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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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Tag Archives: infrastructure
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
Strategic planning in Northfield
The late Dixon Bond once observed to me: “Northfield has a tendency to over-plan.” So when the EDA, Planning Commission and City Council meet in a worksession tonight (04/11/2017) to do some (carefully orchestrated, consultant-driven) strategic planning, I will try … Continue reading
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
Cycling roundup
What would help you get on a bicycle and ride to the store – yes, you there, the one who hasn’t ridden a bicycle since childhood but might be willing to try it if conditions were right? People for Bikes … Continue reading
More about development economics and history
I’ve been cleaning out my office at the end of my Council term. In addition to recycling mountains of paper and gaining a great deal more storage space, I’ve been pleased to discover that my personal policy development has been … Continue reading
Posted in Economic development, Land use, Policy problems, Transportation
Tagged infrastructure, Joe the Planner, land use, sprawl, Urbanophile
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Not all development patterns have the same price tag
And for my last Council meeting, the business park is on the agenda for discussion…so here’s one more attempt to ask questions about the cost and scope of this project. The background as we know it: 530 acres annexed west of … Continue reading
Posted in Budget, CIP, Council agendas, Economic development, Land use
Tagged business park, business subsidy, infrastructure, Strong Towns
8 Comments
Different debate questions
Presidential debates usually make me think about moving to Canada since the likelihood of either candidate actually answering a question is abysmally low and the only excitement comes from the random zinger of a comment, factual screw up, or public … Continue reading
Posted in CIP, Economic development, Land use, Policy problems, Taxes
Tagged infrastructure, Strong Towns
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Community Conversations report is out
Back in 2011, Northfield was one of 12 cities around the state selected to participate in 4 meetings convened by the League of MN Cities called Community Conversations. The final report is now out. The conversations started from the sobering … Continue reading
Posted in CIP, Economic development, Policy problems
Tagged infrastructure, League of Minnesota Cities
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End of the road
I really don’t know how I missed this one, but in 2009 Virginia enacted a law which doesn’t quite ban cul-de-sacs, but makes state funding for street maintenance and services contingent on not building any more of them. I really … Continue reading
Posted in Economic development, Land use, Non-motorized transportation
Tagged infrastructure, land use
2 Comments
Bicycling and the NRA
Bike Advocacy from the NRA Playbook got my attention since I am pro-bike and but not pro-gun. The idea is not to whip your handgun out of your saddlebag or jersey pocket to shoot the motorist who ran you off … Continue reading