Revisioning the suburbs, by Chris Roberts, Minnesota Public Radio
February 14, 2008
Minneapolis, Minn. — Minneapolis architect Shane Coen wants suburban design to be more responsive and deferential to nature. His firm, Coen+Partners, creates planned communities where open space and connection to neighbors are more important than three-car garages and curving cul-de-sacs.
Coen’s Mayo Woodland project near Rochester is featured in “Worlds Away.” Coen says he’s continually struck by how much time people spend in their homes.
“And how little most people think about how amazing of a place they could make that, without any more money,” Coen says. “It’s really about thought. And that’s the most intriguing thing to me about the suburbs and just the way that people live today.”
The Walker is billing “Worlds Away” as the first major museum exhibition examining art and architecture in the contemporary American suburb.
To read the entire MPR feature or to stream the audio click here.
