Last summer, I spent a significant amount of time traversing the Twin Cities on a mission to purchase a house. I made a point to bike to most of the locations because I wanted to get a feel for the neighborhood. What was the transportation access? Where was the nearest park? Would my neighbors mind […]
The urban public right-of-way (roadspace) is a scarce resource that is now publicly allocated. Typically at the outside is a sidewalk (this might actually be on private property, but there is a right-of-passage there). Between the sidewalk and the street there is often a “boulevard”, a planted strip with occasional street trees and the frequent […]
This past weekend, I took advantage of the 30-something degree weather to go on a walk with my wife and infant daughter. We decided to check out the Edina Promenade and Centennial Lakes area in Edina because I’d never been there and it just seemed like something every respectable Twin Cities urbanist should be aware […]
What are your thoughts? Is urban highway removal possible in the Twin Cities? If so, where? In the Twin Cities, skyways have worked their way into the cultural vernacular probably more than was intended by their original designers. A few connections quickly turned into a culture of second level retail that eventually pulled retail away […]
The Transportation & Public Works Committee of the Minneapolis City Council is a mouthful of a committee, both in its name and in the depth of the issues it covers. This series aims to both condense the items for quicker understanding and provide context where necessary… and I won’t be able to stop myself from […]
The recent back and forth about the skyway system has been really interesting for me to follow, as the debate over the proper role of the skyways has long been one of the more frustrating topics I’ve covered over at my website. Inevitably, when I suggest to people I know who work downtown that […]
The recent debate over the ban on cell phones in cars points to the intractable pull that automobiles have on our everyday lives. On this site, and in urbanism cirlces more generally, the car is (justifiably) the target of a lot of criticism. As we think about how to redesign cities, and what we can […]
Crossposted at streets.mn and transportationist.org Photos of skyways by author from Sydney (2), Portland (2), Minneapolis (3), Tokyo (1), and Harrogate (1) respectively. Everyone seems to be hating on Minneapolis’s world-beating skyway network. Sam Newberg is the latest in a recent post at streets.mn: Is it Time to Remove Those Pesky Skyways? : “The following […]
The Copenhagen Post reports on huge increases in fines for various cycling traffic violations in Denmark: Biking fines, effective Jan 1 Cycling without lights in the dark: 700 kr (US$119.58) Using a hand-held mobile phone while biking: 1,000 kr (US$170.84) Missing or defective brakes or reflectors: 700 kr (US$119.58) Cycling through a red light: 1,000 […]
I recently stopped by Venture North Bike Walk Center to chat with them about their first few weeks as a fully functioning bike-walk center and what they have in the plans for 2012. Venture North Bike Walk Center opened in North Minneapolis in 2011 right before Thanksgiving and offers a full range of services and […]