The students from Dr. Bjelland’s GEG-336: Urban and Regional Analysis class used the Nice Ride bike rental system to explore park design, historic preservation, and gentrification along the Mississippi riverfront in Minneapolis. Students bicycled through the city’s Mill District, North Loop, and Nicollet Island neighborhoods. The students enjoyed a brisk, sunny fall day as they explored the city. The trip focused on various urban geography topics such as brownfields redevelopment, immigrant enclaves, socioeconomic gradients between housing market sectors, transit-oriented developments, and the redevelopment of public housing. Other highlights were lunch at Quang’s on Nicollet Avenue in South Minneapolis and honey crisp apples from Jim’s Apple Farm.
Geography students use Nice Ride bikes to explore Minneapolis. Left to Right: Andrew Peterson, Jory Birkeland, Teige Cudahy, Matt Bye, and Zach Stackhouse.