Lars Christiansen, FSI Director
Lars has been involved with the Friendly Streets Initiative since its creation in 2009 when he and six other residents of Frogtown and Hamline-Midway led an effort to involve the public in the planning process of Charles Avenue. To this day lars and others are working to transform Charles into a street remarkable for its prioritization of pedestrians, bicyclists, and residents, and for its engagement of the public in that process. Lars couldn’t be happier working with communities all over Saint Paul to learn more about their visions for their neighborhoods.
At Augsburg University Lars is Director of the Urban Studies Program, and was former Chair of the Department of Sociology. Lars’ teaching and scholarship focuses on urban resilience and sustainability, urban planning and public engagement, transportation systems, the philosophical tradition of American Pragmatism, innovative and alternative liberal arts education, social movements, and research methods.
As a former resident of Saint Paul, Lars was a member of the Hamline-Midway Coalition, serving on its Transportation Committee. He served on the Boards of Cycles 4 Change and Transit for Livable Communities. Lars previously served on the board of directors of the Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs (HECUA) (2009-2012), Nice Ride Minnesota (2009-2012), and Saint Paul Smart Trips (2010-2012).
Lars enjoys bicycle touring and mountain centuries, and commuted by bicycle in the Twin Cities year-round.