Dorie Rae Gallagher said: I don't wish to see the day when the rail will be going through areas that look like Hyde Park or Oak Park in Chicago. Personally, I feel this will happen along 55 with time and density. ------ Jason McGrath replies: I'm actually not sure what is meant by "look like Hyde Park," but the connection interests me because I lived in Hyde Park for seven years before I moved to Mpls and then, less than a year later, bought a house in the Corcoran neighborhood on the Hiawatha corridor. The reasons my spouse and I focused our housing search on the Corcoran area were precisely some of the things we'd most appreciated about Hyde Park: ethnic, cultural, and income diversity; distinctive, locally owned businesses; an urban feel but plenty of green space; an older, architecturally interesting housing stock; an activist citizenry and progressive political leadership; and, as important as any other factor, the light rail.
I take it as a given that density will increase on the Hiawatha corridor, and my only concern is that it be planned well. I live two miles from the central business district of the largest city in a metropolitan area with a population approaching three million people and growing steadily. If I fear density I should buy a house in the suburbs. The alternative to farsighted investment in mass transit along with increased density will not be pretty, because the metro area will keep growing whether we plan for it or not. In fact, the alternative will be more like another place I used to live: Austin, Texas, which had many of the advantages of the Twin Cities -- a state capitol, a huge and prestigious public university, and a vibrant and tolerant cultural atmosphere. Austin still has those things, but after a 1990s growth explosion and no accompanying long-term investments in mass public transit, it also has an unattractive and perpetually clogged network of highways and commercial corridors that can't begin to cope with the traffic the city's success has brought. I think the Hiawatha line is a fantastic, if belated, start for the Twin Cities to deal with growth more intelligently, and I hope it's only the beginning. The new development plans for 38th St attest to the light rail's success, and I see no reason why the vacant lots, grain storage facilities, and abandoned railroad tracks that flank Hiawatha shouldn't be turned into practical housing options for people who want to enjoy the benefits of urban life and good public transit. Jason McGrath Corcoran, Mpls REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
