Inspired by exploring Nicollet Island in Minneapolis, a tiny historic community near downtown on an island in the middle of the Mississippi, I decided to make a trip down the river to Memphis. I hadn’t spent much time in Memphis, and was interested in exploring downtown and Harbor Town, a new urbanist community located, like Nicollet Island, in the middle of the mighty Mississippi. Unlike Huck Finn, I flew down the Mississippi, landing in Memphis on a warm Friday afternoon as most people were heading home from work. As I approached downtown I was compelled to stop at Tom Lee…
There is something for everyone in “Sustainable Urbanism – Urban Design With Nature,” the new book by Doug Farr that tackles exactly what the title implies. Backed by an impressive range of research, tables, charts, it is a comprehensive look at how to make our development pattern more sustainable. Farr is the founder of Farr Associates, a Chicago-based planning and architecture firm whose work is notable for its dedication to sustainability. The book is rooted in his firm’s decision to renovate their offices pilot project for the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadrship in Energy and Enviornmental Design (LEED)…
Two articles appear in the New York Times today that strike a particular chord with me. What is more urban than the alley? Well, Chicago is installing permeable pavement in its alleys as a means to reduce stormwater runoff. This was being discussed a year ago when I was researching an article about green development in Chicago, and I’m thrilled to see the alleys actually being built. Read the Chicago article here . Those of you familiar with Colfax Avenue in Denver will want to read about zoning changes and redevelopment occurring to the area just east of the state…
The Next American City is an up-and-coming magazine that explores a broad range of urban topics faced by leaders and decision makers. I have two articles that appeared in their pages this year. Read them here – The First Fast Train in Minnesota and A Skybridge Over Salt Lake.
The first thing I like to do when I arrive in a new city is drop my bags and head out for a stroll to discover the place. I like to pound the pavement and take in the sights, sounds and yes, even smells of a new city. I have many vivid memories of walking through a city for the first time, like King Street in Alexandria, Virginia, M Street in Georgetown, Polk Street in San Francisco, the warehouse district in Austin, and even downtown Pittsburgh. There is no better way to do so than on foot. Oddly, the same…
Much has happened since my last entry about Tillie’s Bean, my local coffee shop. Our city council member Gary Schiff has indeed put forth a proposed Coffee Unplugged Ordinance. However, in the intervening days since Tillie’s generated an uproar from musicians, they were forced to close due to a bizarre set of circumstances that involved the state revoking their sales license. The hope is that Tillie’s will refinance their operation through a different bank this week and restore their good standing with the state. The lesson here is twofold – First, it is hard to run a neighborhood business in…
The urbanist that lives inside of me was born in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994. The very first entry on this website tells that story. It has been 10 whole years since I graduated from the University of Wisconsin. The temptation is to remember one’s college days with a certain hazy reverie, and to return to your alma mater and act as though no time has passed while privately weeping for the fact that you are aging and there’s no stopping the march of time. There is certainly that temptation for me, and I do have fond memories of Madison. But…
I recently wrote a post bemoaning the enforcement of a $400 annual license for live music performance at my local coffee shop, Tillie’s Bean. Fortunately, either music fans, or, I suspect musicians, got together an complained loudly and to the right people. Minneapolis City Council member Gary Schiff has written a bill waiving the license fee for coffeehouses that limit live acts of three musicians or fewer. (Yes, drummers count as musicians.) This is good news for local coffeehouses and part time musicians who simply like to play. It is also good news for bands with three or fewer members.…
I recently visited Reno, Nevada to write an article for Urban Land magazine. I was quite impressed with the city, particularly its downtown and recent development along the Truckee River there. Read the article here. Reno Article Read about Las Vegas, Reno and a host of other topics in this months Urban Land, found at www.uli.org. While you are at it, consider joining the Urban Land Institute.
I love airplanes. I grew up under a glidepath to the Minneapolis St. Paul Airport, so planes have always been in my blood (and ears). I’m a complete geek about it, I freely admit. When a plane goes over, my fellow south Minneapolitans cover their ears and curse, while I gaze up and try to read the plane’s registration number. As a kid playing tee-ball, I spent more time looking up at flying planes than at flying baseballs. I suppose that’s why they put me in the outfield – less chance of getting hurt out there. I have had good…
