One of the many charms of Madison, Wisconsin is the Wisconsin State Capitol building and grounds. I will explain how it trumps even the capitol building in the nation’s capital, but first a story. Wisconsin State Capitol “by the light of the moon” In early 2011 a battle was raging in the halls and on the state capitol grounds over Governor Scott Walker’s attempt to end collective bargaining among unions. The unions fought back and a bitter standoff ensued, culminating in a failed vote to oust Walker. The State of Wisconsin, bless their collective hearts, is bruised if not permanently…

Over at Streets.mn, we are rolling out several essays on the “Best of” in the Twin Cities built environment. The following is my post from today, but check back every day in the next couple weeks for a new installment…. What is the best surviving Main Street? From the late 19th or early 20th Century? In a former railroad or interurban town? Pretty picky parameters, but our readers have considered the many examples from that era and the winner is (drumroll please)… Stillwater. I get it. Stillwater is a lovely town, as popular as ever for a day trip. There…

Today’s article in the Star Tribune, “Minneapolis Sees High-Density Future“, misses the point about city building. There is a lot of talk about density and of increasing the city’s population to the arbitrary number of 400,000 people. Density alone is not a cure all. True it is absolutely necessary to support vitality, walkability and transit usage, but density comes in many forms, and if we get to 400,000 without making the city more beautiful and livable, what is the point? The discussion of development in Minneapolis (or any city) should begin with what the street and building frontages look like,…