I think the Access > Project, by creating direct freeway access for Wells > Fargo and Allina, will exacerbate this phenomenon, > making it even easier for suburbanites to come and > work in the city, and flee home at the end of the day.
(CM) Don't you just love it when people accuse you of "fleeing" at the end of your work day. Says a lot of about what you think of suburbanites. Make it easy for the Repubs to organize "out there". BTW, I've asked this question before. How about we move 1 million suburbanites back into town. Wonder what quality of life would be like? > Folks have noticed an increased interest in living in > the city over the past few years - I believe one of > the major contributors to that is the capacity > constrained freeways that are limiting potential for > sprawl through long commutes. (CM) Part right here. We loved getting home in under 15 minutes while watching the traffic stack up on 35S every eve. But Dave's bigger point is the peak of interest city living. Traffic is way down the list. Here's what sells the best. 1. Coffee 2. Tall mature trees 3. Parks, creeks, river, lakes 4. Downtown, 5. food 6. small yards to cut. 7. no driveways to shovel, 8. Local papers 9. mean politics 10. night life 11. the smell, feel, touch, taste, sound of the city 12. Ancient trees died for my floors, archways, and doors. 13. 10 foot ceilings. 14 Porches 15 Sidewalks These items will sell Mpls like nobuddy's bidness. For the city to be successful and vibrant. The following items must be understood. 1. There is a transience in the city. Even in the best neighborhoods. The average stay at an address, even in the residential home neighborhoods is high, compared to the burbs. 2. This being the case, it is paramount that real estate values keep increasing better then the suburbs. 3. Understand that the small starter home is really being driven by starter families, folks in transition (single, divorced, just getting started) ,or folks settling in for a few years before Florida or retirement takes them elsewhere. 4. Those fams who wish to stay will drive the larger homes up. 5. Accept the fact that growing families are going to move out. The city doesn't offer enough house-space, bathrooms, for a reasonable price in a neighborhood safe enough to let your kids run all day without worry. We would all like to raise kids on Red Cedar or Forestdale in Fulton. But the houses start at about 450,000. You can get the same square footage in an exurb for about 250,000. With no crime, better schools etc. Think of Mpls as part of the 'life cycle of housing-living' providing a stage of life and a state of mind for those who wish to partake. As much as people despise the suburbs, an ever larger portion of your fellow future citizens will come from there. They will come because of the U, cheap housing, cool bars, great dating scene. Many will stay, live in trendy neighborhoods. Then will come the decision to move, stay, or leave temporarily. Make sure they have a good experience before they move. Bigger freeways will > not only destroy additional property in the city, but > they will also have a chilling effect on development > in the areas of the city where investment faces the > greatest risk - the extended suburbs are viable > alternatives with big freeways and "access". There is only one downtown, one center of city, one historical place that pre-dates all other surrounding places. Bigger freeways may take up a little more space. But they will also make it easier for people to come and spend more money, explore what the city has to offer and possibly drop roots. Craig Miller Rogers MN [EMAIL PROTECTED] TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
