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Zoning in Minneapolis—as in many American cities—over the past century has aimed to separate land uses perceived as “incompatible”. Key to this has been removing commercial uses—shops and offices—from areas marked as “residential”. Offices and shops are allowed mostly on busier streets, and on those streets only in select places. Hiding behind these policies is…

This article is a part of the Neighbors for More Neighbors (N4MN) ongoing discussion around the current zoning changes due to the 2040 Plan implementation and our advocacy to allow More Uses in More Places in support of complete neighborhoods. 46th and Clinton Ave Looking towards the Orange Line and Corridor 6 Built Form zoning…

I live in the Northeast Park neighborhood in Minneapolis. I recently bought a house here, and I do not own a car. It is a personal goal of mine to remain car-free. It should be possible for anyone living in a large city to do so. Everyone should have easy, convenient access to what they…

WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OCT 13th? The Minnesota Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments in the Minneapolis 2040 lawsuit onOctober 13th at 10:40am. Oral arguments will be limited to the parties involved, the City ofMinneapolis, and Smart Growth Minneapolis, et al. The brief time for arguments and questions means that neither the parties nor the…

Hennepin County Government Center, photo by Kevin Joseph The Minneapolis 2040 comprehensive plan is currently in court and under attack, and Neighbors for More Neighbors is fighting to make sure this pro-housing plan is fully defended. Last Friday, July 1, Neighbors for More Neighbors, in partnership with allied groups, filed a leave with state district…

Occasionally the Strib actually publishes op-eds by people who want to move the city forward, rather than freeze it in time N4MN’s own Anna Morrison Nelson co-wrote an Op-Ed in the Star Tribune this week with Sam Rockwell (well known to zoning nerds from his time on the Planning Commission). In it they highlight all…

N4MN colorful buildings motif Let’s defend the Minneapolis 2040 Plan (again!) from the status quo!You may have heard that last week a local judge ruled the City of Minneapolis must immediately stop enforcing the 2040 Plan. Three groups filed a disingenuous lawsuit claiming the 2040 plan needed an environmental review before the city passed it, contradicting the…

I’ve worked on housing affordability since 1997. That whole time, the Twin Cities has been losing ground, with homes becoming steadily less affordable. Rents have been rising — sometimes very rapidly. The portion of people paying more than 30 percent or even 50 percent of their income in rent (the definition of “housing cost burden”) is stubbornly…

N4MN logo Hello Neighbor,  We are looking ahead to 2022, and ready to make an impact as we stand up for secure, abundant homes for everyone in the Twin Cities. And we could use your help as a volunteer this year!  Check out our upcoming opportunities to take action, and email NeighborsForMoreNeighbors@gmail.com if you want to learn…

Next week, Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) is proposing 46 new homes, across 8 different sites. Additional public housing will be proposed on 8 additional sites in the coming months. These buildings are “missing-middle” sized (fourplexes and six-plexes), and contain 2BR and 3BR homes. We need your support to make sure these homes are built! These…

Tuesday, November 2 is election day in Minneapolis, but early voting in the city has already begun! Read on to learn more about what is on the ballot, information about how to cast a ballot, and what the candidate’s positions are on key housing questions.  What’s on the ballot Residents of the city can now…

Take Action: Help us Bring Back SROs to Minneapolis Single-room occupancy housing (SRO) is a type of home in which each resident has their own room, but might share a kitchen, a bathroom, and other common areas. Think of a college dorm, a retirement home, or renting a spare room to a friend.  Since expensive…

With Minneapolis 2040, the City of Minneapolis committed to eliminating car parking minimum requirements city-wide. We need you to speak up, as the City now considers this change, because it will reduce disparities, make new homes more affordable, and help our city become more climate resilient.  Currently, the city requires that builders provide minimum numbers…

A coalition of local organizations sponsored this questionnaire to help voters understand where each candidate stands on issues that shape whether every person can find and afford a home in Minneapolis. We collectively submitted, refined, and selected these questions and invited campaigns of all candidates to respond. We will continue to accept responses and thank…

A coalition of local organizations sponsored this questionnaire to help voters understand where each candidate stands on issues that shape whether every person can find and afford a home in Minneapolis. We collectively submitted, refined, and selected these questions and invited campaigns of all candidates to respond. We will continue to accept responses and thank…

A coalition of local organizations sponsored this questionnaire to help voters understand where each candidate stands on issues that shape whether every person can find and afford a home in Minneapolis. We collectively submitted, refined, and selected these questions and invited campaigns of all candidates to respond. We will continue to accept responses and thank…

A coalition of local organizations sponsored this questionnaire to help voters understand where each candidate stands on issues that shape whether every person can find and afford a home in Minneapolis. We collectively submitted, refined, and selected these questions and invited campaigns of all candidates to respond. We will continue to accept responses and thank…

A coalition of local organizations sponsored this questionnaire to help voters understand where each candidate stands on issues that shape whether every person can find and afford a home in Minneapolis. We collectively submitted, refined, and selected these questions and invited campaigns of all candidates to respond. We will continue to accept responses and thank…

A coalition of local organizations sponsored this questionnaire to help voters understand where each candidate stands on issues that shape whether every person can find and afford a home in Minneapolis. We collectively submitted, refined, and selected these questions and invited campaigns of all candidates to respond. We will continue to accept responses and thank…

A coalition of local organizations sponsored this questionnaire to help voters understand where each candidate stands on issues that shape whether every person can find and afford a home in Minneapolis. We collectively submitted, refined, and selected these questions and invited campaigns of all candidates to respond. We will continue to accept responses and thank…

A coalition of local organizations sponsored this questionnaire to help voters understand where each candidate stands on issues that shape whether every person can find and afford a home in Minneapolis. We collectively submitted, refined, and selected these questions and invited campaigns of all candidates to respond. We will continue to accept responses and thank…

A coalition of local organizations sponsored this questionnaire to help voters understand where each candidate stands on issues that shape whether every person can find and afford a home in Minneapolis. We collectively submitted, refined, and selected these questions and invited campaigns of all candidates to respond. We will continue to accept responses and thank…

A coalition of local organizations sponsored this questionnaire to help voters understand where each candidate stands on issues that shape whether every person can find and afford a home in Minneapolis. We collectively submitted, refined, and selected these questions and invited campaigns of all candidates to respond. We will continue to accept responses and thank…

A coalition of local organizations sponsored this questionnaire to help voters understand where each candidate stands on issues that shape whether every person can find and afford a home in Minneapolis. We collectively submitted, refined, and selected these questions and invited campaigns of all candidates to respond. We will continue to accept responses and thank…

A coalition of local organizations sponsored this questionnaire to help voters understand where each candidate stands on issues that shape whether every person can find and afford a home in Minneapolis. We collectively submitted, refined, and selected these questions and invited campaigns of all candidates to respond. We will continue to accept responses and thank…

A coalition of local organizations sponsored this questionnaire to help voters understand where each candidate stands on issues that shape whether every person can find and afford a home in Minneapolis. We collectively submitted, refined, and selected these questions and invited campaigns of all candidates to respond. We will continue to accept responses and thank…

A coalition of local organizations sponsored this questionnaire to help voters understand where each candidate stands on issues that shape whether every person can find and afford a home in Minneapolis. We collectively submitted, refined, and selected these questions and invited campaigns of all candidates to respond. We will continue to accept responses and thank…

A coalition of local organizations sponsored this questionnaire to help voters understand where each candidate stands on issues that shape whether every person can find and afford a home in Minneapolis. We collectively submitted, refined, and selected these questions and invited campaigns of all candidates to respond. We will continue to accept responses and thank…

A coalition of local organizations sponsored a questionnaire to help voters understand where each candidate stands on issues that shape whether every person can find and afford a home in Minneapolis. We collectively submitted, refined, and selected these questions and invited campaigns of all candidates to respond. We will continue to accept responses and thank…

Hey Neighbor! We’re excited to welcome Shane Phillips, author of The Affordable City, as the special guest at our March member social! Shane Phillips manages the UCLA Lewis Center Housing Initiative and is an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California. The Affordable City, discusses the problem of high housing costs and household instability that affect every major…

Check out these events around town to meet your neighbors and advocate for more affordable, abundant housing in the Twin Cities! Neighbors for More Neighbors events: We are taking February off, but stay tuned for more exciting events this spring Other neighborly events in the Twin Cities: Minnesota Housing Partnership: Legislative UpdateFriday, February 5, 9:00am Find more…

Over the last two months, Neighbors for More Neighbors has been taking action as Minneapolis City Council updated zoning rules to align with the Minneapolis 2040 Plan. We organized around this issue because zoning rules have a major impact on the number of homes that can be built in our city. Here is the update…

Neighbors for More Neighbors originally organized in support of Minneapolis 2040 because we believe in building enough homes for everyone in our City. Part of the promise of Minneapolis 2040 is again at risk – and we need you to act, again! A few weeks ago, we asked you to take action on Minneapolis’ updated…

On December 8, the Minneapolis City Council’s Business, Inspections & Zoning Committee will meet to consider new built form regulations to align the zoning code with the Minneapolis 2040 Plan. Neighbors for More Neighbors, along with a coalition of local organizations, signed on to a letter to call for specific changes to the zoning code…

This post was written by N4MN volunteer Amos Budde. When many people imagine housing for a family, the stereotypical image is a single-family home and expansive turf yard. And in many cities and towns around the country, minimum lot sizes and zoning requirements ensure that the only options available to families are single-family homes on…

Neighbors for More Neighbors organized in support of Minneapolis 2040 because we believe in building enough homes for everyone in our City. Part of the promise of Minneapolis 2040 is now at risk – and we need you to act! Last month, as part of Minneapolis’ efforts to update zoning rules to match the guidelines…

Recently, the Minneapolis Planning Commission approved two new affordable housing projects: one at 2025 W River Road N (former Broadway Pizza site), and another at 2301 California St NE. Both projects are entirely affordable, but the approvals for both have been appealed to the Business, Inspections, Housing & Zoning (BIHZ) Committee —appeals that could ultimately…

[Crossposted from streets.mn] The City of Minneapolis invites comment on the Built Form Rezoning Study through October 19th.  Minneapolis spent 2018 discussing the merits of the Minneapolis 2040 plan. As a city, there is wide consensus that we face three critical and interconnected challenges: Racial disparitiesPoor and worsening housing affordabilityClimate change No one policy or action created these…

Take Action: Allow for More Livable Homes on More Lots Neighbors for More Neighbors organized in support of Minneapolis 2040 because we believe in building enough homes for everyone in our City. Part of the promise of Minneapolis 2040 is now at risk – and we need you to act.Earlier this month, as part of Minneapolis’…

It is with much excitement that we invite you and your families to be a part of N4MN’s first SCAVENGER HUNT! If you’re like us, COVID-19 has kept you inside more than you want this summer. So we came up with a plan to help! We want you and your family to enjoy the last warm,…