I found myself in the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota this past summer during the kind of weather that is more like a setting on an oven than anything natural. This extreme heat was combined with enough humidity that meant you didn’t so much as walk down the street as do the breast stroke. I, however, and hundreds of others, were perfectly fine as we strolled around downtown Minneapolis, nary a drop of sweat on our bodies. How did we accomplish this?
Minneapolis is home to the world’s largest connected skyway system [PDF], allowing people to explore 80 downtown blocks all connected by above ground glass tunnels running from building to building to building. On this sweltering July day, the skyway system was filled with people rushing to work or to do a little shopping or get some lunch. The indoor spaces, like the IDS Center, which has an incredible falling water feature, were busy with people. However, these indoor spaces are not “public”, a fact which one person learned when, after lying down on a bench to relax, he was approached by a finger-wagging private security officer.
This is just one of the drawbacks of siphoning people from the streets and into private indoor spaces. Not only does public/private space get confused, but if you do happen to venture out onto the streets of downtown Minneapolis it can feel eerily quiet and devoid of activity.
Minneapolis’ own website recognizes this fact, in a strangely boastful way: “‘Where are all the people?’ you ask. Look up. You may be missing something.”
What is missing is a vibrant and active street life. Nicollett Mall, a downtown transit and pedestrian mall created in 1968, which wags its way through the regular street grid, seems like an attempt at a strolling retail street. The problem, however, is that the city has oriented itself inwards towards the skyway system and the interconnected malls and shopping areas.
Many other cities around the world contain a similar skyway or underground tunnel system. Toronto has its underground PATH network, while Montreal has its own underground tunnel system. However, both of these cities still maintain an active street life for those willing to walk outside. The small shops that line main streets keep people outside even in the most humid or freezing weather.
How do we balance the need for comfortable, climate-controlled walking spaces in cities that experience extreme swings of hot and cold weather, with the need for exciting street life? Can indoor “private” spaces mimic and fill the need for good outdoor public spaces like parks and plazas?
Jake Tobin Garrett is the OpenCity blog manager. Originally from Vancouver, he is currently completing a Masters in Urban Planning from the University of Toronto, and is also a contributing writer for Spacing Magazine and Torontoist. He can often be found riding his bike or reading in a park. Follow Jake on Twitter @jaketobin
photo taken by the author
Subscribe
Share photos
I’ll venture that Minneapolis has this system for the same reason Calgary does, for the winters. In Calgary the ‘ Plus 15″ ( named because the walkways are 15 ft. above the road) can take you from one end of the downtown to the other , completely circling the downtown. In the winter when the temp. can drop to a windchill of -40C the walkways allow downtown workers the ability to walk from their office to a food court or mall without putting on a coat.
Minnesota and Alberta have seriously cold winters !
Don, yes that’s definitely the reason for the construction of the walkways, which is totally appropriate. I think the greater planning and design issue comes in with how to keep the street life active and vibrant at the same time. From my experience in Minneapolis, I didn’t find the pedestrian-level environment of the downtown very stimulating; for example, many of the buildings didn’t have much of a relationship with the street. It would be interesting to compare cities around North America with walkways or underground path systems to see how the planning and design differs.