A recent MPR News article explains the meaning of “Twin Cities” phrase that we Twin Cities resident commonly refer to in our conversations or writing but may not be knowing what the phrase ‘The Twin Cities’ refer to? indeed!
In the most literal sense, the “Twin Cities” references the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. But many people use the phrase as a shorthand for “the Twin Cities metropolitan area” — Minneapolis and St. Paul, plus all their surrounding suburbs.
– MPR News
In a Dec 10 Twitter polls, majorities (68.2%) agreed that the phrase meant the “The Whole Metro areas” while others thought it refer to “Just Mpls and St Paul”.
The MPR News reporter David H. Montgomery, author of the story writes:
- “Many respondents emphasized the role of distance in shaping this terminology. To someone from England, California or even Duluth, the distinction between Minneapolis and Edina might not seem very important — but to someone from one of those cities, the distinction could mean volumes.
- “Other people, who grew up in greater Minnesota, suggested a third term to add into the mix: “The Cities,” as a general term for the metro area, distinct from “The Twin Cities,” which meant just the titular two cities.
- “While the distinction between “urban” and “rural” is fairly clear, the difference between “urban” and “suburban” is controversial even for experts. Some scholars emphasize the role of municipal boundaries in distinguishing between “cities” and “suburbs.”
- “Others point out that low-density residential areas inside big-city limits can have more in common with similar neighborhoods in neighboring municipalities, while dense mixed-use districts in suburban cities can look more like neighborhoods in urban cores.