Now and then, there comes talk of doing away with the skyway systems in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Whether it is when world-renowned urban designers stop by the city to proclaim the skyways as architectural relics of the 1970s and 1980s or when politicians talk about reshaping metropolitan downtowns.

Here is the problem with architecture in general: It isn’t appreciated by the next generation. It usually takes two or three before a structure is valued once again.

Look at the former courthouse in Mason City, Iowa. The Cerro Gordo County Courthouse was an intimidating structure that looked like one of the castles where the big lizard lives at the end of a Mario Brothers video game. Built in 1902, it was a marvel, emblematic of the pride builders had in the community.

It was torn down in 1960. The county bought an ugly, box-shaped building from Standard Oil Co. and has since purchased annexes to additional space.

The people of Cerro Gordo County failed to appreciate the jewel their fathers had built. If the courthouse had survived, surely by today it would be a registered historic place and cherished by all.

The skyways in the Twin Cities are a series of second- and third-floor walkways connecting major skyscrapers.

They connect major downtown offices and workers to their daily needs — postal service, restaurants, gift shops, office supplies, hotels and so forth. They are used on days when the weather is bad or good, but more so on bad-weather days. In the winter, downtown workers are downright thankful for them.

Plus, skyways discourage use of the automobile and emphasize the convenience of walking, which is good for health when sitting at a desk all day.

Sure, we live in Albert Lea, and we don’t use the skyways hardly at all.

But when there are days we do, we think those urban designers who want to do away with skyways are perhaps a bit too dreamy. They say skyways give the impression of a social hierarchy and leave sidewalk users as second-class citizens. They say cities need to emphasize sidewalk culture. They need spaces to pause and reflect.

The reason they are wrong is that Minneapolis and St. Paul indeed have a vibrant sidewalk culture. And Minneapolis has a vibrant downtown nightlife, something many major American cities envy.

The skyways have culture, too. They have places to reflect, to be online, to read a book and look out a window, to socialize with friends or even to sit on benches and watch people go by — people of many classes and backgrounds.

And the skyways in the Twin Cities make no more of a class distinction than what anyone imagines in their minds. Just because a person is walking above the street doesn’t mean that person is better than the people using the sidewalks. If you ask the average pedestrian, they probably are taking the skyway because it was chilly that day although normally the sidewalk is faster, which they take on nice days.

Can’t something that is practical be valued simply for its practicality?

Minneapolis and St. Paul are not European cities and should not try to be. They should cherish their skywalks.