Planning & Urban Design

Why are school and work breaks encouraged and mandated by the state, and why do most individuals opt to take their breaks outside? Why do many students enjoy outdoor sports? [...]

As cities begin to recover from the pandemic, increased funding for infrastructure falls into place, and our world becomes more digitally focused, there becomes a unique opportunity to integrate technology [...]

Summer is quickly approaching, and lots of people are spending time at the ball field – to watch or to play. Our team of landscape architects, planners, and designers are [...]

Synthetic turf fields have seen an uptick in popularity across Minnesota in the last several years, partially due to the newest generation of turf consisting of long fiber carpet with [...]

The College of Saint Benedict Softball Complex was named the 2021 Netting Professionals/NFCA Division III Field of the Year. The award recognizes top fields and stadiums in the nation for [...]

With the rise of portable technology over the last decade, we have completely shifted how we stay connected with the people and places that matter to us most. However, with [...]

Equity is a word that is increasingly coming to the forefront in many organizations – in mission statements, websites, presentations, or trainings. But what does it really mean, and how [...]

For over a century, sidewalks have become a staple in modern American cities. We use them for safe transportation and for physical activities like walking, running, and biking. However, sidewalk [...]

The City of Windsor Heights University Avenue Improvements project was awarded 1000 Friends of Iowa’s 2021 Best Development Award for the Transportation/Complete Streets category at their awards ceremony Thursday, January [...]

The Great Lakes Chapter of the Institute of Transportation Engineers recognized the City of Prior Lake, Scott County, and Bolton & Menk’s CSAH 21 Downtown Prior Lake Improvement Project with the 2021 Great Lakes District ITE Transportation Achievement [...]

Riverfront Drive in Mankato, Minnesota is home to retail and freight businesses, schools, and residential neighborhoods. The corridor serves nearly 18,000 vehicles each day and connects the community to US [...]

Pop quiz! How does an equitable process look and feel? How does it occur within a predominantly white institution located in the Midwest? Layer these questions with America’s history of [...]

Scott County and the City of Prior Lake’s CSAH 21 Downtown Improvement project received a 2020 Honor Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Minnesota (ACEC-MN). The Engineering [...]

The City Engineers Association of Minnesota (CEAM) recognized the City of Prior Lake’s CSAH 21 Downtown Improvement project as a 2020 Project of the Year Honorable Mention. This award is [...]

By Jane Kansier, Senior Urban Planner Planners and engineers often see the world through different lenses. While planners typically look for the “when” and “who,” engineers seek the “how” and [...]

The American Public Works Association (APWA) – Minnesota Chapter recognized the City of Prior Lake and Scott County at the chapter’s virtual general membership business meeting on November 5. The CSAH 21 [...]

With the important exception of indigenous people, most United States residents today can trace their origins back to other nations. Despite this, immigration remains a controversial topic in many communities. [...]

The City of Muscatine’s efforts in Reconnecting Muscatine received the Planning Award for Urban Design by the American Planning Association -Iowa Chapter at the Upper Midwest Conference. This award honors [...]

“Will the Civil Engineer”, “Sam the Landscape Architect”, and “Parker the Planner” are the next three books available to order through our partnership with Esri! Follow along with Will, Sam, and [...]

October is National Community Planning Month, so this month’s edition of FYI Friday recognizes our community planning services! Our staff’s hands-on approach gives us unique insight when assisting communities on [...]

The concept of the "Artery," in Hopkins, Minnesota, as a potential gateway connection between Excelsior Boulevard and the Historic Downtown Mainstreet began with the Hopkins Planning and Economic Development Department [...]

Our corridor planning team works with each community to develop a vision for land use changes that align with roadway and infrastructure reconstruction. Our firm’s multidisciplinary approach means we can [...]

Up until 2019 the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) of the Dakota people gathered in multiple locations with a growing need for a single facility to teach their youth, attend [...]

Now’s the time to get out and about, with many people heading to their local parks to get some fresh air. We talked to Jonathan Nelsen, one of our landscape [...]

Social distancing Coffee Break is back! To celebrate National Public Works Week, we sat down with an engineer and a planner to learn how they work together to create great [...]

With the important exception of indigenous people, most United States residents today can trace their origins back to other nations. Despite this, immigration remains a controversial topic in many communities. [...]

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Cultural Center was named a 2019 Top Project by Finance & Commerce. This award recognizes projects from all over Minnesota built in 2019 that showcasea degree [...]

A downtown city square is the heart of a community. It is the place where people gather, spend time, and shop local. For Indianola, Iowa, their downtown city square is [...]

Today is Read Across America Day, so we thought it was only fitting to sit down with a few of our children’s book authors over a cup of coffee to learn [...]

The City Engineers Association of Minnesota (CEAM) recognized the City of St. Louis Park at their awards luncheon on January 29. The Cedar Lake Road Improvements project received a Project [...]

The American Council of Engineering Companies of Minnesota (ACEC-MN) recognized the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community at their Engineering Excellence Awards Banquet on January 24. The Cultural Center project received an [...]

Since 1949, Bolton & Menk has been providing public infrastructure solutions for surrounding communities with bright futures, the desire to grow, and a common challenge of aging infrastructure. We are [...]

So often we find ourselves in one echo chamber or another, whether professionally or socially. In the context of the civil engineering field, the echo chamber can be a shared [...]

A comprehensive plan is a long-range planning document for a community, county, or region. The typical planning horizon is 20 years. The intended outcome of the plan and planning process [...]

The City of Indianola’s Square Streetscape Master Plan was recognized with the Planning Award for Urban Design by the American Planning Association – Iowa Chapter Thursday morning. This award honors [...]

Our latest and greatest in the Blink! Simplified Solutions series presents: What is a Comprehensive Plan? Learn how communities can take this living document and turn it into their vision, [...]

The Iowa Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects recognized Bolton & Menk, in collaboration with Design Workshop, with the 2019 Planning and Analysis Honor Award on September 17 [...]

On Monday, September 9, Bolton & Menk’s Children’s Book series was awarded the 2019 American Public Works Association’s Exceptional Performance in Non-Chapter Journalism award. The award recognizes exceptional performance in [...]

ADA Transition Plans are always developing as requirements change and advance, and while each state's regulations are different, its important public agencies are up-to-date. Bolton & Menk has experts to [...]

Project Overview Muscatine, Iowa, historically known as the “Pearl City” or “The Button Factory of the World”, is rich in cultural and ethnic diversity, rooted in industrial beginnings that shaped [...]

Project Overview Muscatine, Iowa, historically known as the “Pearl City” or “The Button Factory of the World”, is rich in cultural and ethnic diversity, rooted in industrial beginnings that shaped [...]

The American Council of Engineering Companies of Iowa recognized a few of our clients with Engineering Achievement Awards in Transportation, Water/Wastewater, and Special Projects. Congratulations to Spencer, Ames, and Cedar Rapids! [...]

In July 2018 a devastating tornado ripped through Marshalltown, IA. The town had spent years improving the quality of life for its citizens and implementing plans to revitalize the community, [...]

Congratulations to all our clients on their MnDOT Environmental Stewardship awards! We believe all people should live in a safe, sustainable, and beautiful community. Our clients have been able to achieve [...]

The American Planning Association recognized Bolton & Menk’s Parker the Planner book with the Silver level Public Outreach award at the National Planning Awards Luncheon in San Francisco on April [...]

The American Society of Landscape Architects, Central States division recognized Bolton & Menk, in collaboration with Design Workshop, with the 2019 ASLA Central States Award on April 5 at the [...]

The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) - Minnesota Chapter recognized the City of Hopkins at the annual banquet on Friday, January 25, 2019. The Artery project received the Engineering Excellence [...]

The American Public Works Association (APWA) - Minnesota Chapter recognized the City of Hopkins at the annual conference on November 16. The Artery project received the Project of the Year [...]

The American Public Works Association (APWA) announced the 2018 Public Works Projects of the Year. The Hastings Riverfront Renaissance Improvements project was awarded the Small Cities/Rural Communities Project of the Year [...]

By Nicole Schmidt, Project Communications Specialist, Bolton & Menk, Inc.  The demand to actively engage communities is increasingly essential to the success of a project. In response to this demand, [...]

We are thrilled our books are creating excitement and getting into the hands of both children and adults!  We were honored to receive a Honor Award for the book series [...]

The American Public Works Association (APWA) - Minnesota Chapter recognized the City of Hastings at the annual conference on November 17. The City of Hastings Riverfront Renaissance Improvements project received [...]

The Minnesota Chapter, American Planning Association awarded Carver County, the City of Chaska, MnDOT, and Bolton & Menk with the Partnerships in Planning Award of Excellence for the Highway 41/County [...]

By Shannon Gapp, Landscape Designer When thinking of landscape architecture, these words probably come to mind: landscape design, environmentally compatible, sustainable, a great graphic. These are accurate descriptions; however, the [...]

The Nativity Child and Family Center in St. Anthony was struggling to provide an enriching outdoor atmosphere for its children due to aging play equipment and a small segmented site. [...]

The Minnesota Recreation and Parks Association (MRPA) awarded the City of Hastings and Bolton & Menk with an Award of Excellence in the Park and Facility category for the Riverfront [...]

The City of Jordan’s Downtown Improvements Project was selected by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Minnesota for an Honor Award at the 2016 Engineering Excellence Awards Banquet on [...]