10/1/2012 MinneCulture

Building Utopia in Cedar Riverside
Produced by Jessica Folker & Susan Gray

The Minneapolis skyline changed dramatically in the early 1970s, after two small real estate developers with ambitious dreams initiated a complex redevelopment of the Cedar Riverside neighborhood on the West Bank of the University of Minnesota. With a design by renowned Minnesota architect Ralph Rapson, and guaranteed loans from the federal government, Gloria Segal and Keith Heller were determined to build a high-density community with a diverse mix of ages, nationalities and incomes. KFAI producers Jessica Folker and Susan Gray spoke with urban planning experts, along with past and current residents, to learn how the Cedar Square West development evolved to become home to many East African refugees.