Whose view? From where? December 2008
We were understandably doubtful that anyone would pinpoint last month's view. This photo was taken from a development on the far northern end of the Mississippi River Corridor in the town of Ramsey, in a suburban development known as Rivenwick.
We used the picture because it illustrates a timeless principle of riverfront development. The legacy of Theodore Wirth in Minneapolis and Horace Cleveland in Saint Paul is the parkway system that permanently preserves much of the riverfront as open space.
The Rivenwick development provides a prime example of the same principle in a growing suburb. A green strip of land with a public trail extends nearly a half-mile alongside the river and will eventually connect with the planned adjacent Mississippi West Regional Park. Much of the land is publicly owned, but some of it is privately held by the homeowners association.
Preserving that access means that views of the river get to be enjoyed not just by individuals living in the first tier of houses on the river, but anyone who lives near the parkways along the river. In fact, as real estate professionals will attest, this visual and physical connection to the river helps stabilize the community and improve property values.
The overarching principle is one that is key to preserving views and access along the corridor: concentrating development away from the river and preserving open space along the river has scenic, environmental, social and economic benefits.
About Whose view? From where?
Each month in this section, we feature a photo somewhere along the river corridor in the Twin Cities that is in some way significant or important or just plain scenic. Individuals may then e-mail us and identify the view and explain why they believe it is significant to the community or important to them personally. Well publish some of your responses in the next issue of Mississippi Messages, where we will also reveal the correct answer.
To submit your guess and response, e-mail Bob Spaulding, River Advocate, through our contact form. The respondent to provide the first correct identification of the view and hopefully some interesting thoughts about its significance will receive a valuable prize for their effort. All entries must be received by the first day of the following month for consideration.