Leaving everything from Washington Avenue to the Mississippi River for a fourth day, I planned a nice, systematic route to finish off the rest of what I hadn’t walked on days one and two. And then reality happened. As a result of construction, the block of Nicollet Mall between Washington Avenue and 3rd Street was closed even to […]
The mysteriously persistent proposal to allow more billboards in downtown Minneapolis has Planning Commissioner John Slack feeling as if he’d like to pour a bottle of antibiotics all over it: For me this is like the rash that won’t go away. I don’t see how this supports any of the comprehensive plan goals, I don’t […]
Whether the Minneapolis skyway system contributes good things to the livability of downtown has been well discussed for a while on this site, but the conversation has been brought to a wider audience recently with local businessman Eric Dayton coming out aggressively against them. Dayton has also become a vocal critic of the state of […]
Only one more Sunday Summary before Halloween, three more Summaries before the General Election (November 8, but you can vote early in Minnesota) and before Daylight Savings Time ends (November 6) and five Summaries before the next streets.mn board meeting (scheduled for December 3; these meetings are open to streets.mn readers and members). The Board […]
When Hennepin County opens the new stretch of Washington Avenue between Hennepin Avenue and 5th Street in 2017, it will debut a safe and accessible environment for pedestrians and bike riders alike in Minneapolis. However, the infrastructure will be largely stranded. Along Washington between 5th Street and I-35W, the County plans to install unprotected bike […]
With so much attention paid to buildings and streets and how they relate to each other, we must remember the boulevard is a very important piece of public infrastructure, requiring careful consideration and planning. I’ve observed some very good examples of boulevards that are appropriate for their urban context, and others that need some work. […]
As a University of Minnesota employee, I walk across the Washington Avenue Bridge every day. It’s often part of my commute but it is also one of my daily walking destinations. The bridge is a focal point for people visiting or passing through the University of Minnesota’s Minneapolis campus. In recent years, the bridge’s enclosed walkway has fallen into […]