urbanMSP

Citylab has a story on the removal in Rochester (NY)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features ... ghway-dies

I kind of wish there was an admission that the greater Minnesota cities are highly dependent on large percentages of local government aid for basic operation of what those local governments already allowed to be built. To be charitable, it seems like there is an objection that infrastructure has cur...

The executive director of the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities opines that local governments try really really hard to actually allow development that makes sense. They put lots of thought in keeping more housing from being built where they don’t want more people to be. It’s not their fault reg...

Interesting attempt to rename different aspects of the national housing shortage ingredients.

https://www.liberalcurrents.com/the-vic ... n-housing/

But it seems as though the Eden Prairie Town Center Station will have no access to the north (Costco direction)? Really unfortunate if that remains the case, a situation that calls for some political pressure. The Emerson HQ is between the Asia Mall and Town Center station. Costco is a bit to the w...

It’s a good question. I’d guess a combination of a history of prioritizing the least possible sidewalk and boulevard space to maximum street width, plus excessive sidewalk salt use. So trees that are planted just die out after a few years. I can’t know for certain but I’d also wager that in seasons ...

The League of Minnesota Cities likes keeping a housing shortage status quo.

https://finance-commerce.com/2024/04/lo ... ning-bill/

The LMC heavily activated the exurban fear caucus to lobby against the bill for zoning reform.

Pretty pissed about “local control” arguments right now.

http://www.minnpost.com/state-governmen ... s-session/

I understand that this is the app for the co-op ride sharing service :

coop-rider.app.link/nhCldcELqIb

I don’t know if it is true, but apparently they need 10,000 Minnesotans to join by May for service to be started?

Monte, do you recall the fate of the bus stop on the northeast corner?

I noticed MNDOT’s project for Excelsior and 169 says it will eliminate free right turns. I wonder if this will be all four or just some. As long as the right turn from southbound 169 to westbound Excelsior is eliminated, it will be a great change. Drivers coming off 169 going west are so often still...

Mystery benches appearing downtown.

https://www.downtownvoices.news/posts/b ... polis-core

I had no idea some Uber/Lyft drivers were driving Hertz rentals, which Hertz is demanding be returned?

https://www.startribune.com/uber-lyft-m ... 600355511/

Regarding the near proximity of TH100 to US169 to I-494 (from Eden Prairie to Maple Grove)… TH100 began life as the Belt Line, originally intended to be a ring highway around both downtowns, authorized in 1934. Eventually the New Deal funded a lot of the construction as a sort of destination parkway...

The Trilogy development at Blake and Excelsior is unsubsidized full market rate and has four ground floor retail spaces. Though in comparison, the 325 Blake is being subsidized for affordable housing and only one building (that has not been started) will have ground floor retail. The site has separa...

Stadium Village plans have a phase 1 partner.

https://finance-commerce.com/2024/03/mo ... ation-hub/

Have they finalized plans for the new bike trail/lane on 17th from excelsior to hw7? Won't be another 8th ave but assuming they didn't choose the painted lanes that might be ambitious. Still say Hopkins could use a better trail along excelsior blvd (yes I know we have the cedar lake but it's good t...

Does Hopkins have any plans to build more streets like the bikeway from Mainstreet to the LRT station? Not exactly that amazing. At the Blake Road station, there will be a street connector linking Pierce to Blake passing by the station. It is pretty car-focused. The Trilogy development at Blake/Exc...

A decade-delayed development for building 1,900 units along a transit line might finally be getting approval after court ruling. https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/03/27/city-planners-pivot-after-lengthy-embarrassment-recommend-massive-fort-garry-housing-project Nearly Bay Area leve...

A proposal to change building codes statewide to permit single exit stairwell buildings up to 75 feet. https://www.minnpost.com/cityscape/2024/03/the-minnesota-building-code-should-loosen-up-about-single-stair-buildings/ And the proposal: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF3351&v...