Summary: Smart Growth: Twin Cities

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THE SMART GROWTH TWIN CITIES DEVELOPMENT SCENARIOS INDICATOR MODELING SUMMARY OVERVIEW

INFORMING THE BLUEPRINT

During the past two years, the Smart Growth Twin Cities (SGTC)

The Smart Growth Twin Cities process represents an important step

process has incorporated extensive input from public workshops,

in the development of Blueprint 2030. The Blueprint will chart a

local comprehensive plans, business associations and regional

course for future growth and development in the Twin Cities region.

transportation policy into the creation of three alternative development

The following seven objectives form the core of the Blueprint:

Scenarios for the Twin Cities Region. For the SGTC process, each

- Increase lifecycle and affordable housing

alternative future illustrates a distinct way in which the Twin Cities can

- Preserve and protect natural resources

accommodate the Region’s next 280,000 households (approximately

- Support rural communities and preserve agricultural lands

580,000 people) and 360,000 jobs.

- Provide greater transportation choices linked to development patterns and jobs

Ranging from auto-oriented to transit-oriented, the Scenarios vary in

- Reinvest in fully developed and older communities

land consumption, levels of reinvestment, walkable development,

- Invest in new, developing communities

density, and other development characteristics. The land use variations

- Focus growth and redevelopment in urban and rural centers along corridors

in each Scenario hold different consequences for regional housing diversity, transportation choice, air quality, public infrastructure costs,

By measuring the consequences of the SGTC development Scenarios,

agriculture and environmental preservation. Each Scenario has

the Metropolitan Council will be able to weigh particular advantages

undergone extensive land use and transportation modeling to measure

and disadvantages of each Scenario against these core objectives. The

these consequences and better understand the implications of various

Council can then incorporate particular elements or patterns into the

regional development patterns. These findings will serve as essential

Blueprint that align with the seven objectives, or choose to avoid

input as the Metropolitan Council develops Blueprint 2030.

patterns that are not consistent with local and regional goals.

Current Plans Scenario

Regional Workshop Scenario A

Regional Workshop Scenario B

The above figures provide a sense of land consumption in each development Scenario. The colored areas represent the newly developed land in each Scenario, also referred to as the increment. Gray represents existing developed land.

Calthorpe Associates

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May 16, 2002


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