The Downtown Journal in Minneapolis recently published an article of mine about the future of the skyways. Read the Down With Skyways article here. I suggested, as part of a larger plan to improve the livability of downtown Minneapolis, that we should consider a long term plan to remove them.

Well, both the Downtown Journal and I got more comments from those opposed than in favor, and that is putting it nicely. At any rate, I honestly hope this can be part of a larger discussion about improving public space in our downtown, an issue that certainly needs addressing.

Comments are welcome.

Cities and metropolitan areas must become a greater priority among national policy makers. The Brookings Institution in November launched an effort to raise awareness of the issue in this election year. A New York Times editorial from earlier this week discussed the lack of urban policy discussion among candidates.

For such an urban nation we are very rural-focused in our folklore and imagery. As the Times editorial notes, most presidential candidates preach to the rural crowd, but not one presidential hopeful has a comprehensive agenda for cities or even metro areas. Obviously the frontier imagery and mentality will never leave our collective psyche, but the reality is, as the Brookings points out, our 100 largest metropolitan areas are home to 65% of the country’s population and generate three-quarters of our GDP.

Sure, the candidates touch on climate change and the economy, and maybe transportation and poverty (though not necessarily), but urban policy unites all. I didn’t even mention housing, and the foreclosure issue is just a tiny part of the big picture. A presidential candidate with a strong urban agenda, be they Democrat, Republican or Independent, would get my vote. I suppose it is up to those of us in the industry, with the help of the Brookings Insitution and the New York Times, to raise awareness on the issue.

Golf is a pretty OK sport. I play twice a year. Apparently its popularity is declining, however. According to an article in today’s New York Times, the number of Americans who golf more than 25 times a year declined from 6.9 million in 2000 to 4.6 million in 2005. That is a huge loss. This corresponds with a broader decline in other outdoor activities such as hiking, tennis and skiing, which is a little troubling considering our rising obesity rate in this country.

The decline in golf has real estate development implicatons as well. The Times article indicates 3,000 golf courses were built between 1990 and 2003, but hundreds have closed in recent years as well, and plenty are currently for sale around the country. Considering the acreage of golf courses and their often pristine locations, I forsee a growing niche in golf infill redevelopment projects in the coming years. Master planned communities with golf courses may not be as affected as self contained public and private courses with valuable land. Of course, neighbors won’t want to give up their nearby open space. We’ll call them GIMBYs, for Golf In My Back Yard.

Once again, the Minnesota Legislature is convening with transportation as a hot topic. The Democrat-controlled house and senate (actually - DFL, for Democrat, Farmer, Labor) tried last year to pass a tax increase to pay for road and transit improvements, but were thwarted by Minnesota’s Republican governor, Tim Pawlenty, who prefers to borrow for transportation rather than go against his promise to raise taxes.

This is a new legislative session and a new year. Once again, the DFL in the Legislature has nearly enough votes to override a veto, but not quite. A few key Republicans have joined the DFL on the transportation issue. I have always been struck by the bipartisanship within the real estate industry. Affordable housing, mixed-use, density, transit and others are not always red or blue issues. The transportation issue in Minnesota is a very good example of that.

Minnesota is woefully behind other states in transportation spending. Highway projects have languished, and transit projects move ahead at a snail’s pace. A recent presentation created by the Minnesota chapter of the Urban Land Institute, called Green Light on Transportation, puts the issue in to perspective, laying out issues of congestion and just how much we need to spend to achieve our current transportation goals.

Download the Green Light presentation here.

A variety of mechanisms are presented, including various taxes, both sales and gas. To keep Minnesota an attractive cold weather state and encourage investment here, we must improve and upgrade our road and transit system.

The presentation doesn’t even mention high speed rail links to Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago and the greater Midwest. It does discuss the link between land use and transportation, indicating the need to build denser, mixed-use communities that are better linked to transit options. This is not just a transportation and congestion issue, but also a global warming issue.

Those of you in Minnesota, take the time to download and go through the Green Light presentation. Pass on the link to colleagues, and call your representative to demand increased transportation funding. If your representative is already “on board,” find out who isn’t and contact them.

Those of you from other states, your state may well be mentioned in the Green Light presentation. Feel free to contact me to discuss the success or pitfalls of your transportation funding programs.

Thanks.