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Recent posts
- Northfield 2045 January 15, 2024
- A very short history of bike planning in Northfield August 30, 2023
- Ole Avenue questions persist February 15, 2021
- Vote local October 1, 2020
- Urbanists tweet about the roundabout November 14, 2019
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Category Archives: Land use
Northfield 2045
This is not the official Northfield 2045 Comprehensive Plan page (it’s over here); this is an introduction to the unofficial page. Disclaimer: State law gives the Planning Commission the duty to recommend a Plan to the Council, so as Planning … Continue reading
Posted in Budget, Democracy & civic engagement, Land use, Policy problems
Tagged Comprehensive Plan
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A very short history of bike planning in Northfield
I have been spending a lot of time as the unofficial historian of bike, pedestrian and street planning over on Facebook, so I decided to put together a quick history of how we got here. This is the bullet point … Continue reading
Golden Opportunity paved over at Greenvale Park
The new Greenvale Park Elementary School will improve the inside-the-building issues from no doors to more security to better tech and has been planned with detailed input from teachers and parents. Far less attention was paid to outside the school, … Continue reading
Posted in Land use, Transportation
Tagged featured, Greenvale Park Elementary School, planning, walkablility
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2018’s Greatest Hits (and misses)
Because it’s New Year’s Eve, it must be time to review 2018, right? What I Read in 2018 Although my favorite novel of the year was Michael Ondaatje’s Warlight, I’m having a huge amount of fun with The Art of … Continue reading
Posted in Land use, Taxes, Transportation
Tagged Division Street, economic development, featured, land use, Urban3
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One block in the network
Marvin Lane is just one-block long, but it is one block in an important location in Northfield. Marvin Lane connects Washington Street and east side neighborhoods to Division Street/MN 246 and schools, downtown, and out of town. Marvin Lane is … Continue reading
Posted in Land use, Policy problems, Transportation
Tagged bike boulevard, featured, Sidewalks, street projects
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Depot gets things started on the Q Block
Northfield’s 1888 train depot is on the move this week. The Save the Northfield Depot (STND) group has been working for five years to raise funds and navigate the political, environmental and legal obstacles to be able to save the historic … Continue reading
Posted in Economic development, Land use
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Who needs a front yard anyway?
While in Amsterdam last month, I walked around looking at doorways and thought: “Who needs a front yard anyway?” Or perhaps: At home, I feel oppressed by most of my yard. My house sits on a 66′ x 150′ Northfield … Continue reading
Posted in Land use
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Development pattern productivity, continued further
Last week, I anticipated the Northfield City Council’s discussion of amendments to the Land Development Code by comparing the tax revenue from a selection of different development patterns around town (thanks to David Delong for mentioning Community Resource Bank – 3 … Continue reading
Posted in Economic development, Land use, Policy problems
Tagged Joe Minicozzi, Strong Towns
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Development pattern productivity, continued
“No additional financial impacts are anticipated,” claims the staff report accompanying proposed revisions to Northfield’s nightmare land development regulations. Yet the proposed changes will change zoning around Northfield’s downtown to make lower density, less compact development the default pattern and … Continue reading
One small breath of fresh air at the DOT
Strong Towns recently highlighted this video from the Tennessee DOT which is worth 4 minutes for anyone who thinks about land use and transportation issues. In the video, Tennessee DOT Commissioner John Schroer says: “A lot of cities did a … Continue reading