The Urban Jigsaw; Physical Changes in Cities 

Modern cities in Minnesota are like jigsaw puzzles. 

The pattern of land use activities within their boundaries conforms to the comprehensive plan, carried into effect by the various official controls available to city governments under state statutes. 

The pattern is created by an assemblage of numerous discrete and sometimes oddly shaped land parcels, each with a well-defined boundary and a particular location; the subdivision, which is usually divided into smaller segments by lines defining parcels of land to be used in a particular way, often involving structures to be built on, beneath, and above the land surface. 

Together - the comprehensive plan, the subdivisions, the blocks and lots, and the rights of way - give each city a distinct urban pattern. 

The Urban Jigsaw: A Paean to Land Surveyors in Minnesota. Minnesota Surveyor v.24 no.3 (Fall 2016) 

The Urban Jigsaw: The Early History of St. Paul, Minnesota. Minnesota Surveyor v.25 no.1 (Winter 2017)

The Nichols Map and the Location of the Town of St. Paul. Minnesota Surveyor v.27 no.1 (Spring 2018) 

The First Printed Map of Saint Paul Minnesota.Minnesota Surveyor v.30 no.4 (Fall 2022)  

A Brief Introduction to the Statutory History of Subdivision Plats and Platting in Minnesota. Minnesota Surveyor v. 30 no. 4 (Fall 2022) 

A History of Minnesota Statutes Dealing with PLS Monument Preservation. Minnesota Surveyor v. 31 no. 3 (Summer 2023)