Like the Streets.mn Voter Guide, the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition has posted answers to bicycling related questions posed to city council and mayoral candidates. Question six asks “when would you vote against or overrule a BAC recommendation?” I read those responses carefully, and as expected, most candidates didn’t really take that one on or provide a concrete example. I have one. If I were running for office, my answer would be “when it removes on-street parking, particularly in commercial zones, and especially when that loss of on-street parking hurts small businesses.” Increased cycling has many benefits to the city and local businesses, and as…

More apologies to Jeff Foxworthy… …If the restaurants post their menus in the window, you might be in a walkable neighborhood If streets are used for more than cars, you might be in a walkable neighborhood If you can walk for blocks without seeing a parking lot, you might be in a walkable neighborhood If you feel comfortable letting your kid walk down the street, you might be in a walkable neighborhood If there are more than 10 doors per 100 meters (300 or so feet), you might be in a walkable neighborhood (thank you Jan Gehl) If you can get…

The winner of the 2013 Urban Land Institute/Gerald D. Hines Student Urban Design Competition for the downtown east area of Minneapolis has been chosen. But with existing plans in place and potential developments emerging for apartments and offices, what of the winning team’s plan will, or even should, be built? Hopefully a lot of it. A team from the University of Kansas/University of Missouri/Kansas State created a plan for downtown east in Minneapolis that focuses on the Armory as an indoor market and civic space, flanked to the north by two blocks of green space – the first downtown park. Retail, entertainment and…

With all apologies to Jeff Foxworthy (please add your own in the comments section)… …If you choose a slightly longer route to your destination because you know the walk is pleasant, you might be an urbanist (you also might be a rational human being) If your vacation photos have more buildings than people in them, you might be an urbanist If you come home from vacation in a walkable city depressed by your own you might be an urbanist If the first thing you do on vacation is drop your bag in your hotel and set out on a walk,…