Founded in 2026 by Dr. Jennifer Webb, and supported by the Boreal Waters Community Foundation, the Urban Excellence Institute fosters key connections across Duluth to drive meaningful downtown revitalization. By building trusted relationships among local leaders, educators, and community residents, the Institute propels critical transformation projects forward, starting with the Imagine Downtown Activation initiative.
Our collaborative network unites the City of Duluth, the University of Minnesota Duluth, local business and property owners, community non-profits, neighborhood residents, and others invested in the future of the city. In a combined effort, participants explore urban planning best practices while working side-by-side on hands-on demonstration projects, bridging campus and community. This work will specifically integrate with the Imagine Downtown Activation Work and align with current community and government priorities.
This activation work relies on the three following “pillars,” which control the majority of the infrastructure, to be directionally aligned:
Public Sector/Nonprofits
Property Owners
Business Owners
Community Book Club
Our book:
Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America One Step At A Time (10th edition) by Jeff Speck
“Making downtown into a walkable, viable community is the essential fix for the typical American city: is it eminently achievable and its benefits are manifold.” This book “lays out a practical, necessary, and inspiring vision for how to make American cities the best they can be.”
Upcoming events:
- August 18, 5:30-7:30pm: BB Gallery, 5727 Grand Ave, Duluth
- September 11, 10-12: Duluth Public Library Adventure Book Club
- October 15, 5:30-7:30pm: Zeitgeist Center for Arts & Community
- November 19th, 5:30-7:00: Dovetail Cafe & Marketplace
- December 9th, 5:30-7pm: Spirit of the Lakes Community Arts
Academia in Action
In addition, we provide opportunities for students and faculty at UMD to engage with urban planning questions. Real-world coursework such as in HON 3597, Exploring Duluth: Placemaking & histories of urban planning, provides students with a framework to be catalysts for community change during their time in Duluth and after completing their degrees.
Supported by the Knight Foundation Fund of
