Contradictions Will Not Get Us Where We Need to Be

Sean Hayford Oleary, who is a member of the City Council in the near-south-Minneapolis suburb of Richfield, had a short thread the other day on Twitter that summed up a lot of things about how things are not going right for cities — yet — despite good intentions.

Thinking of how much of planning right now boils down to:

"We want to create a vibrant live-work-play redevelopment district where everyone can thrive"

vs.

"The proposal must provide parking stalls equal to the number on this table we wrote in 1987"

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"We want safe streets where all ages and abilities are welcome and can travel with dignity"

vs.

"An additional right-turn lane is required in this location due to anticipated 2040 peak hour turn volumes. Let's skip the protected bike lane here."

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"We declare a climate emergency, this is the crisis of generations. No action is too great to combat this."

vs.

"We can't congestion price roadways, we can't remove freeway lanes, we can't eliminate parking requirements. That isn't practical, and then model says it won't work."

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"We want our community to be affordable and welcoming to all families"

vs.

"We can't reduce setbacks or lot sizes, we can't allow anything other than single-family, we can't eliminate parking requirements (again)."

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We're playing a constant game of big, lofty, important ideas in direct competition with "practical" concerns — usually about cars.

When we frame it like that, the big important ideas always lose.

He clarified, in response to a commenter, that he wasn't specifically talking about professional planners:

I deliberately said "planning" not planners — because this isn't just about professional planners. It's planners, electeds, the public, and private sector investment, all coalescing (accidentally?) into prioritizing near-term car convenience at the expense of bigger goals.

I agree with all that he said and I experience it in everything I do and try to do around my neighborhood and in the Twin Citites. 

When we do see something change — as Saint Paul's City Council did when it eliminated parking minimums everywhere last year — know that it was done by overcoming all of this inertia. 

I think Saint Paul will soon change some major things about its housing land use policy as well. There is real leadership in our Council and in the mayor's office, supporting the planning department.

Interstate highway removal within cities (like I-94 between Saint Paul and Minneapolis) may be too difficult of a goal at this point, I'm afraid, despite the droughts, fires, floods, and record temperatures around the world. Oh, and those Greenland ice sheets that will be melting and adding 10" of global sea rise. 

The roads must roll, the cars must zoom, and the decision on I-94 involves people beyond the city limits, unfortunately.