The Commons

The Commons is a 4.2 acre welcoming civic landscape that replaced a neglected portion of the city with surface parking lots and scattered low density buildings left over from the 1960’s approach to urban renewal. Today this urban park unites the downtown Minneapolis with the Downtown East Neighborhood. Investment in this open space triggered a vast amount of private investment and neighborhood renewal. The park is an example of how prudent urban planning coupled with thoughtful park design can spur private development and revitalize depressed neighborhoods. The Commons has quickly become a valued destination for workers, residents and visitors.