved a 700-acre Northwest Growth Area Plan to spur biotech, housing, and transit-oriented development amid economic challenges.
Why the Midway’s Suburban Design Is Killing Its Commercial Future
The Midway’s retail crisis isn’t just about vacancy — it’s about suburban design choking transit-accessible land with parking lots and car-oriented stores.
Six-Unit Homes Bring Citywide Benefits, Anxiety Nearby
Two proposed multi-unit buildings near St. Thomas would be a step toward much-needed denser housing but faces pushback from nearby residents.
South Minneapolis Cold Case: Kingfield’s Missing Beer Stores
A suspicious lack of beer stores in one Minneapolis neighborhood raises troubling questions, forcing simple six-pack runs to become odysseys.