Reconstructing Lake Street: Overview

ake Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota. At first glance it might seem to be simply an old street, the straightest and fastest route between Lake Calhoun and the Mississippi River. A non-glamorous tool that moves cars quickly from Point A to Point B.

But try considering Lake Street, and its counterpart in your neighborhood, as a true lifeline for the community that lives and works on it. Instead of a congested throughway that's best to avoid, imagine its potential as a destination—with, perhaps, easy parking near favorite ethnic restaurants; thriving independent small businesses; pleasant sidewalks to stroll along; people-watching perches over a cup of coffee; or enjoyable spots to shop and chat with a friend.

Whether visitors arrive on Lake Street by foot, car, or public transportation, could the right planning make their experience more enjoyable than intimidating? Why do some streets become inviting gathering spots, while others become threatening danger zones that pedestrians dash across to avoid speeding cars or crime? Most important: If you could redesign your own street, how would you want it to look, feel, and serve your community?

Those were among the questions put to Lake Street area residents and business owners several years ago. They were given a once in a lifetime opportunity to merge necessary street improvements with community development needs. And, in conjunction with city and county officials, community leaders shaped a vision for the area—the Lake Street Framework Plan—and published it in October 1999.

At stake in the original plan was the vitality of newly emerging immigrant neighborhoods. For nearly a decade, Latino, Somali, and other new populations had been moving to the Lake Street area, and had opened businesses, shops, and restaurants along the well-traveled corridor. But their businesses were thinly capitalized, and many struggled to turn a profit. They needed the benefits of a well-planned and well-integrated street design to attract customers.

Of course, best intentions notwithstanding, the citizens of a community cannot rebuild a public street all alone. And, perhaps surprisingly, Minneapolis's Lake Street isn't even the responsibility of the city of Minneapolis. In 1993, Lake Street was designated "Hennepin County State Aid Highway 3," and consequently the government of Hennepin County actually holds ultimate jurisdiction over its reconstruction, from design to funding.

In essence, planning for Lake Street's reconstruction began like most street or road construction. All those involved were hard-working and dedicated, and wanted to do the right thing to the best of their abilities—and, as usual, participants chiefly divided into two main groups: traffic engineers and people who live and work in the community.

Highway engineers are inevitably accustomed to building streets or roads according to protocols, standards, and policies that generally benefit vehicular traffic. Private citizens, on the other hand, have an obvious personal stake in encouraging a community throughway with local entrepreneurs and people in mind. Unfortunately, even when these two groups interact, they seldom change traditional road construction outcomes. The two groups simply are not equal—professional engineers intimately know the rules and regulations governing transportation funding and, thus, they ultimately guide most decisions.

But all that changed on Lake Street.

In Lake Street's reconstruction planning, exceptions were made; waivers were sought and achieved; and nontraditional, unconventional solutions occasionally ruled the day. Lake Street's redesign broke the mold, and proved that traffic engineers and neighborhoods can work together to arrive at mutually beneficial solutions. The planned result will be an inviting, people-focused street where traffic and pedestrians both flow smoothly.

Much of the information presented here comes directly from a recent report by Payne-Lake Community Partners, Taking It To The Street: How roadway design helped shape a neighborhood's development, funded in part by McKnight. If this topic is of interest to you, we encourage you to read the full report, also available online in PDF format (1.4 MB). In sharing some of what we've learned from Lake Street's redesign, we hope others can set sights on achieving similar community-focused street reconstruction in their own neighborhoods.