These papers were written as a part of the class titled Economics of the Twin Cities created and taught by Macalester Economics Professor, Sarah West.
Situated at the confluence of two rivers, the Twin Cities has been a sacred gathering place for centuries. St. Anthony Falls provided power for the region’s first lumber and flour mills and attracted settlers who founded the city of Minneapolis, displacing members of the Dakota community. Railroads enabled fast and cheap transport of agricultural products and generated wealth still evident today in the grand houses lining Summit Avenue. The Twin Cities evolved into a center for financial services, biotech, health care, education, and government, and is now home to nearly twenty Fortune-500 companies. This robust economy attracts immigrants from all over the world, whose entrepreneurial activity enriches neighborhoods like those surrounding University Avenue and Lake Street. Yet Minneapolis-Saint Paul remains one of the most segregated metropolitan areas in the United States. Gaps in educational outcomes between white students and students of color are increasing. Many households struggle to find affordable housing. While public transit systems are expanding, Twin Cities residents commute almost exclusively by car, congesting roads and polluting the atmosphere. In this course, we will examine these contradictions and realities by applying the tools of urban economics in the classroom and in the field on class trips into the cities.