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Archive | Suburbia

Building a Better Frost Avenue

By on September 25, 2018 in Bicycling, bollard, Planning, Streets, Suburbia

While I was reading through September’s issue of “Maplewood Living”, a monthly municipal newsletter, something stuck out in the proposed 2019-2023 Capital Improvement Plan being considered by Maplewood’s City Council. Next year, in 2019, Maplewood will be implementing the “Gladstone Area Phase 3 Improvements”, including reconstructing Frost Ave from English St to White Bear Ave. […]

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Good vs Bad Density

By on September 19, 2018 in Development, Land use, Planning, Politics, Suburbia

Peter Stalland / Tyr Development has proposed building a 140 unit apartment complex in the midst of low density residential in Vadnais Heights. I believe it will have 140 parking spaces below ground and 140 parking spaces above ground so two per unit. This is the second plan submitted by the developer. This 3-story plan […]

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Bloomington’s Four-Lane Death Roads Revisited

By on September 18, 2018 in Infrastructure, Streets, Suburbia

One of my first articles for streets.mn was on Bloomington’s Four Lane Death Roads, (four lane undivided roads) written in response to Bill Lindeke’s introductory article on Four-Lane Death Roads.  Four years later it’s time to revisit the subject with updates and additional background material. The Problem With Death Roads: Conflict Points Imagine a typical trip […]

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Map Monday: Hennepin Minus Minneapolis: Density of People of Color

By on September 17, 2018 in Demographics, Maps, Race, Suburbia

Minneapolis is a dominating economic presence in Hennepin County and in the state of Minnesota. As the base of the state’s dominant newspaper even Minneapolis’ politics can dominate so many conversations all Minnesotans need to be having about the direction of our whole state. Last week I posted a series of maps produced by Three […]

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The City: Where Ping Pong Tables Go To Die

By on July 10, 2018 in Suburbia

I used to say the internet was suburban. Theory: Facebook (and possibly the Internet) is suburban. Twitter is urban. — Chris Steller (@chris_steller) April 13, 2013 The idea being, both on the internet and in the suburbs you get the feeling you could be anywhere. Nowadays I might offer some serious quibbles with that proposition, […]

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How Accessible Are Twin Cities Bus Stops?

By on July 2, 2018 in Accessibility, ADA, Buses, Public Realm, Sidewalks, Streets, Suburbia, Transit, Walking

You would be hard pressed to find a Twin Cities intersection that doesn’t have ADA-mandated curb cuts. In contrast, almost half of the metro area bus stops are not accessible. Furthermore, there is no count of how many actually meet ADA requirements. This is a major hole in the accessibility network. It also has a […]

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Can Suburb-to-Suburb Express Service Work in the Twin Cities?

By on June 14, 2018 in Buses, Suburbia, Transportation

Two years ago Route 494 began service between Shakopee and Maple Grove as part of a partnership between Southwest Transit, Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, Plymouth Metrolink, and Maple Grove Transit. There were station stops at Marschall Road Transit Station in Shakopee, Southwest Station in Eden Prairie, United Healthcare and Optum campuses in Minnetonka, Hopkins Crossroad […]

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Comprehensive Plans: Where Do You Want To Live?

By on June 4, 2018 in Planning, Plans, Suburbia

Many of our suburban cities are updating comprehensive plans. These set the course for what our communities will look like over the next 20 to 30 years and are quite important. These impact safety, community desirability (and so home values, city tax revenue and ability to maintain infrastructure), quality of life, physical and mental health […]

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The 21st Century Southdale Vehicle Collapse

By on May 31, 2018 in Land use, Maps, Suburbia, Traffic

The perception that traffic congestion is worse today than in the past is a real phenomenon. Might as well call it traffic nostalgia. Plus, the perception that traffic is only going to get worse is a common objection for constructing new housing anywhere. A fourplex or daycare being proposed can bring forth primal concerns about […]

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Chart of the Day: Metro Population Growth 2010-2017

By on May 17, 2018 in Chart, Smart Growth, Suburbia

The Metropolitan Council reports net growth of the metropolitan area of 8% in the years between 2010 and 2017, with the greatest growth occurring in “Urban Center communities” — Minneapolis and Saint Paul and the region’s oldest suburbs. Growth in these areas has accounted for one-third of the region’s population growth since 2010. Growth by […]

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