The Mill City Times Interview: Allison Kaplan, Editor-in-Chief, Twin Cities Business Magazine

Article by Becky Fillinger

In an editor’s note, Ms. Kaplan argues that now is the time to reimagine Minneapolis – we need big, audacious ideas to remake our city. We talked to her about how this might happen and how we can all contribute to the discussion. 

Q:  Allison, we at the Mill City Times took your challenge and have been pondering the big, audacious changes we can strive for in Minneapolis. Is Twin Cities Business collecting the ideas for a future meeting of the minds? 

Allison KaplanA:  A few people have reached out with interest in furthering the conversation. We welcome the opportunity to brainstorm with anyone who brings a fresh perspective to our downtown challenges.

Q:  In one of its blog posts on the topic of transforming cities, Nokia states, “One approach we use in our consultations with cities is the quadruple helix methodology, which identifies four stakeholder groups that need to be at the table: universities, industry, government and civil society. If these groups can share their dreams and visions and get on the same page, then you have a much better chance of making change happen.” Do you think we have coordination with these four groups in the Twin Cities? 

A: I do think the stakeholders share the same goal: a vibrant downtown where people live, work, and recreate. I’ve always found it telling that even when you talk to suburban leaders and developers - who could be seen as competitors to downtown - they, too, want to see downtown Minneapolis thrive because it reflects positively on the entire metro area. Downtown is the heart of the city and the stronger it beats, the better it is for recruiting talent, national events, tourism, culture and commerce. So yes, I think the desire is there, the issue is who makes it happen, and how.

Q:  The Nokia article mentions that hundreds of books have been written on the topic of pulling all the stakeholders together to transform cities, but that one thread that runs throughout is that most groups start with an examination of what is wrong in a city. In the book Appreciative Inquiry by F. J. Barrett and R. E. Fry, they make a really interesting observation that many people start from what they call a “deficit base.” In other words, they start by examining with what’s wrong. They suggest a better strategy is to get the stakeholders to recognize where working together collaboratively has built good things in the past. This creates energy and reinforces investment in the common effort. In your opinion, could we start the discussion on positive past projects? Can you think of some to start the discussion? 

A:  I love this theory and agree - we’re quick to go negative; it’s easy to dwell on what’s wrong. We all know what’s wrong. More constructive would be looking at examples of the good. In recent history, I think you have to start with the Super Bowl. On the coldest of January days, Nicollet Mall was packed!! Outdoor concerts, street vendors, fat tire biking down the mall, ziplining across the river. It’s wasn’t just out-of-state football fans engaged in these activities - it was locals who hadn’t been downtown in years and wondered, why can’t it be like this all the time? We’ve proven time and again we are great hosts, whether it’s a convention or NCAA tournament. But we need to think more about the every day. Holidazzle (pre-pandemic) is another good example. The way this annual festival has evolved in Loring Park draws crowds day and night and puts many local businesses - food vendors, breweries, product makers - on display.

Q:  We have the Brave New Workshop here in Minneapolis. John Sweeney, owner and professional brainstormer, has led many brainstorming and innovation workshops across the country (and the world). Could one step forward be to engage him to lead a session with all stakeholders on what has worked well in the past?   

A:  What a great idea! That’s along the lines of what I was proposing in my column - we have so many talented creatives, entrepreneurs, and big thinkers right here in town. We have so much pride in our companies, our culture, our natural resources and our ability to weather harsh conditions. Let’s get everyone together - including, but not limited to, the key agencies and leaders already working day in and day out on downtown. Fresh perspective can be constructive. We’d all benefit from a big, audacious group brainstorm.

Q:  How can we start to collect ideas?

A:  People can feel free to email me directly, akaplan@tcbmag.com.