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| © harrington |
Before the demolition, before construction started, before the recent water main break, this is the Jaguar dealership that stood on the site of the new Whole Foods mixed use development at Hennepin and Washington in Minneapolis. I believe that Minnesota could use a whole lot more mixed use development in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Spring Valley, Thief River Falls, Rochester and points in between. There's a recently completed mixed use affordable housing development I know about in Rochester. Cascade Creek Apartments received a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver Certification from the US Green Building Council. Minnesota has a growing number of developments that are LEED certified, including commercial, residential and mixed uses. They'll help us live healthier, more energy-efficient lives in a more sustainable and resilient Minnesota. If you noticed the recent coverage on climate change, you'll understand (I hope) why that's important. Not as a LEED project, but as part of a Main Street revitalization, the downtown commercial center of a southeastern Minnesota county is pulling together mixed us renovation by combining commercial improvements on the ground floor with the rehabilitation of residential apartments on the second floor. This should put more potential customers on the street to patronize downtown businesses. It also helps provide work force housing for local employers and gives empty nesters an opportunity to get away from yard work (some love it, others don't) and snow shoveling (some love it ...). Mixed use development and infill development are challenging, usually more so than building big boxes on the outskirts. Minnesota's Environment and Energy Report Card mentions several times the need to connect the dots. Mixed use development in My Minnesota's large cities or small towns is about as dot-connected as it gets.
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| © harrington |
This morning, in St. Louis Park, I had a meeting of the USGBC-MN board. To get there, I drove from my office in St. Paul along Summit and Marshall Avenues until I reached West River Road. The drive along the Mississippi River is one of my favorite places in the Twin Cities. The combination of river gorge and urban environment just pleases the hell out of me. At this time of year, groundwater seepage freezes along the stone faced cliffs set back from the bank. It contrasts nicely with the open water of the river. Joggers and bicycle riders look handsome and wholesome as they travel along the paths beneath the winter-bare trees. I have in my library a pen and ink sketch that shows the extensive Manhattan skyline from along the New York waterfront. (From the time when the Twin Towers were still standing.) Why do you suppose no one has created a similar sketch from along the river through the city. That's another drawing that would be worth having. How many Minneapolitans take for granted the treasure that flows through their city? How many of us (all of us) take for granted the respite available from having nature underfoot. Out of sight, out of mind. Out of mind, out of sight. Chickens and eggs. We don't appreciate it because it's common and there all the time. S(olstice) minus three and counting. Will we or the river be gone this Friday?
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| © harrington |
This morning I'll be participating in a meeting of the board of the US Green Building Council-Minnesota Chapter. One of the many things for which I'm grateful is that My Minnesota has one of the most active and dedicated chapters in the organization. USGBC are the folks who brought us "green building" and sustainable development through LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). One of the less used, but I think more promising, LEED rating systems is for Neighborhood Development (ND). Many of the other systems (except LEED for Homes) focus largely on the design, construction and operation of the individual building or project. But, as we learn more about reducing energy consumption and how many people actually want to live in walkable neighborhoods, we're discovering that often it takes as much or more energy to get inhabitants to their destination as it does to keep them comfortable and healthy once they're inside. LEED-ND is one way to get a handle on that king of concern. I have some quibbles with the criteria in LEED-ND and how well they may fit with rural centers, many of whom also want to be known as being "green and sustainabe." That's one of the reasons I'll be at the board meeting. The Minnesota chapter is prioritizing a collaborative "Dynamic Green Approach" to engaging communities, schools and the governmental sector. I'm excited about that approach because My Minnesota certainly doesn't have one size or shade of green that fits all.
