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Visioning NortheastHave you ever thought, “If they asked me, we should…”? Well you’re being asked. What should we do? Change is coming. It’s always coming. City street redesigns. Big corporate developers. Disasters. Recessions and booms. Declining and emerging businesses. When change knocks on our door, will we know what to say to help shape our neighborhood and our city or will the change choose its own path? What path do we want? Where do we want to be when we arrive? What do we want our neighborhoods and business districts to look like in a year? In 10 years? In 50 years? This is our home. Where do we want to live? Maybe let’s start with what we love about Northeast. What do we want to keep? What do we want more of? What are we known for? What do we want to be known for? What should we preserve before it’s too late? 
Think about this city. Think about just your neighborhood. Think about just your block. What are your favorite parts? What are the best events? Who do you love having around? If it helps, think of the spaces where you don’t like to hang out. What makes them less than ideal? When the developers come, what do you want them to do? What are we afraid they’ll do? What do we want them to know? What do we want them to build for Northeast? What goals do we have for our community? What are the challenges we want to address? What about the city planners? What should our traffic and transit look like? What about our parks? We are the change makers. It is up to us. But we do have to know what we want. If we get it right, the changes that happen now will be around for the next 50 or 100 years (or longer). If we get them wrong they’ll probably be here too. Here’s another way to look at it. Imagine your best life. Where do you live? What does your neighborhood look like? Where are the public spaces where you feel the most comfortable, where you find that you want to linger? What are the places that draw you in? Where are the places where you want to dwell, to spend time? Pick one. How would you describe that place to someone who hasn’t been there? Why do you like that space so much? What’s there? What makes the space unique? 
Take notes. Make a list. Tell people about it. Send it to me. I want to know. Part of Recovery Bike Shop’s mission is activating public space. Seriously, send me your list. cutter@re-cycle.com Where are the places that people flourish? Given that change is inevitable, what is your vision for Northeast? How do you want it to change? What are the good parts? The bad? What are our assets? What are the challenges? If we’re going to work toward something, we need to know where we want to go. |
What is your vision!!?
I run a used bicycle shop because I think this is the way to make the world a better place, so I’ll leave you with just one soapbox moment: Every time we do one of these big infrastructure projects the general consensus is, yes, we need a future with fewer cars, just not yet and not here. If not here, where? If not now, when? If not us, who? I don't want to pretend that we're the first people to ever sit down to imagine a future for Northeast Minneapolis. Here are a few others that have been done in the past. I suggest starting with some notes of your own. Take this visioning exercise as far as you want. Then click on the links below to see what others have come up with. Northeast Arts Action Plan (Executive Summary) Quincy Street Task Force Report (2018) Northeast Arts Action Plan (2002) (full version) NEMAD Developer Tips Central Avenue Small Area Plan (2008)
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