Twin City Yarnbombing #4

[Downtown, Saint Paul.]

[Downtown, Saint Paul.]

[Central Avenue, Minneapolis.]

 [Downtown, Saint Paul.]

[Summit-University, Saint Paul.]

[Whittier, Minneapolis.]

[Whittier, Minneapolis.]

Six Quick Thoughts on Hosting the Super Bowl

[This was kinda cool.]

The Twin Cities just hosted its first Super Bowl since 1992. For some parts of the city, it was a real short-term transformation as it brought tons of tourists, crazy structures, and police into downtown Minneapolis in February. There were some bizarre sights to be seen.

I have mixed feelings about the experience, and wanted to jot them down before I forget. So here goes, the pros and cons of hosting a Super Bowl at least from an urbanist perspective.


1.    OK the subsidies are gross

This should go without saying, but should also be said as much as possible: the Vikings stadium was a huge taxpayer giveaway to the Wilfs from New Jersey, who seem pretty terrible. Within the Super Bowl dealmaking, too, there were all kinds of shady details. It almost makes me glad that that Eagles fan stole a seat from the stadium.


2.    Great choice of themes

The host committee theme – “the Bold North” – was a bit mockable, but I think it was a great choice. While single-digit temperatures weren’t the worst case, below zero, scenario, I’m sure that the cold temps gave nightmares to the civic booster crowd.

But the #boldNorth branding really did emphasize the aspirational embrace of winter that I think Minnesotans ought to have as a core part of our character. Just like Saint Paul’s ongoing Winter Carnival, we really ought to place winter at the center of our identity. Instead, for way too long, Minnesota’s first narrative reaction has been to retreat from winter and engineer it out of our daily lives.

I think “bold north” was great, and it worked even during an actual cold snap. I wish we had more of this kind of spirit in our media narratives, city planning, and daily lives.


3.    Offered a glimpse of a dystopian corporate future

[Militarized, privatized, corporate downtown.]

Um, Jehovah’s Witnesses on every corner preaching the end of days, military police running around on the streets and rooftops in full battle gear, barbed wire fences appearing and disappearing seemingly at random, trains being privatized and commandeered for the wealthy, billionaires running around in private jets and black limos, corporate branding of every single possible commodifiable fragment of the public realm… where have I seen these kinds of things before?

Oh yeah, dystopian science fiction like Children of Men, Idiocracy, Cosmopolis, The Road, Brazil, or a dozen other grim visions of the future. Only for a week or so, it was all happening in real life right here in Minneapolis.

Be wary, people. Be wary.


4.    Economic impact was really mixed

Of course the fantastical promises of a million people and bazillions of free dollars raining in from all across the globe were extremely misleading, and actual economic studies have been debunking the claims of stadium boosters, convention boot-lickers, and the like for decades now.

The macro picture is not great, but at the micro level, from business to business, it was interesting to hear about places that were seeing a lot of benefit and those that weren’t. Of particular note was the way that skyway businesses did not seem to thrive downtown while street-level ones did better.

Partly that’s because almost all the bars are on the street level, but it’s also because streets and sidewalks are inherently legible spaces to people from all over the world. On the other hand, skyways are inherently confusing and alienating to those who are not used to them on an everyday level.

If downtown Minneapolis is going to be truly ambitious as a global city, that’s something to note, because…


5.    Nicollet Mall is the focus of downtown (but isn’t)

[More cool stuff on Nicollet please.]

Even with the cold temperatures, Nicollet Mall shined during Super Bowl week, which is ironic because actual Twin Cities residents do not use Nicollet Mall in the winter and even in the summer, half the people downtown seem to stay holed up in the skyway. Partly that's because many modern Twin Cities buildings are not designed around Nicollet or the street, which lack shops and doorways compared to other downtowns.

But when the spotlight hits, only Nicollet can serve as the default public space for the city, the plaza and park that occupies the center of attention. I’d love to see the city double down on making Nicollet a true public space. I’d love it if downtown buildings began opening up to Nicollet, and if cafés, events, and people were thriving on Nicollet all year long. To my mind, the Super Bowl crowd during 5º weather proves that it’s possible.


6.    The Twin Cities should dream big

Finally, the way that Minneapolis and Saint Paul did not wilt during the Super Bowl spotlight reminded me that we need to think bigger. It would be nice if our cities began measuring ourselves against truly global competition, if we had a transit system that ranked in the top #5 nationally, for example, or had sustainability footprints that competed with the best in Europe. There’s no reason why the Twin Cities can’t think bigger and more ambitiously about its future.

All in all, a weird but exciting experience with some pluses and minuses if you can get past the subsidy stuff.

Reading the Highland Villager #201

[Stacks of Villagers stand ready at the grocery.]

[Basically the problem is that the best source of Saint Paul streets & sidewalks news is the Highland Villager, a very fine and historical newspaper. This wouldn't be a problem, except that its not available online. You basically have to live in or frequent Saint Paul to read it. Until this newspaper goes online, sidewalk information must be set free. See also: Three Reasons Why I Re-Blog the Highland Villager.]


Headline: City ups services at Fire Station 20 on University Ave.; changes are part of effort to improve EMS across St. Paul
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: There will be more trucks and an ambulance at Station 20. Article includes details about different kinds of fire trucks and staffing. [The vast majority of fire calls can be served through an ambulance these days.] A fire truck is moving out of the station on the East Side, and it’s annoying some people such as CM Prince.


Headline: Public school parents push for snow policy reform; Storm stranded kids, left parents in dark for hours
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A snowstorm made it hard for school buses to get kids home, and lots of them did not get home until late at night. Parents were pissed and some say the District should have called off school.


Headline: City lays out plan to double size of Highland disc golf course
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The disc golf course might get larger. It’s really cheap, only $5K. [Disc golf is cooler than actual golf, in a way. Certainly way way cheaper for both the city and the people playing.] Neighbors are concerned about crime, trash, loitering, and noise. Another neighbor says that “more activity could deter crime.”


Headline: Developer looks to create arts venue at historic St. Paul’s Church
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A developer wants to turn a vacant church into an event center and music school offices. The church dates to 1904.


Headline: Local projects nearly shut out of Dayton’s $1.5B bonding bill
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The things that Saint Paul was hoping the legislature would fund are probably not going to be funded because the Governor did not include them in his proposal. These include a big parking lot on the bluff downtown, and a new bridge from downtown to the east side. Rep. Haussman  is throwing some shade at both requests, suggesting parking ramps are usually funded by their price. [She has a point, but still that ramp is a big liability because I heard it is falling apart. Not including any core city projects seems like politics to me, though, in a big election year.]


Headline: Neighbors challenge approval of Marshall-Moore apartments
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The approval of an apartment building that was proposed with by-right zoning is being appealed to the City Council after passing through the Planning Commission. Neighbors are concerned about density, traffic, and parking. They are arguing that the underground parking lot grade is not actually below the ground. [I believe the Council meeting on this is tonight.]


Headline: Catholic Charities facility for homeless gets sign variance
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The homeless shelter can put up a sign over the parking lot entrance that is higher than normally allowed.


Headline: Open house set on Smith Ave. and Dodd Road landscaping
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: MnDOT is reconstructing these two roads and is going to have a meeting about how they handle the new trees. There will also be new sidewalks and intersection designs. [And Smith Avenue bumpouts, which the article does not mention!]


Headline: Neighbors raise concerns over St. Kate’s parking lot proposal
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The college wants to build a surface parking lot where a grove of woods is located. Neighbors are concerned about the loss of the trees and storm drainage. Quote from a neighbor: “once we pave over the forest, it’s not coming back.” Others would like to find alternatives to building a new parking lot, suggesting empty cars be stored elsewhere. Quote from a neighbor: “i’m really surprised that you have such a dire need for parking.” [She has never spoken with university administrators before, has she? All university administrators display a dire need for parking, with very few exceptions. It suffices to say that some simple price signals could “nudge” this problem into oblivion.]


Headline: Backlash scuttles idea for mixed-use building at Dixie’s
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A guy who owns a building and a bunch of restaurants on Grand Avenue wanted to build housing on top of his restaurants and in the existing parking lot. [This makes sense because housing is badly needed in Saint Paul, and especially on Grand Avenue.] He proposed having an underground parking lot instead of the current surface lot. The proposed building would have been up to five stories tall. Article includes a lot of detail about different zoning or design rules in the area. He had a meeting with the neighborhood group. Neighbors were concerned about traffic, parking, renters, and scale, and he has dropped the proposal. Quote from a neighbor: “every day I walk down Grand I see for rent signs.” [Well that settles it. This is a damn shame, if you ask me. Worst thing I've seen in a long while in Saint Paul. It seems like exactly the kind of medium-density parking lot infill along a transit corridor that we're supposed to be building and advocating for all over the city.] Quote describing concerns of the restaurant owner: “with the explosive growth of restaurants and bars in downtown and on West Seventh, ‘people are stealing business from us.’” [Prediction: Grand Avenue, once the most thriving commercial street in Saint Paul, will be an afterthought in a few years, hardly worth mentioning on lists of places to go or things to do.]


Headline: Opposition to soccer stadium noise exemption is rather muted [Your Villager pun of the week!]
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A soccer stadium is being built by the freeway, and neighbors are concerned about noise. There was almost a meeting about it, but it snowed. [Ironic, because snow dampens sound. Also, the freeway is very loud, as is Snelling Avenue, which is full of trucks because they aren’t allowed on 35E.]


Headline: Student rental registration revoked for Marshall Ave. house
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: A house that a landlord had been renting to students can no longer be rented completely to students. There can be four people there, but only two of them can be undergrads. Graduate students are OK though, apparently. An inspector found “six to eight” students there, but there were only four on the lease. Quote from a neighbor: The neighborhood I live in is under siege some of the time by student rentals.”  Another saying: “the students fill all of the bedrooms to get the rents down.” [Wanting lower rent is very normal, especially for poor people, such as a younger student often is. I lived in a “student house” on Grand Avenue after college, and I am pretty sure we were exceeding the occupancy regulations, though I was unaware of them at the time. There were, if I recall, five people living in the house, and we got along great and it was such a relief to only have to pay $250 a month for my tiny room. Also, now we need police to inspect them for their papers proving they are not students? The student witch hunt is bad. Also, I am in favor of getting rid of “unrelated adults” rules, which seem so Victorian to me.]


Headline: Rezoning sought for senior campus on old Riverside site
Author: Jane McClure

Short short version: The place where the old school used to be might get rezoned. This is the spot where the road might get re-routed to make the intersection less dangerous for everyone involved. Senior housing is planned for the site.

Twin City Shovelers #6

 [Location forgotten.]

 [West Side Flats, Saint Paul.]

 [Duluth.]

 [Mulberry Island, Saint Paul.]

 [Downtown, Saint Paul.]

 [West Side, Saint Paul.]

 [West Side, Saint Paul.]

[Cathedral Hill, Saint Paul.]

Presenting Your New Years Resolution and Mine: Walk More in 2018

[The top of the bluff as viewed from the bottom.]

New Years’ resolutions are almost impossible to keep. Often they are too difficult, ambitious, or represent too large a change. But for the vast majority of people in the Twin Cities, here’s a simple idea that will work no matter where you live or who you are: walk more in 2018.

There are so many reasons to walk more, but the simplest ones are these:

Walking is healthy and keeps you active
Walking is relaxing and meditative
Walking helps you experience the city more closely

Walking is central to this blog that I’ve been writing for over ten years. The whole reason I started it is that I thought that everyone int he Twin Cities, myself included, should walk more. It's still true. Even though I’ve been trying to walk more for ten years, I still need to walk more.

Since 2018 began, I have tried walking more, even in the coldest months of winter. For example, I’ve tried to walk downtown from my house more often. It’s an ideal distance for walking for me because it’s a place I need to go quite often for meetings or errands or to go to the gym. The distance from downtown to my house is somewhere around 1and ¾ miles, but could be more than that depending on which exact route I take and where in downtown I’m going.

Believe it or not, that’s kind of a perfect distance for a walk.

For example, if I’m heading to City Hall, just over the Wabasha Bridge, I can get the walk done in good non-icy conditions in just under half an hour. By contrast, biking , driving, and walking that distance might all take about ten minutes, so walking is not that much more of a time commitment, and you get all the benefits.

Not to mention that it’s a pretty pleasant walk, unless it’s incredibly windy. Some of the things I love about it:

Seeing downtown from the bluff as I head out of my house. It’s amazing to see City Hall or the 1st Bank Building just sitting there, and knowing that there’s a river valley laying between us.

Walking the curving sidewalks down Wabasha Street and seeing how the skyline, the trees, and the bluffs play with each other and shift perspective.

(At night, I love seeing this view in reverse, especially in the winter when the homes along the bluff ridge are lit up.)

Crossing over the river itself, looking out at the river valley in both directions, and looking down at the water and Raspberry Island.

Arriving in downtown and being greeted by the lovely buildings along the river, especially along 4th Street.

Here are some pics:

[The view of downtown from my part of the bluff.]

[A lovely building halfway down the bluff.]

[The part where the sidewalk goes from well-shoveled to not.]

[A snow mountain that reminds me of previous sidewalk games.]

[The Mississippi River.]

I’ve probably done this walk once a week since 2018 began, but I need to walk more. Twice a week would be great. I’ve only fallen once on the ice, and honestly, I have some good winter coats so I haven’t gotten too cold.

The point is that you probably need to walk more too! Go online and draw a two-mile circle around your home. Maybe next time you head out to a place inside the circle, you might try walking?

Imagine a whole year where you walked more. I think you'll like it.