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
Telling that the indigenous non-profit has now also fenced off their property in the public space and mobility disaster zone that is the Franklin Ave light rail station. It's their private property so the ethics of this are a little clearer than the trickier situation on the street below
November 28, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Telling that the indigenous non-profit has now also fenced off their property in the public space and mobility disaster zone that is the Franklin Ave light rail station. It's their private property so the ethics of this are a little clearer than the trickier situation on the street below
This is harder, especially if you want all those numbers in the right place in the table. But there's really been incredible progress.
November 26, 2025 at 2:23 AM
This is harder, especially if you want all those numbers in the right place in the table. But there's really been incredible progress.
Richard Attenborough voice: even when directed to the native Minnesotan prefers to die via starvation than experience the social death of eating the last one.
November 25, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Richard Attenborough voice: even when directed to the native Minnesotan prefers to die via starvation than experience the social death of eating the last one.
footnote: what do I mean by different weights. Between the two extremes of everyone's driving drunk all the time, and we never go anywhere because it's too dangerous there's a lot of combinations of "how much can you drink before we might pull you over" to go around.
November 24, 2025 at 11:21 PM
footnote: what do I mean by different weights. Between the two extremes of everyone's driving drunk all the time, and we never go anywhere because it's too dangerous there's a lot of combinations of "how much can you drink before we might pull you over" to go around.
The article also does a great job of surfacing this aspect of planning as public policy. I started out my career in social policy evaluation. It's striking to me how a lot of city planning comes to the public with a favored alternative and reasons for it, with relatively little discussion of options
November 24, 2025 at 11:04 PM
The article also does a great job of surfacing this aspect of planning as public policy. I started out my career in social policy evaluation. It's striking to me how a lot of city planning comes to the public with a favored alternative and reasons for it, with relatively little discussion of options
Same with Australia in many ways. I find this website pretty neat for visualizing this stuff
jnolan.shinyapps.io/city-density/
jnolan.shinyapps.io/city-density/
November 19, 2025 at 4:18 AM
Same with Australia in many ways. I find this website pretty neat for visualizing this stuff
jnolan.shinyapps.io/city-density/
jnolan.shinyapps.io/city-density/
I guess a) the train jumped the tracks, b) a cyclist looking at their phone had an accident, or c) someone was walking across the road carelessly. No other possibilities, right?
November 18, 2025 at 11:43 PM
I guess a) the train jumped the tracks, b) a cyclist looking at their phone had an accident, or c) someone was walking across the road carelessly. No other possibilities, right?
Just this morning I stopped to take a photo of this area where you could fit several new homes without knocking down existing ones.
November 18, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Just this morning I stopped to take a photo of this area where you could fit several new homes without knocking down existing ones.
Is this a public health or property damage warning?
November 18, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Is this a public health or property damage warning?
that makes sense. Assuming the train would proceed uninterrupted from Plymouth to 18th, you'd only be able to access Lyn Park from the northbound lanes of Lyndale. It's 2000' from Plymouth to 18th. By comparison, in Saint Paul east of Snelling there are 1200' gaps between where streets cross lrt
November 14, 2025 at 9:38 PM
that makes sense. Assuming the train would proceed uninterrupted from Plymouth to 18th, you'd only be able to access Lyn Park from the northbound lanes of Lyndale. It's 2000' from Plymouth to 18th. By comparison, in Saint Paul east of Snelling there are 1200' gaps between where streets cross lrt
The East River Flats view of downtown Minneapolis is quite gorgeous in the early morning
November 14, 2025 at 3:06 PM
The East River Flats view of downtown Minneapolis is quite gorgeous in the early morning
It's a half world apart in N. Minneapolis. Census data shows its predominantly non white, but higher income. If you want to date property go to the Hennepin County property map online, and browse the parcels. It shows construction date.
November 14, 2025 at 1:46 PM
It's a half world apart in N. Minneapolis. Census data shows its predominantly non white, but higher income. If you want to date property go to the Hennepin County property map online, and browse the parcels. It shows construction date.
Are there evidence based reasons why in Minneapolis a block can't be longer than 1500' and in Saint Paul it's 1000' feet? Or is this another instance of vibes based planning numbers?
November 13, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Are there evidence based reasons why in Minneapolis a block can't be longer than 1500' and in Saint Paul it's 1000' feet? Or is this another instance of vibes based planning numbers?
The only difference between now and the olden days is this kind of trick with light is available to the masses, whereas you used to need a heavy ol' camera and know how to do a long exposure.
November 12, 2025 at 3:29 PM
The only difference between now and the olden days is this kind of trick with light is available to the masses, whereas you used to need a heavy ol' camera and know how to do a long exposure.
I was on Tower Hill and looking at downtown around 8. There was a phase where the greens were visible to the naked eye (sharper image on left), but then the reds were naked eye visible at about the intensity of right image.
November 12, 2025 at 3:25 PM
I was on Tower Hill and looking at downtown around 8. There was a phase where the greens were visible to the naked eye (sharper image on left), but then the reds were naked eye visible at about the intensity of right image.
Should have taken the tripod weights, it was kinda windy on Tower Hill, so the longest sharp exposure I got was 6 seconds. This was before the reds really started coming out.
November 12, 2025 at 3:08 AM
Should have taken the tripod weights, it was kinda windy on Tower Hill, so the longest sharp exposure I got was 6 seconds. This was before the reds really started coming out.
camera shake (should have had heavier tripod), but they're visible over downtown
November 12, 2025 at 2:41 AM
camera shake (should have had heavier tripod), but they're visible over downtown
9. Not a memorial, but Euston station (London) just before 11am on the 11th of November 2007. Everyone paused, they announced trains would not be departing. It was quite moving for the banality and routine of marking the moment (banal is not a criticism here).
November 12, 2025 at 1:52 AM
9. Not a memorial, but Euston station (London) just before 11am on the 11th of November 2007. Everyone paused, they announced trains would not be departing. It was quite moving for the banality and routine of marking the moment (banal is not a criticism here).
8. The WWI memorial on Arizona Capitol plaza, Phoenix. Small, befitting the limited number of AZ deaths (121) and accepted into USEF (8537). 3rd lowest deaths, 5th lowest serving. It was a small state. I passed by as local TV were out in 2018 (for my annual run to a WWI memorial. Was on work trip)
November 12, 2025 at 1:30 AM
8. The WWI memorial on Arizona Capitol plaza, Phoenix. Small, befitting the limited number of AZ deaths (121) and accepted into USEF (8537). 3rd lowest deaths, 5th lowest serving. It was a small state. I passed by as local TV were out in 2018 (for my annual run to a WWI memorial. Was on work trip)
7. Hard to see (even on a crop sensor the 140mm lens was not enough) but the Tinui cross is on top of that hill: Mount Maunsell/Tīnui-Taipo. It's rare for being erected during WWI, in 1916 on the first anniversary of the Gallipoli landings
nzhistory.govt.nz/memorial/tin...
nzhistory.govt.nz/memorial/tin...
November 12, 2025 at 12:03 AM
7. Hard to see (even on a crop sensor the 140mm lens was not enough) but the Tinui cross is on top of that hill: Mount Maunsell/Tīnui-Taipo. It's rare for being erected during WWI, in 1916 on the first anniversary of the Gallipoli landings
nzhistory.govt.nz/memorial/tin...
nzhistory.govt.nz/memorial/tin...
6. Steps to the servicemen's lawn in Karori Cemetery, Wellington. The servicemen's lawn was established in 1916, and many WWI returned soldiers* are buried there. Soldiers buried elsewhere in the cemetery have been identified by poppies on their graves
* the British/Australasian term for veterans.
* the British/Australasian term for veterans.
November 11, 2025 at 10:24 PM
6. Steps to the servicemen's lawn in Karori Cemetery, Wellington. The servicemen's lawn was established in 1916, and many WWI returned soldiers* are buried there. Soldiers buried elsewhere in the cemetery have been identified by poppies on their graves
* the British/Australasian term for veterans.
* the British/Australasian term for veterans.
5. The Bay View WWI memorial in Humboldt Park, Bay View, Milwaukee. This one's distinctive because there aren't many neighborhood WWI memorials in the United States. Australia and New Zealand, yeah, lots of them. (waves at my fave Milwaukee Blueskyer @mikebradleymke.bsky.social for more local info)
November 11, 2025 at 10:06 PM
5. The Bay View WWI memorial in Humboldt Park, Bay View, Milwaukee. This one's distinctive because there aren't many neighborhood WWI memorials in the United States. Australia and New Zealand, yeah, lots of them. (waves at my fave Milwaukee Blueskyer @mikebradleymke.bsky.social for more local info)
4. Whangaroa war memorial hall in the far north of New Zealand. Many New Zealand WWI memorials are practical municipal features: a community hall, the gates to a rugby field
November 11, 2025 at 9:16 PM
4. Whangaroa war memorial hall in the far north of New Zealand. Many New Zealand WWI memorials are practical municipal features: a community hall, the gates to a rugby field