Mike Christenson is trading city planning for college planning.He's leaving as director of Minneapolis' Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) Department on Jan. 15 to work for the Minnesota Business Partnership on an education initiative called Minneapolis Promise, which improves students' access to a college education.

Christenson started as CPED's director of economic development in 2003. In 2007, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak nominated him to lead the department. Projects he's been instrumental in include Midtown Exchange, Midtown Global Market, the Cedar Riverside Plaza renovations and the MacPhail Center for Music. Much of his work centered around neighborhood redevelopment.

Q Where does your passion for neighborhood revitalization come from?

A I support the mayor and City Council, and what they've done in the city is quite remarkable. They've decided to concentrate economic development support in market-challenged areas. Whether that's in households, neighborhoods or commercial corridors, they've asked CPED to focus its energy on addressing market failure. It's a uniquely progressive form of economic development.

Q What were the most noteworthy projects?

A Probably the highlights for the city were the new hospital campuses. ... Fairview establishing a new campus on Riverside, Children's putting over $300 million into their Chicago Avenue campus, Abbott Northwestern investing about $150 million and Allina moving into Midtown Exchange. You have Whittier Clinic being built by HCMC [Hennepin County Medical Center], HCMC's new master plan downtown, and Phillips Eye Institute being revitalized -- all totaled, over $1 billion of health care investments securing the city's workforce for the future. LIZ WOLF

Liz Wolf is an Eagan-based freelance writer.