Category: Urbanism
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Cohousing: A Sustainable Solution for Modern Living
When I moved to the Metro area I bought a house that sits on almost half an acre in a first ring suburb. I also bought a newer car to save on gas for my 30 minute commute to work in another suburban town. The longer I spent in my daily commute, the more I…
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Understanding Density: The Future of Living Spaces
It is hard to keep pace with the ever changing trend of where people want to live. One week we seem to be moving back into cities, the next the suburbs are back on the rise. Larger trends like the suburban flight of the 1950’s and 60’s are easier to see, but the year to year…
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The Immigrant Legacy: Shaping America’s Communities
People tend to forget that we are a nation founded by immigrants. Few of us can claim our ancestors were native to this land. Everyone here came from somewhere else, whether that be Britain, Czechoslovakia, Germany, France, Poland, Ireland, Japan, or any number of countries that gave us a booming population of hard working and…
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Maximizing Plaza Use: Strategies for Vibrant Public Spaces
After recently starting a new job in downtown Minneapolis I noticed the plethora of public plazas available to residents, visitors, and employees. Almost every major tower has an inviting public realm leading to its primary entrance. I see a cleverly landscaped space daily from my office or when eating lunch out on the rooftop terrace.…
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Little Mekong Night Market
The fourth annual Little Mekong Night Market was held this past weekend. The market is a mix of food, art, music, and cultural performances located in the heart of the Little Mekong District at Western Avenue and University Avenue in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Last year an estimated 18,000 people attended which appeared to have been…
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Jamaica’s Rich History and Vibrant Culture
I recently returned from a five day trip to Jamaica for my little sisters wedding. We had incredible weather with only one day of rain, which we ignored and swam anyways. The locals said this was their normal weather most of the year-warm, sunny, and somewhat humid when the wind is not blowing. The resort…
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Chanhassen’s Urban Landscape: A Marathon Journey
Last month I came across the Chanhassen St. Patty’s Day Half Marathon race in Chanhassen, Minnesota. The race timed nicely with my training plan and offered a technical zip up and beer glass for entering so I signed up. I also thought it would be a good opportunity to explore one of the Metro areas…
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Rear Window
One of the gems of Columbia Heights is the 1926 Heights Theater, the longest continuously running theater in the Twin Cities metro (as stated during last weeks screening of Rear Window). The theater was designed as a neighborhood movie house for local talent during the explosion of neighborhood theater construction. After many years of unsympathetic…
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14 Miles: General Mills, Trains, Public Works, and the Mighty Mississippi
My training schedule for the June Grandma’s Marathon has me out on long runs every Saturday, giving me plenty of time to think and analyze my surroundings. I used to rely solely on headphones to help get me through the miles, but for safety reasons stopped using them when I ran with my dogs. Now…
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The Planning Lady 