Minnesota Is Not California
Cities are not all the same! And we need to bear that in mind when considering new housing policies, because results may vary.
Tag Archives: upzoning
Upzoning Is the Only Way to Save Grand Avenue
It’s time to repeal the East Grand Avenue Overlay District, a failed zoning policy that is killing Grand Avenue — once a vibrant shopping and dining district.
Rezoning for Complete Neighborhoods
Both Minneapolis and St. Paul are conducting rezoning studies. One is focusing on missing middle housing, the other would allow business uses in more places. Let’s learn more from advocates in each city!
Minneapolis 2040’s First Real Test: 635 Van Buren Street NE
The Minneapolis 2040 Plan was a true accomplishment and vision for more housing, reducing inequity and improving sustainability. It set the stage for many other cities and states across the country to push for and succeed in adopting new, denser zoning laws. For the first time since its 12-1 passage, that Plan is now being […]
National Links: Joining the Zoning Club
Every day at The Overhead Wire, we collect news about cities and send the links to our email list. At the end of the week we take some of the most popular stories and post them to Greater Greater Washington, a group blog similar to streets.mn that focuses on urban issues in the D.C. region. […]
Brit Builds an ADU: Infill and Transportation
So, as I mentioned in the first installment I sometimes take the bus for errands and to get to meetings. As part of the city’s desire to reduce congestion by encouraging public transit Accessory Dwelling Units are not required to have additional parking space of their own. We are likely to either replace our current two […]
Brit Builds an ADU: the First $2,500
Today, a little past Thanksgiving 2018, I wrote a check for $2,500. I have the money in a savings account and will transfer it to checking shortly. Yes, $2,500 is a lot of money! I could buy a really nice bicycle for that amount, maybe even one with electric assist. Instead we are spending this […]
Brit Builds an ADU: Who Would Want an Accessory Dwelling Unit?
Two years ago my family of three adults, a polyamorous family with my wife and husband, bought a three bedroom, two bathroom house in south Minneapolis. It’s charming and has fantastic 1940s details like coved ceilings, stucco exterior, and a smallish footprint at about 1600 sq ft. I work from home full-time and we have […]
It’s a Plan, Not a Code
“[S]mall-scale residential structures.” These are the words the draft Minneapolis 2040 comprehensive plan uses to describe the massing of buildings to be allowed in the Interior 1 category, most of which is currently zoned R1 or “single family.” Carol Becker knows this, because I’ve told her (also here). When asked last week at a Longfellow […]
National Links: Subway Costs, Hinterland Connections, and Upzoning
Every day at The Overhead Wire we collect news about cities and send the links to our email list. At the end of the week we take some of the most popular stories and post them to Greater Greater Washington, a group blog similar to streets.mn that focuses on urban issues in the DC region. […]