July 2021 | Chad Davis Photography

Sunflower at Kasota Prairie SNA, Minnesota

A wild sunflower blooms at Kasota Prairie Scientific and Natural Area, a remnant of Minnesota’s once vast prairie ecosystem. Managed by the Department of Natural Resources, this protected site preserves dry prairie and oak savanna habitats, supporting a variety of native wildflowers, grasses, and pollinators. The area’s sandy soils and open fields provide a glimpse into the state’s pre-settlement landscape, highlighting the importance of prairie conservation in modern agriculture corridors.

Kasota Prairie Yield Sign

Yield Sign seen at Kasota Prairie Scientific and Natural Area.

Electric Fetus record store and wildfire smoke

The Electric Fetus and wildfire smoke

The Electric Fetus record store in Minneapolis during wildfire smoke covering the city. The air quality in Minnesota was the worst ever recorded from the Canadian wild fire smoke.

Air Quality, Canadian Wildfire Smoke, Haze, Minneapolis, Minneapolis-Cityscape, Minnesota, WIldfire Smoke

Minneapolis wildfire smoke on I35W

Smoke from Canadian wildfires in Minneapolis as seen from above Interstate 35W.

Air Quality, Bridge, Canadian Wildfire Smoke, Haze, Interstate 35W, Minneapolis, Minnesota, WIldfire Smoke

Cup Foods and George Floyd Memorial July 2021

George Floyd Square Memorial Under Wildfire Haze, Minneapolis

A smoky evening at George Floyd Square during air quality warnings over Canadian wildfire smoke. The wildfires brought the worst on record Minnesota air quality to the state for weeks at a time.

Air Quality, Canadian Wildfire Smoke, Fire, George Floyd, George Floyd Square, Haze, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Smoke, Wildfire

Read the demands Justice For Murphy Ranks

George Floyd Square: “Justice for Murphy Ranks” Sign

“Read the Demand” “Justice for Murphy Ranks!” at George Floyd Square on July 29, 2021.

Air Quality, George Floyd, George Floyd Square, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Smoke

George Floyd Square Hazy Evening, Minneapolis

Chicago Avenue in George Floyd Square during a Canadian wildfire smoke filled evening.

Air Quality, Canadian Wildfire Smoke, Fire, George Floyd, George Floyd Square, Haze, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Smoke, Wildfire

Bikers during wildfire smoke on Midtown greenway

Midtown Greenway bikers with wildfire smoke

Bikers biking down the Midtown Greenway while wildfire smoke from Canada blankets Minneapolis.

Air Quality, Bike Trail, Biker, Biking, Canadian Wildfire Smoke, Haze, Midtown Greenway, Minneapolis, Minnesota, WIldfire Smoke

Minneapolis North Loop Wildfire Smoke

Smoke in Minneapolis from the Canadian wildfires makes the view of downtown hazy. Seen from Minneapolis North Loop.

Air Quality, Bike Trail, Biking, Canadian Wildfire Smoke, Capella Tower, Downtown Minneapolis, Haze, IDS Center, Midtown Greenway, Minneapolis, Minneapolis North Loop, Minneapolis-Cityscape, Minnesota, Theater, Uptown Minneapolis, WIldfire Smoke

The Stone Arch Bridge and Gold Medal Flour sign are illuminated at night in Mill Ruins Park, Minneapolis, under hazy skies from Canadian wildfire smoke.

Mill Ruins Park, Minneapolis: Stone Arch Bridge and Gold Medal Flour Sign

Mill Ruins Park near downtown Minneapolis with Canadian wildfire smoke.

Air Quality, Bridge, Canadian Wildfire Smoke, Downtown Minneapolis, Haze, Minneapolis, Minneapolis Park, Minnesota, Neon Sign, Park, Stone Arch Bridge, WIldfire Smoke

The Dayton’s Project on Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis

The Dayton’s Project in downtown Minneapolis, located at 700 Nicollet Mall, redevelops the historic Dayton’s department store building into a mixed-use complex of offices, retail, and dining. Originally opened in 1902 and later operating as Macy’s, the site was a cornerstone of the city’s retail history for over a century. The renovation preserves the building’s Beaux-Arts character while transforming it into a hub for modern workspaces and commerce—symbolizing Minneapolis’s broader efforts to revitalize its downtown core.

Downtown Minneapolis, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Nicolelt mall

Love Hope Unity Mural on Franklin and Nicollet Avenues, Minneapolis

“Love Hope Unity” written in a parking lot on Franklin Avenue and Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis.

Art, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Nicollet Ave, South Minneapolis

Metro Transit Surveillance Unit on Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis

A Metro Transit surveillance camera system setup outside the flagship Target Store.

Downtown Minneapolis, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Minnesota Twins, Nicolelt mall, Police, Security Camera, Target

Nicollet Avenue Seating at Night, Downtown Minneapolis

Green café-style chairs along Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis, part of the city’s ongoing effort to reimagine its primary pedestrian corridor. The redesigned Nicollet emphasizes public gathering spaces, energy-efficient lighting, and accessible streetscapes intended to make the downtown environment more inviting after dark. Once known as “Nicollet Mall” following its 1960s pedestrianization, the corridor remains a central artery for commerce, transit, and public art in the heart of Minneapolis.

Downtown, Downtown Minneapolis, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Nicolelt mall

Nicollet Mall, Downtown Minneapolis at Night, July 2021

Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis.

Downtown, Downtown Minneapolis, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Nicolelt mall

Lit up water tower and pillsbury neon sign

Pillsbury’s Best Flour and the lit up water tower

The former Pillsbury flour mill near downtown Minneapolis. It’s since been renovated into condos.

Flour Mill, Minneapolis, Minneapolis-Cityscape, Minnesota, Neon, Neon Sign, PIllsbury A Mill, Sign

The Legacy Condominiums in Minneapolis

The Legacy Condominiums in downtown Minneapolis. The Eleven tower under construction behind it. July 2021.

Downtown Minneapolis, Minneapolis, Minneapolis-Cityscape, Minnesota

Riverside Plaza and Cedar-Riverside Towers at Dusk

Riverside Plaza, a defining feature of the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood in Minneapolis, reflects the city’s 1970s experiment with large-scale urban housing. Designed by architect Ralph Rapson and completed in 1973, the complex was built as part of the federal urban renewal program and stands out for its Brutalist concrete design and colorful panels. Often referred to locally as “Little Mogadishu” due to its large Somali community, the towers remain a prominent symbol of both the city’s architectural ambition and its layered immigrant history.

Minneapolis, Minneapolis-Cityscape, Minnesota

Minneapolis Skyline at Sunset from the South Loop

The downtown Minneapolis skyline glows at sunset, viewed from the south side near the Elliot Park and Stevens Square neighborhoods. Prominent landmarks include the IDS Center, Capella Tower, and Wells Fargo Center—each a hallmark of the city’s late-20th-century architectural boom. The mix of older mid-rise apartment structures and new glass towers highlights the city’s ongoing evolution, where historic housing blocks now share the horizon with symbols of modern corporate development.

Downtown Minneapolis, Minneapolis, Minneapolis-Cityscape, Minnesota, Sunset

Cooling towers and minnesota vikings stadium

Cooling Towers and US Bank Stadium

Cooling towers next to US Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis on July 24, 2021.

Downtown Minneapolis, Minneapolis, Minneapolis Development, Minneapolis-Cityscape, Minnesota, NFL Stadium, Stadium, US Bank Stadium

Minneapolis Fire Department Ladder Truck L31

A Minneapolis fire truck as seen from above.

Minneapolis, Minneapolis Fire Department, Minnesota

Wince Way Sign, Uptown Minneapolis

A sign that reads “Wince Way” behind the newly installed security fencing outside the Lake & Girard parking ramp and Wince Marie Garden.

Deona Marie Knajdek, Graffiti, Memorial, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Protest, Uptown Minneapolis, Wince Way, Winston Smith

Deona Marie Memorial after being cleared

Minneapolis: Deona Knajdek Memorial Remains After Clearing

A few candles and flowers remain at the memorial for Deona Knajdek a week after the space was cleared by private security contractors. Knajdek was killed while protesting the law enforcement shooting death of Winston Smith 10 days prior when a car dove through barricades put in place by protesters.

Deona Marie Knajdek, Memorial, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Protest, Uptown Minneapolis, Winston Smith

A security guard stands near a Wacker Neuson device at Seven Points Mall in Minneapolis, a site of unrest in summer 2020.

Security Guard and Wacker Neuson Device, Seven Points Mall, Minneapolis

A security guard at Seven Points Mall with a face covering turns his back.

Conflict Resolution Group, CRG, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Private Security, Protest, Security, Security guard, Seven Points Mall, Wince Way, Winston Smith

Fireworks explode over Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, celebrating the Milwaukee Bucks' 2021 NBA Championship win. A large crowd gathers in the Deer District for the event.

Milwaukee Bucks Championship Fireworks at Fiserv Forum

Milwaukee, NBA, Wisconsin