A Shared Commitment to Uptown's Future

A community-led effort focused on safety, dignity, and livability in Uptown Minneapolis.

Who We Are

Uptown United is a growing group of residents, small business owners, and local organizations who believe Uptown can be safer, healthier, and more vibrant. This effort exists to bring people together around clear, constructive actions that can help Uptown live up to its full potential.

Why Uptown United Exists

Uptown United began with a letter written by Minneapolis resident Kevin Norman, expressing care for Uptown and a desire for better outcomes for the neighborhood.Kevin and his wife, Gina, have spent most of their adult lives living and working in Minneapolis and have long valued Uptown for its character, creativity, and sense of community. After moving to Oakland in 2013 and living there for nearly a decade, they saw firsthand how persistent homelessness, open drug use, and declining street conditions can take hold when challenges remain unresolved. Despite good intentions, conditions there continued to worsen, affecting both vulnerable individuals and the surrounding neighborhoods.When they returned to Minneapolis in 2022 and settled in Uptown, they began noticing some of the same challenges emerging closer to home. That recognition, combined with conversations with neighbors and business owners, led to the letter being widely shared and to a broader community response.Uptown United grew out of that response and a shared belief that Uptown can live up to its full potential.

Current Conditions

Uptown is facing visible and ongoing issues that deserve clear attention.These include homelessness that remains unresolved, open drug use in public spaces, accumulating trash and needles, and a growing impact on safety, small businesses, and quality of life. These challenges affect everyone — including those who are struggling the most and deserve real help, not just displacement.Recognizing these conditions is not about blame. It is about being honest so that better outcomes are possible.

What we stand for.

People deserve real help that leads to stability and recovery
• Public spaces should be safe, clean, and welcoming
• Compassion and accountability are not opposites
• Public health and public safety must be addressed together
• Neighborhood voices should be part of the solutionThis work is about practical outcomes, not ideology.

What we support.

Uptown United supports approaches that are humane, effective, and measurable — connecting people to shelter, treatment, and housing; addressing open drug use as a public health and safety issue; restoring cleanliness to shared spaces; and improving coordination between city services, providers, residents, and businesses.

Community Ambassador Program

Uptown United is launching the Community Ambassador Program, a volunteer initiative focused on strengthening the neighborhood through visible community presence and stewardship.Community Ambassadors are residents who care about Uptown and want to help create streets that feel welcoming, active, and well cared for.The program will support simple, practical actions that help improve the everyday experience of Uptown’s public spaces and business districts.This includes volunteer walking groups, neighborhood cleanup efforts, and connecting with local businesses and neighbors.The goal is simple: neighbors showing up, supporting one another, and helping create a safer and more welcoming Uptown.

Community Walks

We host volunteer community walks through Uptown’s commercial corridors on Friday and Saturday evenings at 6pm until about 7:30. We meet at Seven Points (Lake & Hennepin) and walk in small groups to create a visible, positive presence in the neighborhood.Along the way, we support local businesses -- grab a taco, pick up a coffee, stop in and say hello. The goal is to bring energy back to the streets. Volunteers are also encouraged to pick up litter as we go. Small actions add up.Programs like this have worked in cities across the country. When people are out, engaged, and present, it helps discourage disruptive behavior and makes neighborhoods feel more welcoming.

• Community Walks FAQs

• Community Walks Flyer

Please help spread the word. Print and share this flyer in your favorite coffee shop or around your block.

Get Involved.

Join a walk, take part in our letter-writing campaign, or see what else is coming up. Every bit of involvement helps.

• Volunteer as a Community Ambassador

• Take Part in the Letter Campaign

• Get updates from Uptown United