Behind the Name: Towerside is Reaching New Heights of Innovation in Minneapolis-Saint Paul
What is Towerside? As Minneapolis-Saint Paul’s first innovation district, Towerside represents a new way of thinking about a significant area of underdeveloped land in the heart of the Twin Cities. The district is served by three Green Line LRT Stations, at the geographic center of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul interstate highway system and adjacent to the University of Minnesota’s athletic and bio-discovery facilities. It is a community that brings together brewing and biotech, robotics and rain gardens, and textiles and transit.
Towerside, previously known as the University Avenue Innovation District, partnered with Capsule to secure a name that would reflect the vibrancy of the area where Minneapolis and Saint Paul connect. This 370 acre neighborhood of redevelopment is positioned to deliver a national model of a thriving community made of developers, businesses, community residents, higher education, non-profit and government agencies.
The Towerside name connects to the history and the current landscape of the area, but it also tells a larger story. This pocket of the Twin Cities contains several towers: the United Crushers grain elevators, the Witch's Hat, and the KSTP tower. It is also is home to many great ideas, innovations, and a vibrant community that will only continue to rise. Every aspect of Towerside sends a clear message: look up and keep climbing.
The brandmark itself gives nod to the biotec that is important in the area with its scientific look/feel, while reinforcing the energy and vibrancy in the movement of the skyline.
"The logo captures the energy that pulses through the district; it represents the flow of new ideas, people, and connections that Towerside fosters in its vibrant community.” - Kayla Petrich, one of the designers behind the Towerside logo
The opportunity to engage as a community to live, work, play and explore will result in a local resource for many to connect and grow. Towerside is much more than a set of boundary lines, it is a new frontier for pioneers in innovation. Tapping into the vibrancy of the community and connecting to the history of how the area began is what sets this innovation district apart from other cities.
Similar to our recent work with Greenseam, which proved collaboration works in a community of diverse interests and viewpoints, Capsule is proud to have helped the team articulate a relevant strategy, memorable name and visually engaging logo design. With the help of many funding partners who believe in the vision of Towerside, this project has been brought from vision to reality. For a complete list of partners, visit towersidemsp.org.
Connect, learn and stay engaged with Towerside on Facebook for events, updates, area history and more information about the district systems.