Two thumbs up is what I give Bob Gibbs’ new book entitled Principles of Urban Retail Planning and Development. This book provides a much-needed real-world look at how retail development works, and the ins and outs of how to accomplish successful retail development in urban areas. Let’s face it, we urbanists don’t read eachothers’ books for pure enjoyment or the prose and poetry. These are reference books, and Bob Gibbs delivers on this and more (and his prose is just fine). Loaded with photos, drawings, and tables, Urban Retail Planning and Development provides all sorts of examples and metrics to…

I was momentarily horrified last fall when I visited the Central Corridor, the new light rail line (recently renamed the Green Line by Metro Transit) under construction down the middle of University Avenue in St. Paul. The portion of street that has already been rebuilt included rails, rebuilt street, curb and sidewalk complete with attractive streetscape elements, but no trees! “Oh, please, no,” I thought! A quick email to Donna Drummond, Director of Planning at the Department of Planning and Economic Development in St. Paul assuaged my fears. Yes, indeed trees are part of the streetscape plan as concstruction occurs,…

Recent development debacles and near-debacles in Minneapolis have made me wonder if form-based codes could help the development process here. I’ve been researching form-based codes around the country lately, and I believe they may well have a role in my hometown. At a minimum, they can provide developers, city staff and elected officials, and neighbors with more certainty when a new development is proposed. There are other benefits, but certainty alone would be very valuable. What is a form-based code? It is a land use regulatory tool that is based on the allowable/preferred form of buildings versus allowable uses on…

Recent proposed urban infill developments in Austin Texas have raised concerns from residents in the Zilker neighborhood of that city. The Austin American Statesman published an article about existing residents’ concern over increased traffic in the area, prompting a response from the Austin Contrarian. Perhaps the most interesting quote is in the Statesman from a developer, Larry Warshaw. He says, “Urban residential development is the answer, not the problem. When neighborhood activists use traffic as a tactical argument to oppose a residential project, it means they don’t actually have any substantive reason to oppose the project, other than the fact…

Minneapolis is seeking a new planning director, which is interesting in light of the recent “ousting” of Brent Toderian as planning director for the visionary city of Vancouver. New Urban News/Better Cities & Towns provides insightful coverage here. Does the experience in Vancouver bring lessons for the city of Minneapolis as they search for a new planning director. I think so. On the one hand, we can play it safe and bring in someone who works well with the mayor, city council and neighborhoods. The lessons of Vancouver point that way, right? Not so fast. Someone has to push the…

(With all apologies to Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart and others who are actually funny for a living – the following post is no laughing matter.) It is about time the Star Tribune finally came to its senses and printed a sane, sound critique of the boondoggle that is light rail. Moreover, liberal socialist elitist responses such as this one at Streets.mn are pure drivel, a “train to nowhere,” if you will. Even discussions by so-called “engineers” reek of anti-road demagoguery. Their positions will ultimately be “derailed” by the reality that cars are here to stay. First off, David Osmek, the…

And stop calling me Shirley! This week’s response to last Sunday’s Strib article about skyways suggests that we look to Venice for ideas about our skyway system is creative at best, loopy at worst, I cannot decide. What I do know is it would be horrendously expensive and legally impossible to achieve, so let’s just move on. But before I dismiss the entire idea, there are some nuggets of good ideas here. I love the idea of naming the skyways. Why not? Even if I were in charge, the skyways will be here for a while and they are hard…

While my post on this website and at Streets.mn suggesting that we gradually remove the skyways from downtown Minneapolis over a 50-year timeline got a couple compliments and a rebuke by Streets.mn’s own David Levinson, it was also picked up by the Star Tribune. In that piece, Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak was quoted as saying “I don’t think we need any more skyways…I don’t think they don’t help at all.” Well, there are 68 comments and counting on the Star Tribune website, most of them over-my-dead-body defenses of skyways. Many are outright angry at the mayor for suggesting they aren’t…

It is a common rule of thumb that stores and malls achieve maximum parking usage on the last Saturday before Christmas. If this is true, then take a look at this photo, taken at 1:30PM on Saturday, December 17th, 2011, of the Target store parking lot in Midtown, at Lake and Hiawatha. It sure seems like we don’t need this much parking. This particular Target, which was renovated recently, is located in an area of the city that allows for a lower percentage of trips to be made by car. For one, I suspect the automobile ownership rate is lower…

The following post shares a similar argument as an article I wrote four years ago for the Downtown Journal (in Minneapolis). I was chastised at the time and suppose I will be again. However, with the recent opening of a new, $3 million skyway link to better connect the Accenture tower to adjacent blocks, as well as the new Downtown 2025 Plan taking on the “Skyway Paradox,” I was persuaded to bring it up again. So here goes: Isn’t it about time to start removing our skyways? A few years ago, Jen Gehl, a notable and well-respected Danish urbanist, was…