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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis.

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

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

A Minneapolis fire truck as seen from above.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

A private security guard walks the grounds of a parking ramp with a dog.

A handwritten sticker criticizing property ownership dynamics is affixed to a concrete wall in downtown Minneapolis. Reading “Landlords don’t ‘provide’ housing, they hold it ransom,” the message reflects growing public frustration with rising rents and the commodification of housing. Such small-scale urban protest art has become a recurring visual language across Minneapolis since the 2020s, echoing broader debates about housing justice and economic inequality.

A sign reading "We will not be silent so that you can remain comfortable!" on the security fencing around the Winston Smith and Deona Marie Memorials at Lake & Girard.