Please find attached a wonderful article – with lots of pictures – from Metropolis Magazine of the new multi-modal transit hub in Detroit. Some particulars: 25,000 s.f, $22.5 million, funded by FTA, Michigan DOT and land donated by City, architect – Tushar Advani of Parsons Brinkerhoff. The goal of the hub was not purely functional but also to create an iconic building that is a destination and serves as a catalyst to develop the neighborhood and further connect surrounding urban uses – both and architecture AND urban design exercise. Because of Detroit’s 4 season climate they have outdoor/indoor waiting areas – with the indoor area designed as a plaza that includes shops and cafes. It is quite an inspiration as well as great description of how these projects are realized.

detroit article.pdf

Our latest project – The Next Generation of Parks – working with the Minneapolis Parks Foundation, Walker Art Center and U of M College of Design on a design competition to re-evaluate the current park system within the context of infrastructure, public space and sustainability.

Check out Copenhagen’s winning train station design!

A bit of inspiration as we contemplate our own Minneapolis transportation interchange.

Working with Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin, we helped create a print and visual piece advocating for the new Minneapolis Transportation Interchange. For a full copy contact kathryn.hatt@co.hennepin.mn.us.

VJAA created this proposal for the Gateway to Minneapolis, a 2010 Partners sponsored project – a combination remediation, integration and inspiration for a very complex area including a highway trench.

Check out this article in today’s Star Tribune (originally from the Walls Street Journal) about waste to energy, featuring Covanta Energy.

And look at this slide show, and most specifically image 4, which features our own Metrodome LRT stop/plaza as one of 10 great international examples of Public Art integrated into the urban landscape – featured in Urban Land Institutes Urban Land magazine –  and pays tribute to artist Andrew Leicester, HGA Architects and Metro Transit.

Groundwork coordinated a very successful 2-day workshop with Bill Morrish, sponsored by 2010 Partners, evaluating the area around the new Target Field.  Here is a summary of the workshop and the short and long term work plan. 60 community stakeholders attended and we are now implementing the work plan.

Yet another city with ambitious plans for the future (remember the Stockholm article a couple of days ago). Paris commissioned 10 design teams “to transform Paris and its surrounding suburbs into the first sustainable “post-Kyoto city,” a reference to the treaty on climate change, with an expanded Métro system and sprawling new parks.”
The plans are the result of a nine-month study commissioned by President Nicolas Sarkozy, and use transportation and parks as transformative urban design tools – an interesting similarity to Minneapolis and the Metropolitan area in general at a time when transportation in particular is expanding at a rapid rate and could transform the area, if planned and designed right.

A wonderful NY Times article featuring an area in Stockholm not too dissimilar to Minneapolis’ own transit crossroad section of the North Loop.  The article highlights design ideas for the area, and concludes with a call to “Think Big”!