Urban Land Institute Technical Advisory Panel report for the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis

ULI is an organization of developers and other stakeholders involved in real estate development.  They have regional chapters and an annual meeting.  The Institute publishes a magazine and has an extensive publishing program, complemented by reports and works produced by the individual chapters.

Their books and reports are top notch, and read well over the years.  I've been fortunate to be able to get "media credentials" to attend local meetings, even the national, but I haven't been able to go.

Technical Advisory Panels bring together a group of members selected as knowledge experts to come up with ideas for knotty problems in communities, usually with a focus on commercial development.  (The American Planning Association, American Society of Landscape Architects, and American Public Transportation Association have similar programs.)

While years ago I found the report on what to do for DC's Central Library wanting--it illustrated a problem with planning engagements more generally, if you're given a limited scope, your ability to be visionary and expansive is significantly constrained--generally the reports are top notch, and always worth reading to boost your knowledge and get new ideas.  

WRT the library, I had better ideas ("The DC Central Library, the Civic identity and the public realm," 2011, "Civic assets and mixed use: Central Library edition," 2013).  But generally, ULI hits a lot more home runs on TAPs than strikeouts.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports ("Five great ideas to improve Uptown, the Twin Cities’ most enduring commercial hub") on the release of a report (UPTOWN REBOUND: A STORY OF ABUNDANCE) for the Uptown District.  

I haven't read it yet, the ST columnist highlights five points:

• Form a business improvement district

Gosh, this is so basic it's amazing cities have to be told.  The overarching city government generally lacks the capacity and funding to provide extranormal management and development of a city's subdistricts.  BIDs are one tool.  Main Street programs another.  And Pennsylvania has come up with a Main Street like program for neighborhoods.

-- "Basic planning building blocks for urban commercial district revitalization programs that most cities haven't packaged: Part 1 | The first six," (2020)
-- "Basic planning building blocks for urban commercial district revitalization programs that most cities haven't packaged: Part 2 |  A neighborhood identity and marketing toolkit (kit of parts)," (2020)
-- "Basic planning building blocks for urban commercial district revitalization programs that most cities haven't packaged: Part 3 | The overarching approach: destination development/branding and identity, layering and daypart planning," (2020)
-- "Basic planning building blocks for "community" revitalization programs that most cities haven't packaged: Part 4 | Place evaluation tools," (2020)
-- "Planning programming by daypart, month, season: and Boston Winter Garden, DC's Holiday Market, etc.," (2016)
-- "Richard's Rules for Restaurant (Food) Based Revitalization, Salt Lake City and DC's Chinatown," (2024)
-- "Commercial district activation issues in smaller communities: Phoenixville, Pennsylvania," (2023)

Turns out Minneapolis has a real estate firm that works on activating spaces in a curated fashion ("Max Musicant's company brings commercial spaces to life," MST).

• Buy the Seven Points parking ramp

Photo: Eric Roper, MST.

They call parking structures ramps in Minnesota.  But owning one provides a revenue stream and a way to support parking management strategies, in a manner that can bootstrap what I call a transportation management district.  

The TAP suggests it provide free parking, but as the foundation of a shared parking system throughout the district.

-- "What should the program for a Transportation Management District look like?," 2024

-- "Parking districts vs. transportation/urban management districts: Part one, Bethesda," 2015
-- "Parking districts vs. transportation/urban management districts: Part two, Takoma DC/Takoma Park Maryland," 2015
-- "Parking districts vs. transportation/urban management districts: Part three, jitneys/shuttles/delivery and the tertiary transit network," 2015
-- "Transportation demand management requirements for large developments and the MGM National Harbor Casino as an example of why this is absolutely necessary," 2015

• Create a "Lake Loop" connecting Uptown to the Chain of Lakes

Lake Loop concept.  Graphic: Blake Siette, ULI.

Minneapolis is defined by its network of parks, trails, and lakes.  Apparently Uptown isn't well connected to the existing network.  

• Rebrand Girard Avenue as "Uptown Alley"

Apparently the street is broken up here and there by more pedestrianized spaces.  The Panel recommends that this characteristic be strengthened, by converting the Avenue into a continuous people space (no cars).

Photo: Eric Roper, MST.

I think such proposals are great.  But then you really do need a BID because to be successful, such spaces need to be highly programmed and managed.

As it is, Minneapolis already has problems adequately managing Nicolett Mall ("The trouble with Nicollet Mall: It’s boring now," MST, "How to Fix Nicollet Mall," MPLS St. Paul Magazine, "Nicollet Mall needs bikes and other wheeled wanderers," MinnPost).

-- "Planning urban design improvements at the neighborhood scale: Dupont Circle, DC," (2019)
-- "More about making 17th Street between P and R a pedestrian space on weekends," (2019)
-- "Planning for place/urban design/neighborhoods versus planning for transportation modes: new 17th Street NW bike lanes | Walkable community planning versus "pedestrian" planning," (2021)
-- "Now I know why Boulder's Pearl Street Mall is the exception that proves the rule about the failures of pedestrian malls," (2005)

• Extend the Como-Harriet Streetcar.

Apparently it's a historic streetcar operated by volunteers during the summer, on weekends.  It runs between the Lake Harriet Bandshell and a stop in front of Lakewood Cemetery. 

I didn't know they had one.  Similar streetcars operate or have operated in Dallas, Memphis, and Savannah.   

The report suggests it extended to the Bde Maka Ska pavilion at the Bde Maka Ska Lake (Cunningham Architects Project Page).

But the reporter says it could go further into Uptown and connect to the Midtown Greenway, a major cycle trail in a "ditch" that had been a railroad.  

He quotes the director of the Trolley Museum, saying they don't have the capacity or the money (an estimated $10 million) to do it.  How about not making the parking ramp free, and using some of the revenues to pay for the streetcar extension and perhaps expansion to Friday service.

Conclusion.  I definitely have to read the report.  But I can make a quick "judgement" based on the recommendations pulled out by Eric Roper (also see his article, "Momentum is building for a rebirth of Uptown").  

The report suggests multiple ways to increase access to and connectedness within the Uptown district, in part by leveraging existing resources.

Seems like a lot of exciting ideas.  I am looking forward to reading it.