Last week, we brought together the artists and agency staff involved in the nation’s first ever artists-in-residence at state departments of transportation to reflect on the inaugural year of the program. Speakers shared their reflections on the residencies, how they coped with the current pandemic, lessons learned, and plans for the future of these novel programs.
West Central Initiative (WCI), a rural regional planning agency in west central Minnesota, worked with artist Naomi RaMona Schliesman to come up with creative, safe ways to engage the community during COVID-19 and better inform their Safe Routes to School planning.
Facing incredible challenges during the pandemic, the creative practices of artists have helped five transportation agencies better respond to the rapidly changing demands related to public space, getting around safely, mask wearing, social distancing, and communicating about rules and regulations changing daily.
Highways routed through population centers in the 50s and 60s have scarred many communities around the country and left neighborhoods disconnected from opportunity. To help address this in the Twin Cities, Smart Growth America worked with MnDOT on two intersections around I-94 to identify problems and improvements that can be made.
To mitigate the negative effects of transportation construction, Springboard for the Arts and other local organizations created a series of artistic interventions that did more than merely prevent painful disruptions; they helped the corridor thrive during a period of vulnerability.
This is the second in a series of working papers prepared for the Minnesota Department of Transportation and Smart Growth America that presents a new framework for evaluating transportation projects based on established and emerging practices in the field of public sector return on investment.
This working paper provides a new framework for evaluating transportation projects in Minnesota based on established and emrging practices in the field of public sector return on investment.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) updated the Minnesota 20-Year State Highway Investment Plan (MnSHIP) in 2012-2013. Through the MnSHIP planning process and based on system performance targets, the plan identified total state highway system needs of $30 billion and projected revenue of $18 billion over the next 20 years resulting in a funding gap … Continued
The state highway system in Minnesota operates today at a high level, meeting many of the performance goals established for the system. Over the next 20 years, however, the highway system is expected to experience a steady decline in performance, as projected state transportation revenues of $18 billion are unable to keep pace with the … Continued
A new trend in local economic development is emerging. Talented workers—and the companies who want to employ them—are increasingly moving to walkable neighborhoods served by transit, with a vibrant mix of restaurants, cafes, shops, cultural attractions, and affordable housing options.