90 second BEAT

Do we need another article on what Millennials want and how companies and cities can attract them? Must we generalize, categorize, and shelve?

 

In the spirit of universality, maybe we should start paying attention to the similarities instead of the differences between multiple generations.

 

A new IBM study, “Myths, exaggerations and uncomfortable truths: The real story behind Millennials in the workplace” shows that there are actually more similarities than differences in work perspectives between Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers. 

 

When it comes to cities, the Urban Dream of a dynamic public realm, full of functional spaces to be near people, is coveted by all social animals, regardless of age. The more virtual our existence, the stronger our craving for connections to the physical world. In our desire to reconnect with people and the environment, "location, location, location" is now less about place and more about opportunities to walk, bike, and be with people in the open, regardless of where. 

With this in mind, camelpolitan checked out a poster child for walking, biking, and socializing.

 

Home to 17 Fortune 500 companies, ranking it 5th behind NYC, Houston, Chicago, and Dallas, Minneapolis has always ignited the imagination of camelpolitan: What is this city where bicyclists fearlessly tread miles of bike trails year-round, even in freezing temperatures; and remains home to one of the most iconic music artists in the world? 

 

We wanted to see if our perceptions of a landscape dotted with lakes, a mini Stockholm rich with bicyclists and pedestrians, a lowkey community where Prince can be spotted at an unannounced club performance were real.

 

Within the 0.759 square-mile downtown, we found everything reachable by foot within half an hour. 

 

Target Field, a gorgeous modern arena made to look and feel classic, similar to AT&T Park and Petco Park, blends seamlessly into the landscape of the funky Warehouse District.

Along Marquette and the redesigned Nicollet Mall, pedestrians, bicyclists, cars, and public transit happily coexist beneath second-story human hamster trails that connect skyscrapers, like a scene from Fritz Lang’s Metropolis.  

 

At the renowned Walker Art Center, a few hours in the sculpture garden pass in a blink. The 1985 Claes Oldenburg Spoonbridge and Cherry is as whimsical as the 2005 James Turrell Sky Pesher is magical. 

 

After 4 days, Minneapolis starts to feel like a small town in a big city. Where else can you run into film genius Christopher Nolan, standing next to you at the International Pop exhibit? Or meet a new friend at a plaza who remembers you taking pictures in the streets yesterday?

 

The Urban Dream is alive in Minneapolis. But The Purple One was nowhere in sight.

 

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