Emerging Connections : developing transit corridors in Minneapolis - St Paul

Abstract

There is a new era coming to University Avenue on the rails of the new Green Line light rail extension. In position to create an important connection between Minneapolis and St. Paul, and to enhance the already existing urban fabric of the neighboring regions, this avenue seeks to capitalize on the projected transformations that the Green Line transit way may create. Stemming from this envisioned growth and development, our thesis, Emerging Connections, focuses on the prosperity of establishing identity through creating place and by analyzing what it means to create a destination rather than a route. As a collaboration between architecture and landscape architecture, we seek to accomplish this research analysis through the incorporation of a cohesively-designed public square and an 80,800 square foot transit station. In the end, our design will capitalize on the forthcoming transit-oriented development, allowing the University Avenue corridor to generate its own unique places rather than serving as a mere linkage between the two downtown centers of Minneapolis and St. Paul.