The 2026 Urbanist Legislative Agenda
Let’s check in with some of our favorite urbanist advocacy organizations about their goals for this year’s legislative session!
Category: Policy
Turning Local Wood Waste Into a Powerful Tool for Cleaner Water
UMD researchers are working on a new biomass product — biochar — to beef up roadside bioswales and absorb pollutants before they reach lakes and rivers.
Anne Mavity: How to Get Housing in All Corners
An interview with Anne Mavity, from the Minnesota Housing Partnership, republished from the Minnesota Women’s Press
Beyond Traffic: Transportation as a Social Construct
Researchers propose a three-tier framework—individual, community, systemic—to reframe urban transport as a social construct influencing equity, culture, power, and future mobility.
Reorganizing Transportation Authority in the Twin Cities if Feds Cut Bike Money
Federal rollbacks on bike and pedestrian funding expose the weaknesses of Minnesota’s fragmented transportation system, making the case for unified regional governance.
How Municipal State Aid Standards Might Make 35th & 36th Streets More Dangerous
Stringent pro-motorist design standards at a state program providing funds for municipal roadway projects create a double-edged sword for a South Minneapolis thoroughfare.
Street Views: Highways to High-Speed Rail?
The vast land carved out for America’s highways may hold the key to unlocking long-delayed high-speed rail ambitions.
Solving Minneapolis’ Housing Affordability Impasse
How can Minneapolis improve housing affordability, when its housing is already pretty affordable? By rethinking what “affordable” means.
Making Sense of This Year’s Transportation Budget Bill
With an overbuilt highway system, Minnesota needs legislators willing to invest in safe, affordable transit that is far-reaching and forward-looking.
How St. Paul Can Re-Legalize Small Commercial Development
St. Paul may be ready to relax its prohibitions on neighborhood commercial buildings. Here’s how it could get over the finish line.