Restore the grid! A vision for the center of Downtown Saint Paul

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I live and work in Lowertown. Frequently my errands and wanderings take me up to the Rice Park/Landmark Center/7th Place areas. I’m always either on foot or bike. Over the last two-plus years of living here, I’ve become increasingly annoyed with the presence of the two “SuperBlocks”. These are the blocks that have 7th Street as the northern border, Wabasha Street as the western, 6th Street as the southern and Minnesota Street as the eastern border (See map). They house the Wells Fargo tower and the Bremer Bank tower on the north ends, facing 7th Street. The vacant Macy’s store and DoubleTree by Hilton face 6th Street on the south end. If you are coming from the mostly-pleasant 7th Street pedestrian mall and you want to go over to the eastern side of downtown, the most direct way is through the indoor “shopping” mall and skyway configuration of the SuperBlocks. Continue Reading

Snowlessons

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We can learn a lot from snow. I had a lot of thoughts as I drove around during and after our instant winter (text is above photos). Continue Reading

Minneapolis should rethink the Above the Falls master plan

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It is hard to overstate the importance of the Mississippi River in the urban form of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Once a source of energy and an important transport route, the river’s main value now is environmental and aesthetic. With the imminent closing of the Upper locks and the Upper Harbor Terminal–basically the Port of Minneapolis– the city has an incredible opportunity to redevelop 43 acres of riverfront land. More land will be available in the future, and the city has an extensive plan–the Above the Falls Master Plan–for developing the riverfront upriver from the Saint Anthony lock and dam. Continue Reading

Celebrating Veteran’s Day with a Lao call to action

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This morning, it was very cold. The temperature was at about 22 degree F. Five Lao veterans attended the Veterans Day at the Vietnam Memorial in front of the State Capitol. I was among the attendees. I had a chance to talk about the war in Laos by expressing my thanks and I urged my fellow Brothers in Arms to do whatever they can so we will be treated as U.S. veterans. -Khao Insixiengmay Continue Reading

No right to privacy in home with body cams?

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Some heads of law enforcement agencies throughout Minnesota want body cameras. Based on public testimony at the Minnesota Legislature one head law enforcement official does not believe people have a right to privacy in one’s own home. It was very clear in testimony by Chief Ramsey, Duluth Police Department, in reaction to a question by Representative Mary Liz Holberg. Continue Reading

The broad base of ADU boosters

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Who wants to talk about granny flats some more?! By now, I hope you’ve read Bill Lindeke’s post on the subject, Max Musicant’s post on how it relates to preservation, and Alex Cecchini’s ideas on how to improve the draft ordinance. Most of Alex’s suggestions were incorporated into the new and improved draft ordinance, which is contained in the staff report. If you haven’t read the 82-page PDF on ADUs yet, you’re forgiven. The report was prepared by planners from the Minneapolis Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) department for the City Planning Commission, who will be considering the issue this Monday, November 10, around 5:00 pm. Here’s the report’s big takeaway: A lot of people like the idea of legalizing backyard cottages and attic apartments for many different reasons. Continue Reading