Evan Roberts
@evanrobertsnz.bsky.social
Social, demographic, & economic history @UMNews HMED & Population Studies. Coffee, photos, Dylan, urban & transit fan, road & trail runner. Constructive, loving critic of where I live (Minneapolis) and where I'm from (Wellington) @evanrobertsnz most places
Today's a day for commemorating WWI memorials not urban planning, but will make an exception to note this horrific idea.
November 11, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Today's a day for commemorating WWI memorials not urban planning, but will make an exception to note this horrific idea.
2. Victory Memorial Parkway in Minneapolis. I try not be parochial, but this is one of the best. ~ 4 miles of parkway with a tree planted for every soldier from Hennepin County who died in the Great War.
November 11, 2025 at 7:08 PM
2. Victory Memorial Parkway in Minneapolis. I try not be parochial, but this is one of the best. ~ 4 miles of parkway with a tree planted for every soldier from Hennepin County who died in the Great War.
Armistice Day, so some WWI memorials 🧵 to be constructed throughout the day in an echo of the slow pace many memorials went up at
1. Indiana War Memorial in Indianapolis. This one's among the grandest of US WWI memorials.
1. Indiana War Memorial in Indianapolis. This one's among the grandest of US WWI memorials.
November 11, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Armistice Day, so some WWI memorials 🧵 to be constructed throughout the day in an echo of the slow pace many memorials went up at
1. Indiana War Memorial in Indianapolis. This one's among the grandest of US WWI memorials.
1. Indiana War Memorial in Indianapolis. This one's among the grandest of US WWI memorials.
Seems like high voter turnout in Minneapolis municipal elections (I note Seattle is similar) should be better understood. A puzzle in plain sight.
vote.minneapolismn.gov/results-data...
vote.minneapolismn.gov/results-data...
November 11, 2025 at 12:18 AM
Seems like high voter turnout in Minneapolis municipal elections (I note Seattle is similar) should be better understood. A puzzle in plain sight.
vote.minneapolismn.gov/results-data...
vote.minneapolismn.gov/results-data...
Nearly 10% of the voters put both Frey and Fateh on their ballot
November 10, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Nearly 10% of the voters put both Frey and Fateh on their ballot
Kinda fascinating ... (this is quick and dirty "analysis"). Remarkable how many Frey voters just didn't rank another candidate.
November 10, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Kinda fascinating ... (this is quick and dirty "analysis"). Remarkable how many Frey voters just didn't rank another candidate.
Gotta go watch soccer, but just for you!
November 8, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Gotta go watch soccer, but just for you!
60% of buildings in CIDNA have just one unit (could be townhouses), but 95% in Kenwood.
November 8, 2025 at 9:44 PM
60% of buildings in CIDNA have just one unit (could be townhouses), but 95% in Kenwood.
There's more duplexes in Kenwood than CIDNA! Obviously the impression that CIDNA is more multifamily is correct, but it comes in different forms. This is just from the assessors stuff on Minneapolis opendata, so this is not really building types. those condos are inflating numbers
November 8, 2025 at 9:16 PM
There's more duplexes in Kenwood than CIDNA! Obviously the impression that CIDNA is more multifamily is correct, but it comes in different forms. This is just from the assessors stuff on Minneapolis opendata, so this is not really building types. those condos are inflating numbers
Is this photo reporting news about two political comebacks?! 🤔 😃 @robingarwood.bsky.social
November 7, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Is this photo reporting news about two political comebacks?! 🤔 😃 @robingarwood.bsky.social
Of course we have different accents,
suh · nek · duh · kee
suh · nek · duh · kee
November 6, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Of course we have different accents,
suh · nek · duh · kee
suh · nek · duh · kee
Ah, they changed the title ... I have a chapter in my [long ago] dissertation about this, and people have been asking this question since at least the early 19th century. Could teenage boys and girls really work in cotton spinning together?! What if they liked each other in a like, like way 😱
November 6, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Ah, they changed the title ... I have a chapter in my [long ago] dissertation about this, and people have been asking this question since at least the early 19th century. Could teenage boys and girls really work in cotton spinning together?! What if they liked each other in a like, like way 😱
It's here! Downside of ordering from local indie music store was this shipped on 31/10. Bob's alliance with Amazon sees his stuff delivered on release day. Worth the wait.
November 5, 2025 at 1:41 AM
It's here! Downside of ordering from local indie music store was this shipped on 31/10. Bob's alliance with Amazon sees his stuff delivered on release day. Worth the wait.
However, in planned unit development regulations for their commercial and multifamily districts (honestly, pretty well done for an American suburb) there's a *requirement* to have multiple zones and building types. So, single family area never change, never mix ... but everywhere else must be mixed!
November 4, 2025 at 7:32 PM
However, in planned unit development regulations for their commercial and multifamily districts (honestly, pretty well done for an American suburb) there's a *requirement* to have multiple zones and building types. So, single family area never change, never mix ... but everywhere else must be mixed!
1. I love going to vote on Election Day!🙌
2. Minneapolis is a great city to do this! Only one year in past 10 without an election 😍
3. At a societal level this is stupid and contributes meaningfully to worse politics, leadership, and governance 😬
2. Minneapolis is a great city to do this! Only one year in past 10 without an election 😍
3. At a societal level this is stupid and contributes meaningfully to worse politics, leadership, and governance 😬
November 4, 2025 at 4:21 PM
1. I love going to vote on Election Day!🙌
2. Minneapolis is a great city to do this! Only one year in past 10 without an election 😍
3. At a societal level this is stupid and contributes meaningfully to worse politics, leadership, and governance 😬
2. Minneapolis is a great city to do this! Only one year in past 10 without an election 😍
3. At a societal level this is stupid and contributes meaningfully to worse politics, leadership, and governance 😬
The graph and the text here seem inconsistent!
November 4, 2025 at 3:47 PM
The graph and the text here seem inconsistent!
The 2040 plan restores with its Corridor 3 zoning along here some of the potential for 2-6 plexes that was there in 1963. But not all of it. The city has decided that the idea of small apartments near Linden Hills Park is a great harm.
November 4, 2025 at 2:37 AM
The 2040 plan restores with its Corridor 3 zoning along here some of the potential for 2-6 plexes that was there in 1963. But not all of it. The city has decided that the idea of small apartments near Linden Hills Park is a great harm.
And by 1995 the R3 along 44th is gone.
November 4, 2025 at 2:33 AM
And by 1995 the R3 along 44th is gone.
In 1987 it was largely downzoned, with some areas north of 44th now being R1, and some of the R3 going down to R2 (duplexes)
November 4, 2025 at 2:31 AM
In 1987 it was largely downzoned, with some areas north of 44th now being R1, and some of the R3 going down to R2 (duplexes)
the 1963 code made the whole blocks north of 44th R3, which at that point allowed fourplexes, a floor area ratio of 0.7 and required 2500' per dwelling. The city was trying to encourage family sized apartments with shared gardens.
November 4, 2025 at 2:27 AM
the 1963 code made the whole blocks north of 44th R3, which at that point allowed fourplexes, a floor area ratio of 0.7 and required 2500' per dwelling. The city was trying to encourage family sized apartments with shared gardens.
the 6 story one is 1972. It won't surprise you to learn that there was a growth revolt in Linden Hills after the 1963 zoning code and 1960s-70s building that eventuated.
November 4, 2025 at 2:23 AM
the 6 story one is 1972. It won't surprise you to learn that there was a growth revolt in Linden Hills after the 1963 zoning code and 1960s-70s building that eventuated.
Trying to decide which of these two municipal boundaries is the goofiest
November 3, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Trying to decide which of these two municipal boundaries is the goofiest
The Minnesota State High School League has more restrictive camera policies for a cross country meet than Target or CHS Field, or Allianz. Obviously there are different social concerns with photographing kids sports, but this seems wildly out of proportion to the risks.
October 31, 2025 at 9:42 PM
The Minnesota State High School League has more restrictive camera policies for a cross country meet than Target or CHS Field, or Allianz. Obviously there are different social concerns with photographing kids sports, but this seems wildly out of proportion to the risks.
This is a good chart for pedagogical purposes (if any of my students follow me, you can participate well in class on Tuesday) because it's B+ level work. It effectively shows the higher relative fatalities on Halloween ... but there are some kinda weird aspects to it if you look closely.
October 31, 2025 at 3:17 PM
This is a good chart for pedagogical purposes (if any of my students follow me, you can participate well in class on Tuesday) because it's B+ level work. It effectively shows the higher relative fatalities on Halloween ... but there are some kinda weird aspects to it if you look closely.
I read the public comments so you don't have to ... I am not a NIMBY ... I just think this building [adjacent to the backyard of my childhood home] should be in a different location.
October 31, 2025 at 2:55 AM
I read the public comments so you don't have to ... I am not a NIMBY ... I just think this building [adjacent to the backyard of my childhood home] should be in a different location.