Author: The Planning Lady
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Exploring Anoka: A Scenic Run Through Nature Trails
Last weekend I went up to the family cabin to help my dad open it up as we do every spring. Knowing Saturday was going to be filled with raking leaves and moving the dock and boatlift, I decided to bump up my long run to Friday after work. Since I was already in Anoka,…
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Genius of the European Square
Book Review Imagine yourself seated on a patio overlooking a large public square. You are enjoying evening drinks with some friends before you run a few errands on the plaza on your way home for the evening. While you are seated, an old acquaintance happens by on their way to pick up a few groceries.…
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Rain Garden Myths Debunked: An Informative Guide
If you asked me a year ago what a rain garden was I would not have been able to explain it correctly. I believed one of the many misconceptions, that rain gardens are filled with water. A properly designed rain garden infiltrates the water into the ground within 24 hours. That is their primary purpose,…
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Exploring North Minneapolis: A Runner’s Journey Through Local Development
An increase in my weekend long run mileage meant I could journey farther into Minneapolis yesterday and take advantage of the gorgeous spring weather. I decided to use my 20 mile journey to venture into North Minneapolis, a neighborhood that has so much to offer, but is commonly disregarded because of high crime rates. After…
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Transforming Neighborhoods: Small Projects, Big Impact
I recently read an article by Robert Steuteville titled “Great Idea:Incremental Developers”. The incremental developer is someone who creates meaningful change in their own communities through small scale building projects. When I thought about this for a moment, I realized I was an incremental developer when I lived in Lubbock, Texas. My husband and I…
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The Future of Rail: Urban Development and Sustainability
Today has been an interesting weather day. I watched the forecast go from rain all day, to a brief respite in the morning, to sitting on my deck in the sunshine writing this post. Not knowing we would luck out with this beautiful weather, I spent the first 9 miles of my 18 mile run…
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If You Want to Write
Book Review As a result of a recent preservation battle to save a 117 year old house in Minneapolis I began looking into the life of a former local author, Brenda Ueland. She was born in Minneapolis in 1891 and passed away at the age of 94 while residing at 2622 West 44th Street. It…
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Evolving Road Trips in the Age of Automation
From my last post you saw I went home last weekend to visit family. My husband and I make the six hour drive five to six times a year and have the route memorized down to which towns we stop in. We were able to leave by 10 am, after Minneapolis morning rush hours and…
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Exploring Lincoln: A Weekend of Scenic Trails
This past weekend I drove home to Lincoln, Nebraska to host my little sisters bridal shower and bachelorette party. I spent weeks planning the events to make sure they went off without a hitch and for the most part they did. I even managed to bake themed cookies that turned out mostly like the Pinterest…
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The Evolution of Anoka’s Historic Dam
A recent Watershed Management Plan developed by the Lower Rum River Watershed Management Organization (formed in September 1995 by Anoka, Andover, Ramsey, and Coon Rapids) prompted the City of Anoka to recall its beginnings and the history of the dam sitting in view of City Hall. When the City of Anoka was first settled in…
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The Planning Lady 