Talking about Skyways and Street Life in Minneapolis and Winnipeg with the CBC

Following up on my appearance on the CBC last year to discuss urbanist reactions to Winnipeg, I was on the CBC again yesterday to discuss the pros and cons of skyways and tunnels in downtowns. There is a big debate going on right now about the key intersection in downtown Winnipeg, Portage and Main, and whether or not to re-introduce crosswalks and pedestrian access at the corner.

For people who want to bring back street life at the intersection, it doesn't appear to be going very well.

Here's an excerpt from the latest story on it, with poll results:

"The data shows Winnipeggers really don't like this idea of opening Portage and Main to pedestrians. There is no demographic — not young people, not downtowners, not downtown residents — who want to open the intersection," said Mary Agnes Welch, a senior researcher for Winnipeg-based Probe.  

"There is broad and deep, intense dislike for this idea."

Anyway, I appeared on the CBC radio news to explain about Minneapolis unique skyway system and what lessons, if any, the tensions around skyways might have for folks in Winnipeg.

Fun! I'll have to go back to Winnipeg in a hundred years when they finally get rid of the massive concrete barriers around the sidewalks of their downtown.

[This is what the main intersection of Portage and Main looks like, similar to a shuttered skyway.]

Twin City Message Boards #16

 [Winnipeg, MB.]

 [Winnipeg, MB.]

 [Winnipeg, MB.]

 [Duluth?]

 [Downtown, Saint Paul.]

 [Downtown, Minneapolis.]

 [Seattle, WA.]

[Seattle, WA.]

Twin City Bike Parking #30

[West 7th Street, Saint Paul.] 

 [Winnipeg, MB.]

 [Ran-Ham, Saint Paul.]

 [Winnipeg, MB.]

 [Winnipeg, MB.]

 [Durand, WI.]

[Location forgotten... but somewhere with brand new sidewalks. Maybe Snelling Avenue?]

[Marcy-Holmes, Minneapolis.]

Twin City Lamp Posts #11

 [Winnipeg.]

 [Red Wing.]

[North Loop, Minneapolis.]

[Linden Hills, Minneapolis.]

[Como Park, Saint Paul.]

[Duluth.]

[Duluth.]

[Duluth.]

Twin City Doorways #35

[Durand, WI.]

[Durand, WI.]

[Winnipeg, Manitoba.]

[West Como, Saint Paul.]

[Location forgotten.]

[Duluth.]

[Duluth.]

[Duluth.]

Talking aboot Winnipeg versus Twin Cities Urbanism with the CBC

A few months ago, I went on a lovely trip up to Winnipeg, Manitoba with my mother. The city is about a seven-hour drive, but when you get you your destination, you're in a different country!

Winnipeg was fun to wander around, and I ended up blogging about my experience and observations there over at streets.mn.

You can check that article out there, but here's a highlight:

By the way, mode share in Winnipeg is something like 14%. That’s the metro area stats, by the way.  

Are those numbers in metric or Canadian dollars or something, because that is far far higher than Minneapolis?

The equivalent numbers for Minneapolis are something like 9% city-wide and 5% metro-wide. In Winnipeg, they are doing something right with the transit planning. I suspect its a complicated series of land use, planning, and financial incentives that create this more transit-friendly environment. Whatever the reason, it makes me jealous!

At any rate, Winnipeggers seemed both pleased and nonplussed by my piece, and I got a lot of good comments from Canadian readers on streets.mn and social media. My little observations got so much attention, in fact, that the CBC called me up yesterday and interviewed me for their afternoon news show on the local CBC.

Must have been a slow news day up north (LOL), but what an honor! I'm a big fan of the CBC and Canadian media, so this was pretty exciting.

Here's the whole interview, for your listening pleasure. We chatted about urban freeways, walking, skyways versus tunnels versus sidewalks, and some experimental bike lanes.

If you listen closely, I think you can hear the host seem rather astonished that I actually liked Winnipeg. "Really? You liked it? Wow," he keeps implying. It's rather amusing, eh?

Enjoy!

BONUS, eh!