Dear Friends and Colleagues:
Over the past year, I wrote a series of four reports for the McKnight Foundation based on original research about how cities can become thriving, sustainable, enjoyable places for all. My specific focus is the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan region, where McKnight is based, but the bright ideas and success stories I turned up could work anywhere.
27 Bright Ideas to Steal from the Rest of the World
What We Can Learn About Urban Success from Seattle, Denver & Toronto
Mary Tyler Moore Doesn’t Live Here Anymore
This is just one of the exciting projects I’ve worked on recently. I’m chronicling the emergence of the walking movement for America Walks, Kaiser Permanente and the Everybody Walk Collaborative.
I’ve also been fortunate enough to write and consult about the future of our communities for People for Bikes, On the Commons, the St. Paul Riverfront Corporation, Fresh Energy, Project for Public Spaces, the Will Steger Wilderness Center and Friends of the Mississippi River. My work has appeared Yes! magazine, Utne Reader, Notre Dame magazine, Huffington Post, Common Dreams, Des Moines Register, MinnPost, Planetizen, Commons magazine (which I edit) and many other publications. I spoke to a number of groups including the Sidore Lecture at Keene State College (NH), the Kansas Outdoor Summit, the Greater Des Moines Neighborhood Conference and the Road Scholars program.
I continue to seek opportunities to write, consult and speak. I look forward to hearing from you at jay@jaywalljasper.com or 612.822.1104.
Best, Jay