MINNEAPOLIS — The City of Minneapolis’s trophy case is filling up, thanks to national recognition for an array of features that make the City of Lakes a destination for visitors and a source of pride for residents.
“Minneapolis is cruising into the summer and racking up some major wins,” said Mayor Jacob Frey. “While we all know our parks are special, our arts scene is unique, and our people are happy, seeing Minneapolis top all these national lists puts a serious hop in our collective step. Our city is on a roll, and we all have to lean into the positive accolades to keep the momentum going.”
Recent recognitions include:
- One of the best in the U.S. and internationally for downtown activity rebound, according to a study from the University of Toronto School of Cities
- Best city for college graduates, named by the staff at the New York Times
- The best big city for biking, pedaled by the PeopleForBikes
- Happiest city in the country, named by the Institute for Quality of Life
- No. 2 spot in a new national ranking of public park systems in the annual ParkScore ratings
Downtown rebound
The city’s destination feel was in full force this past weekend when hundreds of thousands of people descended downtown for “Gymnastics City USA” and Pride events. City teams reported that all events were safe and successful because of increased traffic control and true collaboration between city teams and downtown businesses.
Nicollet Mall was transformed into Promenade du Nord, an ode to all things Paris, where athletes will compete in the Summer Games.
As part of a citywide effort to revitalize downtown, city leaders stated that they are exploring the conversion of Nicollet Mall, making the permanent transition into a pedestrian-only zone with options for directing transit service elsewhere through downtown.
The bustle will continue as Minneapolis hosts the Taste of Minnesota this weekend and Aquatennial celebrations make a splash July 24-July 27.
Pedaling toward success
For the second year in a row, Minneapolis was ranked number one in biking out of 2,300 cities in the U.S. in PeopleForBikes’ seventh annual City Ratings. In addition, it has one of the best new U.S. bike lanes of 2023.
The city’s neighbor, St. Paul, ranked fourth. Cities are measured by the quality and connectivity of their bike network based on safe speeds, protected bike lanes, reallocated road space, intersection safety, network connections, and trusted data. Minneapolis boasts 25 miles of on-street protected bikeways and 111 miles of off-street bikeways and trails for residents and visitors to enjoy. In fact, to keep up with demand, the City of Minneapolis said that it is hiring a bike coordinator.
“Biking is one of the most popular ways people get around the city, and we couldn’t be prouder of this distinction – for two years running,” said Jenifer Hager, director of transportation planning & programming for the City of Minneapolis. “Our bike share program and trail systems are some of the best in the country. Pedaling through Minneapolis is a great way to see the city and spend the day.”
