[Mpls] (no subject)

[Poseleyj]

>I really wish we could define, somehow, the essence of
>urban/comfy/funky/diverse Minneapolis so our political leaders could defend
>it better when making policy. Maybe their intentions are good, but I sense
>they just don't have the same esthetic that Minneapolis residents share.
>
>Might make an interesting discussion... what makes Minneapolis home? How are
>these things threatened by development and gentrification? How can they be
>protected?

I think one of the big problems to the planning/gentrification issue is the
role that memories play in the "Minneapolis as home" experience. The
experiences we had at a particular place, or street, or house, or
neighborhood cause us to value them more, a value others might not share. One
of my strongest memories is shopping at Daytons with my grandmother and then
going to the Nankin for lunch. So downtown has always been a place for "grown
ups" to me so the appearance of the IDS tower and the others that followed
always made sense to me. Others however, might cherish the fun times (?) at
the old Augies or Brass Rail and rue their disappearance as a horrible
mistake. Then there's the residents of Holman who commented on the tremendous
loss of community when they vacated their apartments.

And memory is so generational. The crowds at the Smashing Pumpkin Concert and
the Aquatennial Mall Celebration made Minneapolis "home" to an incredibly
diverse group of people, a crowd very different from the Aquatennial and
public concerts of years ago. They didn't have a clue about the downtown of
twenty years ago and don't miss it now.

On the other hand, there does seem to be a collective feel for what "home" is
in the broader sense of things. The community/neighborhood feel, knowing your
territory, remembering past neighbors and houses and enjoying present ones. I
moved to the Wedge six years ago, but remember that it was the 1970s Wedge
residents who led the fight against wholesale urban renewal and stopped the
three-story walk-up "warehouse" developers in their tracks. Thank goodness
for those timeless values.

So I think "home" is about values and memories as much as it is about
planning and development. All of us came to mpls with different values and
expectations and live here valuing some things more than others. It should be
an interesting conversation!!

Jude Poseley
Lowry Hill East