Creative Enterprise: The Uneasy Marriage Between Art and Commerce in St. Anthony Park, Minnesota

Abstract

South St. Anthony Park in St. Paul has been a hub of multi-modal transportation, industry, and commerce since the turn of the 20th century. Its main thoroughfare, University Avenue, connects the downtown areas of Minneapolis-St. Paul. It is a haven for artists and small businesses, giving it a subpopulation of creative entrepreneurs. This project looks at how the concepts of transit oriented development and the interests of residents, workers, and developers collide as this avenue is being transformed to accommodate light rail. It also considers how the various players are working together (or not) to have the city of St. Paul designate the area as a Creative Enterprise Zone.