Readers Write (Aug. 16): The culture, candidate disclosures, Edina development, U.S. Bank stadium's appearance

At a time of unprecedented public bullying by a presidential nominee, there is a covert movement underway in private, unpublicized, civility. I work in downtown Minneapolis and here is what I have recently experienced:

As two white women and a black man wait, an elevator door opens. The man stands back while the women enter. As I hold the door for the man to enter, he thanks me and I thank him in turn; he states that he believes women should go first, and we engage in a brief discussion of manners before he exits the elevator and wishes me a good day.

Two white couples approach the doors to exit a ramp onto the street as a young black man, wearing hip-riding jeans, a T-shirt and a cap, moves to enter from the street. The young black man holds the door for the two couples, and one of the white men thanks him.

I see a Somali woman ahead of me in line at Starbucks. She wears a beautiful floor-length dress and headscarf. I comment on her beautiful dress; her eyes light up and a broad smile spreads across her face as she thanks me.

Walking through the skyway, I pass a police officer who nods and says good morning.

Below the surface of the daily news of insults, divisiveness and horrors, which undoubtedly exist, there is an awareness at a private level that each of us can contribute to the civil discourse and harmony we desire. I hope that it's this movement that continues to build momentum and turns out to vote in November.

I have never understood the obsession people seem to have to get a look at the income tax filings of political candidates. I do not care one bit about what is in the returns of either the Clintons or Donald Trump. Plus, I can probably tell you what is in them. Both the Clintons and Trump make a lot more money than you or me. And, just like I do and I'll bet you do, they try to do whatever they legally can to minimize the amount of taxes they pay. How dare they! If you don't, if you are someone who gets up every day and goes to work thinking: "Yippee, I get to shell out a significant amount of my money to the government," get yourself into therapy.

Can someone please explain to me what any of this has to do with whether someone can do a good job as president? Can anyone bring me a single person who has either voted for or against a candidate based on tax returns?

To me, this is the same sort of silliness that you see on magazine and tabloid newspaper covers at the grocery store. I don't care who Jen is dating, and I don't care about the Clintons' or Trump's tax returns. I care about how much Hillary Clinton lies and how out-of-control Trump's ego and mouth are. In fact, I will vote for the first who says, "Enough of this nonsense. My income tax returns are between me and the IRS and are no one else's business."

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I hesitate to say any evil about Hillary Clinton; I fear a Trump presidency. But with Clinton's tax returns out, it bears noting that she never released the transcripts of her speeches to Goldman Sachs. She still isn't being open and transparent. We know how much money she made, but we do not know what she did, said or promised to Goldman and others in order to make that money.

I hope Clinton wins over Donald Trump, but without our knowing what is in the transcripts, her tax returns are less revealing than they ought to be.

Edina's current urbanization/densification model is top-down, developer-driven, developer-profit-maximizing. Edina residents have rallied for a community-up, slow-growth model centered on public amenities so citizens feel connected to one another.

Reinan failed to mention the extent to which special interests drive Edina's development process. A Grandview organizer was recently awarded a $185,000 transportation study, one of four city contracts awarded to his company. Grandview is but one example of how development contracts are awarded in Edina.

I asked renowned urban planner Gil Penalosa about building for walkability. He said buildings must have a relationship to the street. A person on the top floor still needs to be connected to the life of the street. That relationship will not occur in a 10-story or even a six-story building.

The most walkable, life-filled places center on green spaces and other public amenities, are low in height (three to four stories) and do not shadow the street. Positive examples can be seen throughout the U.S.

Bikeability, walkability and mass transit are afterthoughts in the city's quest to density. Grandview is a perfect example. The above-mentioned transportation study gives short shrift to mass transit and biking solutions.

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Before Reinan writes his next effusive piece about Edina's development prowess, he should stop by to observe several other projects in process. The Braemar winter-recreation facility places one of his quiet neighborhoods not a mile or more from the action but 100 feet. Come quick, since this is fast-tracked for action Sept. 7, and the bulldozers are ready to roll. The Grandview project has been going on for years and could rival the Twinkie for longevity. Not all is hunky-dory in Edina development.

I agree that the architecture of U.S. Bank stadium is reminiscent of a very large black pole barn (Readers Write, Aug. 13). I have been waiting for some time to hear a discussion of the architectural merits of this now-defining element of the Minneapolis skyline. While it may have some appeal in aerial shots on television, it leaves something to be desired from the much more prevalent ground view. Its massive black walls are as bland as they are uninviting and do not integrate well with the surroundings. Instead, the structure looks like it was awkwardly imposed on the site. Minneapolis had a chance to create a public structure that would complement, even enhance, the surrounding area and overall skyline. I am surprised and disappointed that, for the time and resources and $1 billion consumed by this project, no better design could have been implemented.

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Viewed from the south, the stadium looks like, I imagine, the stern of Noah's Ark. But at least this helps with the nickname conundrum. The Gophers play at "The Bank" and the Vikings play at "The Ark." (Williams Arena already has claimed "The Barn.")