With a $1 billion NFL stadium on the way, and a $400 million mixed-use development that recently broke ground next door to the new home of the Vikings, stakeholders have high hopes for Minneapolis' downtown.
Christina Capecchi reports on the big plans, already under construction, in Downtown Minneapolis. First, there's the $1 billion NFL stadium, which was recently granted the 2018 Super Bowl the city had been seeking. Then there's the city's largest real estate project in two decades: a $400 million mixed-use development next to the new stadium.
"The five-block project, called Downtown East, includes plans for two 18-story office towers for Wells Fargo, a six-level parking ramp, about 24,000 square feet of retail space, 193 apartments and a four-acre urban park near the stadium’s northwest corner," reports Capechi.
"The redevelopment was made possible in February when the Star Tribune Media Company sold five city blocks — four to the Minneapolis-based developer Ryan Companies and one to the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, the public body overseeing construction of the Vikings stadium. The newspaper’s staff will relocate."
FULL STORY: In Minneapolis, a Blueprint for a Bustling Downtown

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

USDOT Revokes Approval for NYC Congestion Pricing
Despite the administration’s stated concern for the “working class,” 85 percent of Manhattan commuters use public transit to enter the city.

Tiny House Villages for Addressing Homelessness: An Interview with Yetimoni Kpeebi
One researcher's perspective on the potential of tiny homes and owner-built housing as one tool to fight the housing crisis.

Preserving Altadena’s Trees: A Community Effort to Save a Fire-Damaged Landscape
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena Green is working to preserve fire-damaged but recoverable trees, advocating for better assessment processes, educating homeowners, and protecting the community’s urban canopy from unnecessary removal.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

Investigation Reveals Just How Badly California’s Homeless Shelters are Failing
Fraud, violence, death, and chaos follow a billion dollar investment in a temporary solution that is proving ineffective.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research