A ‘racist and ugly’ flag, Riverside Plaza and universal school lunch: MinnPost’s most-read opinion pieces of 2023

We at MinnPost are proud to carry on a long tradition of publishing on our site opinion pieces written by Minnesotans on a variety of topics. And Cityscape, a column written by Bill Lindeke, an urban studies lecturer at the University of Minnesota and the author of multiple books on Twin Cities culture and history, remains a favorite among readers.

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Here are the Cityscape and Community Voices pieces that attracted the most readers in 2023:

1. 1. “Let’s talk about our racist and ugly state flag” was the most-read Cityscape column this year, and readers kept discovering it long after it was published in February as the commission tasked with replacing the flag ramped up its work and ultimately decided on a new design.
   2. Riverside Plaza in Minneapolis is the subject of a new documentary that was featured in Cityscape in October.
   3. If you think it was just a fluke that a column about Riverside Plaza would attract such a huge following, here’s another to prove you wrong: Cityscape’s January piece on Riverside Plaza’s 50th anniversary was the third-most read opinion piece on MinnPost this year.
   4. A professor from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs explains the peer-reviewed research related to offering universal school lunch, which the Minnesota Legislature passed into law in 2023.
   5. Which Minneapolis neighborhoods are known for karaoke? Ramen? Defunct Canada-themed bars? Another Cityscape hit here.
   6. In July, Cityscape explored the controversy around requiring cyclists to stay in single file on Minneapolis parkways. Bill summed up the rule as “antiquated.”
   7. Cityscape described the Como Park Pavilion as both “charming” and “challenged” in this piece exploring changes to a celebrated and historic public space.
   8. In August, Cityscape explored tax increment financing (TIF) and how it might help the Minneapolis and St. Paul downtowns post-COVID.
   9. A student and member of the Macalester-Groveland District Council in St. Paul argues Summit Avenue rules are unwelcoming toward students at the University of St. Thomas.
   10. Cityscape in April tackled the issue of post-COVID empty office buildings.
   11. A downtown Minneapolis resident hit a nerve with many Minneapolitans with this piece lamenting crime, drugs and empty storefronts.
   12. Where do you find the best outdoor patios in the Twin Cities? Selby Avenue, according to Cityscape.
   13. People care about bridges, including the Stone Arch Bridge, which Cityscape argued should remain open despite construction.
   14. A board member of Centrist Democrats of America submitted this piece arguing Democrats should be wary of banning gas vehicles.
   15. Hyperlocal stories like this Cityscape column on the Minneapolis Bryant Avenue reconstruction continue to do well at MinnPost.
   16. Transit in the Twin Cities continues to be a hot topic. Cityscape argued adding turnstile gates on to light rail platforms is a bad idea.
   17. A political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls explores the economics of higher education using St. Cloud State as an example.
   18. Three Minnesota Jewish leaders implore readers to not “erase our history” in response to another Community Voices commentary on “settler colonialism.” Both of these pieces were published in 2021, which shows just how much readers are seeking out information and context on the current Israel-Hamas war.
   19. Former Minneapolis Mayor and Minneapolis Foundation CEO R.T. Rybak’s piece exploring the evolution of downtown Minneapolis.
   20. Noting “everyday life on Nicollet feels uncanny and much of the bustle is gone,” Cityscape argues buses should be removed from Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis.