The Alt-Bike Movement of St. Paul
I said, “We’re gonna make Saint Paul a world-class bicycling and walking city.” My slogan was “Get America Walking Again”!
Category: Politics
Market-Rate Housing Has a Phase-In
Market-rate housing has benefits, but they aren’t distributed evenly. That creates both an economic and political problems for new development.
Assessing the Legacy of Minneapolis’s Progressive Urbanist City Council
The 2021 general election is over. All across the country it was a deeply divisive and angry campaign and the results reflected that dismal process. In Minneapolis, it was no different. It was a bad time to be earnest about the future. The cynics won in a rout. Among the losses were four councilmembers, Cam […]
At Open Streets, we asked candidates for Minneapolis Mayor about transit and public safety
With arguably the most decisive Minneapolis election in our lifetime rapidly approaching on Nov. 2, I went to Open Streets Minnehaha this past weekend on a mission to ask mayoral candidates questions submitted by streets.mn contributors. I got the three main contenders: incumbent Jacob Frey, former state representative Kate Knuth, and organizer Sheila Nezhad. I […]
Lies in City Planning
In April, Minneapois Public Works released the results of a survey showing strong community support for reopening 38th & Chicago to vehicle traffic. Just one problem: it wasn’t true.
No Time to Spare: Minnesota Needs a Green New Deal
The most contentious election season in living memory has come to a close as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage across the US. Thanks to the Biden administration’s Covid Relief package and the approval of new coronavirus vaccines, an end to the pandemic is finally in sight. Biden’s administration will certainly have its hands full […]
The Bleak State of Local Journalism in 2020
It breaks my heart to see Minneapolis CityPages, The East Bay Express, The Bay Monthly and dozens of other alternative newspapers and magazines around the country go out of business. It has resulted in hundreds, perhaps thousands of unemployed freelance writers, editors, cartoonists, artists and journalists. Many factors led to this moment but, more than […]
Five New Saint Paul Bikeways
This fall, Saint Paul completed five major new bikeways, the most in the city’s history. We’ll look at all five of them and discuss some of the political and design work that enabled each of them to happen. Como Avenue First up is a multi-use, off-street trail on Como Avenue between Raymond Avenue and Hamline […]
Not Enough Community Input at Cedar-Isles-Dean Neighborhood Association
Over a decade of living in Minneapolis, I have found that a good way to hear many local government officials is to attend my local neighborhood association’s annual meeting. This is especially true during this time of pandemic and social unrest. The local association presents a roster of candidates to run for its board positions, […]
Hennepin County District 6 Candidate Questionnaire
With the help of Move Minnesota and the North Star Chapter of the Sierra Club, streets.mn has sent out a transportation and land use questionnaire to candidates running for Hennepin County Board. With a $2.5 annual budget, the County Board is the most important government body that most people don’t know anything about. The upcoming […]