Nicollet Commons Park
Dahlgren, Shadlow & Uban, Inc.

A century or more ago, when towns were compact and automobiles were luxuriant dreams, the town square was a civic necessity.  City-block-sized green spaces located in the hearts of communities were used for gatherings, concerts, courting, and myriad other social activities.  With the expansion of highways and the increasing size of private homes and lots, the town square went the way of the horse and buggy.  Burnsville, MN, could have become another of those placeless third ring suburbs.  Instead, it decided to build the next generation of town square, combining the organizing principles of another time with the details of today.  Nicollet Commons has already taken its place at the heart of the town, hosting concerts, art fairs, community gatherings, weddings, and the informal playing, lunching, and sitting that demonstrates a community’s acceptance of a place.