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…

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…

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…

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…

(All apologies to Shel Silverstein) While on a recent site visit while writing for ULI Case Studies, I saw where the sidewalk ends. I was touring a new affordable housing project located along a commercial arterial road in Hayward, California, a post World War II suburb of San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose. As shown in the photo (see the “where the sidewalk ends” link above), the project, called Sara Conner Court, is pedestrian-friendly in spite of its surroundings, complete with sidewalks, (drought-resistant) landscaped boulevards and street trees. However, at the property line the sidewalk peters out and becomes a sort of partially…

2007 has been a good urban year, capped off by my son Ellis learning to say the word “downtown.” He points at the tall buildings in downtown Minneapolis and says “dun-tun!” I can’t think of anything that brings me more pride. Looking back on 2007, I learned a lot in my work and travels. Many of these are highlighted in other posts on this website, but this post will go back and fill in a few holes as to what I’ve been up to this year. I traveled a fair amount and saw some great urban places. Even with trips…

Al Gore has been chided recently for the “incovenient truth” that his home in Tennessee is huge and therefore contributes to global warming. The reasoning goes that he, of all people, should have a smaller, energy-efficient, even carbon-neutral home and ride a bike to his speaking engagements around the world, right!? Honestly, I’ll let him off the hook if he makes thousands of others change their ways or impacts policy decisions on the issue. Still, it got me thinking, so I asked my colleagues if they practice what they preach. After all, if our industry is promoting transit usage, smart…

Now for me. I talk the talk, but do I walk the walk? Since I call myself an urbanist, I feel somewhat compelled to back it up. Ideally, I’d live “sustainably” in a condo or urban townhome with my family, located in or near downtown, within walking distance of a park, a daycare, a school and all my shopping needs, and have rail access to the airport. And there would be three hour train service to Milwaukee to visit the inlaws (some day!). Well, reality dictates that I compromise some of those ideals, but here we go. For starters, I…

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)…