Craig Wilson is the editor of the Hill & Lake Press. He lives in Lowry Hill.
In Uptown, where civic energy has long ebbed and flowed with the neighborhood’s fortunes, a new community-led effort is taking shape.
Uptown United has formed in recent weeks with a simple goal: to bring residents, business owners and neighborhood stakeholders together to engage constructively on issues affecting Uptown and the surrounding Hill & Lake area.
The effort grew out of a letter written by South Uptown resident Kevin Norman, who shared both his affection for the neighborhood and his concern about ongoing challenges facing local streets, businesses and public spaces. Circulated among neighbors and business owners, the letter struck a chord and sparked conversations that soon evolved into a broader organizing effort.
“Uptown has always been shaped by the people who live and work here,” Norman said. “Uptown United is about creating a way for neighbors to connect, share concerns and focus on practical steps to support the neighborhood.”
Norman and his wife, Gina, have spent much of their adult lives in Minneapolis. After nearly a decade in Oakland, California, they returned in 2022 and chose to settle in Uptown. That experience, Norman said, reinforced the importance of early, community-based engagement when neighborhood challenges begin to surface.
Uptown United describes itself as nonpartisan and community-led, with an emphasis on respectful dialogue, civic participation and collaboration. Early efforts include a letter-writing campaign to city leaders and plans for an in person community gathering in the coming weeks.
At a time when many residents feel disconnected from decision-making, Uptown United reflects a familiar impulse in this neighborhood: neighbors stepping forward, organizing themselves and insisting that Uptown’s future should be shaped by the people who call it home.
