3. ThriveLandUsePoliciesByCommunityDesignationI f`
I Use Policies by Community Designation
As discussed earlier in Thrive MSP 2040, the Council assigns a community
designation to each city and township. This designation indicates the
overall state of development and regional issues faced by that community.
Recognizing that one size does not fit all, the Council uses community
designations to group communities with similar characteristics to more
effectively target its policies. This section describes land use policies specific
to each community designation to supplement the land use policies common
to all communities found in the previous section.
THRIVE MSP 2040
LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
URBAN CENTER: Growing vitality in the region's core
Urban Center communities include the largest, most centrally located and most economically
diverse cities of the region. Anchored by Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the Urban Center also
includes adjoining cities that share similar development characteristics such as street grids
planned before World War ll.
Orderly and Efficient Land Use
• Maintain and improve regional
infrastructure to support adaptive reuse,
infill development, and redevelopment.
• Support local planning and implementation
efforts to focus growth in and around
regional transit as articulated in the 2040
Transportation Policy Plan.
• Coordinate regional infrastructure
and program funding with other
efforts designed to mitigate Areas of
Concentrated Poverty and Racially
Concentrated Areas of Poverty and better
connect the residents of these areas
with opportunity.
• Partner with local communities to improve
land use patterns to reduce the generation
of carbon emissions.
LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
• Plan for forecasted population and household
growth at average densities of at least 20 units per
acre for new development and redevelopment.
Target opportunities for more intensive
development near regional transit investments at
densities and in a manner articulated in the 2040
Transportation Policy Plan.
• Identify areas for redevelopment, particularly areas
that are well -served by transportation options and
nearby amenities and that contribute to better
proximity between jobs and housing.
• Identify opportunities for land assembly to prepare
sites that will attract future private reinvestment;
especially in Areas of Concentrated Poverty and
Racially Concentrated Areas of Poverty.
• In collaboration with other regional partners, lead
major redevelopment efforts, such as at the former
Ford Plant site.
• Lead detailed land use planning efforts
around regional transit stations and other
regional investments.
• Plan for and program local infrastructure needs
(for example, roads, sidewalks, sewer, water,
surface water), including those needed for
future growth and to implement local
comprehensive plans.
• Recognize opportunities for urban agriculture and
small-scale food production.
Natural Resources Protection
Support the reclamation of lands,
including contaminated land, for
redevelopment and the restoration of
natural features and functions.
Promote multimodal access to regional
parks, trails, and the transit network,
where appropriate.
Support the continued development of the
regional trail system.
Water Sustainability
See policy discussion on Water Sustainability
in the "Land Use Policy" section.
Housing Affordability and Choice
• Invest in and expand regional systems to
support redevelopment in communities that
partner in the preservation and expansion of
housing choices.
Integrate natural resource conservation and
restoration strategies into the comprehensive
plan and in local infrastructure projects
where appropriate.
Identify lands for reclamation, including
contaminated land, for redevelopment and
the restoration of natural features
and functions.
• Implement best management practices
to control and treat stormwater as
redevelopment opportunities arise.
• Designate land in the comprehensive plan
to support household growth forecasts and
address the community's share of the region's
affordable housing need through development
and redevelopment at a range of densities.
• Plan for a mix of housing affordability in station
areas along transitways.
• Use state, regional, and federal sources of
funding and/or financing and development
tools allowed by state law to facilitate the
development of new lifecycle and
affordable housing.
• Plan for affordable housing that meets the
needs of multigenerational households.
THRIVE MSP 2040 LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
Access, Mobility, and Transportation Choice
• Ensure that local roadway systems are
planned in ways that minimize short trips
on the regional highway system.
• Ensure that local infrastructure and
land uses are planned in ways that
are consistent with managing access
along the regional highway system and
capitalizing on investments in the regional
transit system.
• Invest in transit improvements in corridors
that serve existing transit demand and
that can effectively guide a significant
level of future growth.
• Ensure that local comprehensive plans
accommodate growth in and around
transit stations and near high -frequency
transit services, commensurate with
planned levels of transit service and
station typologies identified in the 2040
Transportation Policy Plan.
• Support access to, and the future growth
of, regional intermodal freight terminals
as identified in the 2040 Transportation
Policy Plan.
LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
• Develop comprehensive plans that target
growth in and around regional transit stations
and near high -frequency transit services,
commensurate with planned levels of transit
service and the station typologies (for example,
land use mix, density levels) identified in the 2040
Transportation Policy Plan.
• Develop local policies, plans, and practices
that improve pedestrian and bicycle circulation,
including access to regional transit services,
regional trails, and regional bicycle corridors.
• Consider implementation of travel demand
management (TDM) policies and ordinances that
encourage use of travel options and decrease
reliance on single -occupancy vehicle travel.
• Engage private sector stakeholders who depend
on or are affected by the local transportation
system to address local business needs such as
routing, delivery, and potential land use conflicts.
• Adopt development standards that improve
the user experience, circulation, and access for
bicyclists and pedestrians.
• Adopt Complete Streets policies that improve
safety and mobility for all road users.
Economic Competitiveness
Invest in regional amenities and services,
including transit, regional parks and trails,
and bikeways to reinforce the Urban Center
as an attractive place to locate and
do business.
Coordinate regional infrastructure and
program funding with other efforts designed
to mitigate Areas of Concentrated Poverty
and Racially Concentrated Areas of Poverty
and better connect the residents of these
areas with opportunity.
Invest Council resources to clean up
contaminated properties and facilitate
reinvestment, including infill, adaptive reuse,
and redevelopment.
• Identify appropriate areas for business and
industrial expansion, considering access by rail,
truck, plane, and barge.
• Protect sites for highway-, river- and rail -
dependent manufacturing and freight
transportation needs from incompatible
uses and identify local land supply and
transportation needs for effective use of
those sites.
• Plan for land uses that support the growth of
businesses that export goods and services
outside the region, important regional economic
clusters, and living wage jobs.
• Support the cleanup and re -use of
contaminated land by utilizing regional, county,
and local funding programs and financing tools.
• Preserve, remediate contamination, and
repurpose the industrial base for higher -
intensity employment and new industries.
• Conduct small area planning efforts to preserve
locations for employment, manage growth, and
minimize land use conflicts.
THRIVE MSP 2040 LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
URBA
Building in Resilience
• Invest in regional transportation
infrastructure and services that increase
the share of trips made by transit, carpools,
and nonmotorized means and guide
development patterns that support this.
• Explore developing an urban forestry
assistance program.
LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
• Identify and address potential vulnerabilities
in local infrastructure as a result of increased
frequency and severity of storms and
heat waves.
• Participate in federal, state, and local utility
programs that incentivize the implementation of
wind and solar power generation.
• Consider making a property -assessed
clean energy (PACE) program available for
conservation and renewable energy.
• Consider promoting the development or
use of community solar gardens (CSGs) by
public and private entities to enable fuller and
more economic use of the community's solar
resource, including participating as subscribers,
assisting in marketing CSG opportunities for
economic development, or providing sites
for gardens.
• Adopt local policies and ordinances that
encourage land development that supports
travel demand management (TDM) and use of
travel options.
• Consider development standards that increase
vegetative cover and increase the solar reflective
quality of surfaces.
• Participate in urban forestry assistance
programs as available.
URBAN: Redeveloping to meet the needs of new generations
Urban communities developed primarily during the economic prosperity between the end of
World War II and the economic recession of 1973-1975. These cities, adjacent to the Urban
Center communities, experienced rapid development to house the growing families of the
baby boom era. With considerable growth and development along highways, the Urban
communities exhibit the transition toward the development stage dominated by the influence
of the automobile.
Orderly and Efficient Land Use
Maintain and improve regional infrastructure
to support adaptive reuse, infill development,
and redevelopment.
Support local planning and implementation
efforts to target growth in and around
regional transit, as articulated in the 2040
Transportation Policy Plan.
Coordinate regional infrastructure and
program funding with other efforts designed
to mitigate Areas of Concentrated Poverty
and Racially Concentrated Areas of Poverty,
and better connect the residents of these
areas with opportunity. Provide technical
assistance to communities undertaking
planning efforts around regional transit
stations and other regional investments.
Partner with local communities to improve
land use patterns to reduce the generation of
carbon emissions.
• Plan for forecasted population and household
growth at average densities of at least 10
units per acre for new development and
redevelopment. Target opportunities for more
intensive development near regional transit
investments at densities and in a manner
articulated in the 2040 Transportation
Policy Plan.
• Identify areas for redevelopment, particularly
areas that are well -served by transportation
options and nearby amenities and that
contribute to better proximity between jobs
and housing.
• In collaboration with other regional partners,
lead major redevelopment efforts, as at the Twin
Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP) site.
• Lead detailed land use planning efforts
around regional transit stations and other
regional investments.
• Plan for and program local infrastructure needs
(for example, roads, sidewalks, sewer, water,
and surface water), including those needed
for future growth and to implement the local
comprehensive plan.
• Recognize opportunities for urban agriculture
and small-scale food production.
THRIVE MSP 2040 LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
Natural Resources Protection
• Integrate natural resource conservation
and restoration strategies into regional
system plans and capital projects.
• Support the reclamation of lands,
including contaminated land, for
redevelopment and the restoration of
natural features and functions.
• Promote multimodal access to regional
parks, trails, and the transit network,
where appropriate.
• Support the continued development of the
regional trail system.
Water Sustainability
See policy discussion on Water Sustainability
in the "Land Use Policy" section.
LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
Integrate natural resource conservation
and restoration strategies into the local
comprehensive plan.
Identify lands for reclamation, including
contaminated land, for redevelopment and the
restoration of natural features and functions.
Develop programs that encourage the
implementation of natural resource conservation
and restoration.
• Implement best management practices to
control and treat stormwater as redevelopment
opportunities arise.
• Explore alternative water supply sources to
ensure adequate water resources
beyond 2040.
Housing Affordability and Choice
• Invest in and expand regional systems to
support redevelopment in communities that
partner in the preservation and expansion of
housing choices.
• Designate land in the comprehensive plan
to support household growth forecasts
and address the community's share of the
region's affordable housing need through
redevelopment at a range of densities.
• Plan for a mix of housing affordability in station
areas along transitways.
• Plan for affordable housing that meets the
needs of multigenerational households.
• Use state, regional, and federal sources of
funding and/or financing and development
tools allowed by state law to facilitate the
development of new lifecycle and
affordable housing.
Access, Mobility, and Transportation Choice
• Ensure that local roadway systems are IN
planned in ways that minimize short trips on
the regional highway system.
• Ensure that local infrastructure and land uses
are planned in ways that are consistent with
managing access along the regional highway
system and capitalizing on investments in the
regional transit system.
• Invest in transit improvements in corridors
that serve existing transit demand and that
can effectively guide a significant level of
future growth.
• Ensure that local comprehensive plans
accommodate growth in and around transit
stations and near high -frequency transit
services, commensurate with planned levels of
transit service and station typologies identified
in the 2040 Transportation Policy Plan.
• Provide regional transit services to serve dense
corridors and nodes where local communities
are adapting local policies to improve the
success of transit.
• Support access to, and the future growth
of, regional intermodal freight terminals
as identified in the 2040 Transportation
Policy Plan.
• Develop comprehensive plans that focus
growth in and around regional transit stations
and near high -frequency transit services,
commensurate with planned levels of transit
service and the station typologies (for example,
land use mix, density levels) identified in the
2040 Transportation Policy Plan.
• Develop local policies, plans, and practices
that improve pedestrian and bicycle circulation,
including access to regional transit services,
regional trails, and regional bicycle corridors.
• Consider implementation of travel demand
management (TDM) policies and ordinances
that encourage use of travel options and
decrease reliance on single -occupancy
vehicle travel.
• Engage private sector stakeholders who
depend on or are affected by the local
transportation system to address local business
needs such as routing, delivery, and potential
land use conflicts.
• Adopt development standards that improve
the user experience, circulation, and access for
bicyclists and pedestrians.
• Adopt Complete Streets policies that improve
safety and mobility for all road users.
THRIVE MSP 2040 LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
Economic Competitiveness
Invest in regional amenities and services,
including transit, regional parks and
trails, and bikeways to reinforce the Urban
area as an attractive place to locate and
do business.
Coordinate regional infrastructure
and program funding with other
efforts designed to mitigate Areas of
Concentrated Poverty and Racially
Concentrated Areas of Poverty and better
connect the residents of these areas
with opportunity.
Invest Council resources to clean up
contaminated properties and facilitate
reinvestment, including infill, adaptive
reuse, and redevelopment.
LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
• Identify appropriate areas for business and
industrial expansion, considering access by rail,
truck, plane, and barge.
• Support the cleanup and reuse of contaminated
land by utilizing regional, county, and local funding
programs and financing tools.
• Preserve, remediate contamination, and
repurpose the industrial base for higher -intensity
employment and new industries.
• Protect sites for highway-, river-, and rail -
dependent manufacturing and freight
transportation needs from incompatible uses
and identify local land supply and transportation
needs for effective use of those sites.
• Plan for land uses that support the growth of
businesses that export goods and services
outside the region, important regional economic
clusters, and living wage jobs.
• Conduct small area planning efforts to preserve
locations for employment, manage growth, and
minimize land use conflicts.
Building in Resilience
Invest in regional transportation
infrastructure and services that increase
the share of trips made by transit, carpools,
and nonmotorized means and guide
development patterns that support this.
Explore developing an urban forestry
assistance program.
• Identify and address potential vulnerabilities
in local infrastructure as a result of increased
frequency and severity of storms and
heat waves.
• Participate in federal, state, and local utility
programs that incentivize the implementation of
wind and solar power generation.
• Consider making a property -assessed clean
energy (PACE) program available for conservation
and renewable energy.
• Consider promoting the development or use
of community solar gardens (CSGs) by public
and private entities to enable fuller and more
economic use of the community's solar resource,
including participating as subscribers, assisting
in marketing CSG opportunities for economic
development, or providing sites for gardens.
• Adopt local policies and ordinances that
encourage land development that supports
travel demand management (TDM) and use of
travel options.
• Consider development standards that increase
vegetative cover and increase the solar reflective
quality of surfaces.
• Participate in urban forestry assistance programs
as available.
THRIVE MSP 2040 LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
SUBURBAN: Cultivating places where people can gather 44
Suburban communities saw their primary era of development during the 1980s and early
1990s as the Baby Boomers formed families and entered their prime earning years. Suburban
communities also include places that were once resort destinations along Lake Minnetonka
and White Bear Lake as well as communities along the St. Croix River settled early in the
region's history.
Orderly and Efficient Land Use
• Maintain and improve regional
infrastructure to support adaptive reuse,
infill development, and redevelopment.
• Support local planning and
implementation efforts to target growth in
and around regional transit as articulated
in the 2040 Transportation Policy Plan.
• Coordinate regional infrastructure
and program funding with other
efforts designed to mitigate Areas of
Concentrated Poverty and Racially
Concentrated Areas of Poverty and better
connect the residents of these areas
with opportunity.
• Provide technical assistance to
communities undertaking planning efforts
around regional transit stations and other
regional investments.
• Partner with local communities to improve
land use patterns to reduce the generation
of carbon emissions.
LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
• Plan for forecasted population and household
growth at overall average densities of at least
5 units per acre, and target opportunities for
more intensive development near regional
transit investments at densities and in a manner
articulated in the 2040 Transportation Policy Plan.
• Identify areas for redevelopment, particularly
areas that are well -served by transportation
options and nearby amenities and that contribute
to better proximity between jobs and housing.
• In collaboration with other regional partners, lead
major redevelopment efforts.
• Lead detailed land use planning efforts
around regional transit stations and other
regional investments.
• Plan for and program local infrastructure needs
(for example, roads, sidewalks, sewer, water,
and surface water), including those needed to
accommodate future growth and implement local
comprehensive plans.
Natural Resources Protection
Support the reclamation of lands, including
contaminated land, for redevelopment and
the restoration of natural features
and functions.
Promote multimodal access to regional
parks, trails, and the transit network,
where appropriate. Support the continued
development of the regional trail system.
Water Sustainability
See policy discussion on Water Sustainability
in the "Land Use Policy" section.
Housing Affordability and Choice
• Invest in and expand regional systems to
support redevelopment in communities that
partner in the preservation and expansion of
housing choices.
• Integrate natural resource conservation
and restoration strategies into the
comprehensive plan.
• Identify lands for reclamation, including
contaminated land, for redevelopment and the
restoration of natural features and functions.
• Integrate natural resources restoration
and protection strategies into local
development ordinances.
• Develop programs that encourage the
implementation of natural resource
conservation and restoration.
• Implement best management practices to
control and treat stormwater as redevelopment
opportunities arise.
• Explore alternative water supply sources to
ensure adequate water resources beyond 2040.
• Designate land in the comprehensive plan
to support household growth forecasts and
address the community's share of the region's
affordable housing need through development
and redevelopment at a range of densities.
• Plan fora mix of housing affordability in station
areas along transitways.
• Use state, regional, and federal sources of
funding and/or financing and development
tools allowed by state law to facilitate the
development of new lifecycle and
affordable housing.
• Plan for affordable housing that meets the
needs of multigenerational households.
THRIVE MSP 2040 LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
Access, Mobility, and Transportation Choice
• Ensure that local roadway systems are
planned in ways that minimize short trips on
the regional highway system.
• Ensure that local infrastructure and land uses
are planned in ways that are consistent with
managing access along the regional highway
system and capitalizing on investments in the
regional transit system.
• Invest in transit improvements in corridors
that serve existing transit demand and that
can effectively guide a significant level of
future growth.
• Ensure that local comprehensive plans
guide growth in and around transit stations
and near high -frequency transit services,
commensurate with planned levels of transit
service and station typologies identified in
the 2040 Transportation Policy Plan.
• Provide regional transit services to serve
dense corridors and nodes where local
communities are adapting local policies to
improve the success of transit.
• Support access to, and the future growth
of, regional intermodal freight terminals as
identified in the 2040 Transportation
Policy Plan.
LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
• Develop comprehensive plans that focus
growth in and around regional transit stations
and near high -frequency transit services,
commensurate with planned levels of transit
service and the station typologies (for example,
land use mix, density levels) identified in the
2040 Transportation Policy Plan.
• Develop local policies, plans, and practices
that improve pedestrian and bicycle circulation,
including access to regional transit services,
regional trails, and regional bicycle corridors.
• Seek opportunities to improve local street and
pedestrian connections to improve access for
local trips.
• Consider implementation of travel demand
management (TDM) policies and ordinances
that encourage use of travel options and
decrease reliance on single -occupancy
vehicle travel.
• Engage private sector stakeholders who
depend on or are affected by the local
transportation system to address local business
needs such as routing, delivery, and potential
land use conflicts.
• Adopt development standards that improve
the user experience, circulation, and access for
bicyclists and pedestrians.
• Adopt Complete Streets policies that improve
safety and mobility for all road users.
SUBURBAN
Economic Competitivei icj, :
• Invest in regional amenities and services,
including transit, regional parks and
trails, and bikeways to support the
Suburban area as an attractive place to
locate and do business.
• Coordinate regional infrastructure
and program funding with other
efforts designed to mitigate Areas of
Concentrated Poverty and Racially
Concentrated Areas of Poverty and
better connect the residents of these
areas with opportunity.
• Support the development of
workforce housing to provide nearby
housing options for employees of
local employers.
• Invest Council resources to clean up
contaminated properties and facilitate
reinvestment, including infill, adaptive
reuse, and redevelopment.
Building in Resilience
Identify appropriate areas for business and
industrial expansion, considering access by rail,
truck, plane, and barge.
Support the cleanup and reuse of contaminated
land by utilizing regional, county, and local funding
programs and financing tools.
Preserve, remediate contamination, and repurpose
the industrial base for higher -intensity employment
and new industries.
Protect sites for highway-, river-, and rail -dependent
manufacturing and freight transportation needs from
incompatible uses and identify local land supply and
transportation needs for effective use of those sites.
Plan for land uses that support the growth of
businesses that export goods and services outside
the region, important regional economic clusters,
and living wage jobs.
Conduct small area planning efforts to preserve
locations for employment, manage growth, and
minimize land use conflicts.
Invest in regional transportation
• Identify and address potential vulnerabilities in local
infrastructure and services
infrastructure as a result of increased frequency and
that increase the share of trips
severity of storms and heat waves.
made by transit, carpools, and
• Participate in federal, state, and local utility programs
nonmotorized means and guide
that incentivize the implementation of wind and solar
development patterns that support
power generation.
this.
• Consider making a property -assessed clean energy (PACE;
Explore developing an urban
program available for conservation and renewable energy.
forestry assistance program.
Consider promoting the development or use of community
solar gardens (CSGs) by public and private entities to
enable fuller and more economic use of the community's
solar resource, including participating as subscribers,
assisting in marketing CSG opportunities for economic
development, or providing sites for gardens.
• Adopt local policies and ordinances that encourage land
development that supports travel demand management
(TDM) and use of travel options.
• Consider development standards that increase vegetative
cover and increase the solar reflective quality of surfaces.
• Participate in urban forestry assistance programs
as available.
THRIVE MSP 2040 LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
SUBURBAN EDGE: Managing rapid growth and change
The Suburban Edge includes communities that have experienced significant residential growth
beginning in the 1990s and continuing to the 2010s. At least 40% of the land in these cities is
developed, but significant amounts of land remain for future development. These communities
generally no longer contain large-scale agricultural areas.
Orderly and Efficient Land Use
• Support local efforts and policies to plan
for growth that efficiently uses
transportation and transit infrastructure and
regional services.
• Promote land use patterns with clear
distinctions between urban and rural areas
to protect natural resources and land for
agricultural viability.
• Provide technical assistance to
communities on land use strategies and
staged development to inform the local
comprehensive planning process.
• Partner with local communities to improve
land use patterns to reduce the generation of
carbon emissions.
Natural Resources Protection
7Seeolicy discussion on Natural Resources
tion in the "Land Use Policy" section.
LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
Plan and stage development for forecasted
growth through 2040 and beyond at overall
average net densities of at least 3-5 dwelling
units per acre in the community. Target higher -
intensity developments in areas with better
access to regional sewer and transportation
infrastructure, connections to local commercial
activity centers, transit facilities, and
recreational amenities.
Ensure the efficient use of land when planning
for and approving new developments and
redevelopment projects.
Complete local natural resources inventories,
prioritize areas to protect, and integrate natural
resources conservation into local ordinances.
Conserve natural resources and protect vital
natural areas when designing and constructing
local infrastructure and planning land
use patterns.
Encourage site planning that incorporates
natural areas as part of site development
and redevelopment.
Water Sustainability
See policy discussion on Water
Sustainability in the "Land Use Policy"
section.
Housing Affordability and Choice
See policy discussion on Housing
Affordability and Choice in the "Land Use
Policy" section.
• Incorporate best management practices for
stormwater management in planning processes and
implement best management practices to control
and treat stormwater with development
and redevelopment.
• Integrate water sustainability and protection of
groundwater recharge areas into local plans.
Consider how development, irrigation, reductions
in infiltration and inflow, and increased surface
runoff impact groundwater recharge and consider
conservation strategies and best management
practices to mitigate these impacts.
• Adopt and implement best management practices
for protection of natural resources, the quality
and quantity of our water resources, and the
preservation of water supply.
• Explore alternative water supply sources to ensure
adequate water resources beyond 2040.
• Designate land in the comprehensive plan to support
household growth forecasts and address the
community's share of the region's affordable housing
need through development and redevelopment at a
range of densities.
• Use state, regional, and federal sources of funding
and/or financing and development tools allowed
by state law to facilitate the development of new
lifecycle and affordable housing.
• Plan for affordable housing that meets the needs of
multigenerational households.
• Develop or use programs to preserve the existing
stock of naturally occurring affordable housing.
THRIVE MSP 2040 LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
SUBURBAN EDGEImak
Building in Resilient;
See policy discussion on Building in
Resilience in the "Land Use Policies"
section.
Identify local measures that would result in
reductions in water use, energy consumption, and
emission of greenhouse gases.
Identify local mitigation and adaptation strategies
and infrastructure resiliency plans to protect against
potential negative impacts to local economies, local
resources, and infrastructure systems that result
from more frequent or severe weather events.
Implement compact development patterns and
create more connected places to reduce auto -
dependency and related generation of greenhouse
gas emissions.
Access, Mobility, and Transportation Choice
• Invest in strategic transit and transportation
improvements that support more reliable access
to and from Suburban Edge communities.
• Plan park-and-ride capacity in parts of the region
where there is significant demand for access to
regional destinations, but where it is currently not
cost-effective to provide local bus connections.
• Plan transit facilities to better incorporate
alternative mode connections, such as trails and
sidewalks, for facilities serving locations where
commuters have to travel greater distances to
complete their trip.
• Encourage communities to develop at densities
and in ways that could eventually support local
transit service, including walking and bicycling
connections to transit.
• Invest in the development and improvement
of regional trails and regional bicycle corridors
to better connect communities and provide
viable transportation options for commuting via
alternative modes.
• Work with state agencies, counties, and local
governments to provide assistance in planning
for freight transportation to connect the rural and
urban areas' markets and resources.
LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
Develop local policies, plans, and practices
that improve pedestrian and bicycle
circulation, including access to regional
transit services, regional trails with improved
pedestrian connections, and regional
bicycle corridors.
Target opportunities for intensive
development in nodes along corridors
with existing or strong potential for future
transit investment, consistent with the
2040 Transportation Policy Plan, to create
the transit -supportive land use patterns
necessary for efficient future transit service
and investment.
Work with partners in communities
and counties to overcome barriers to
transportation and to improve pedestrian
and bicycle connections across
jurisdictional boundaries.
Economic Competitiveness
• Invest in regional amenities and services,
including transit (where supported by land
use), regional parks and trails, and bikeways
to support the Suburban Edge area as an
attractive place to locate and do business.
• Promote local planning around key
intersections, regional infrastructure, and
business needs.
• Support the development of workforce
housing to provide nearby housing options for
employees of local employers.
• Convene interested partners to further
strategies toward increasing regional
competitiveness and include discussion of how
Suburban Edge communities can contribute to
the region's overall economic growth.
Consider how local efforts to focus
economic development strategies along
existing commercial centers (historic
downtowns or commercial corridors) can
contribute to the region's overall economic
competitiveness through enhanced
integration of local and regional
planning efforts.
Protect sites for highway-, river- and rail -
dependent manufacturing and freight
transportation needs from incompatible
uses and identify local land supply and
transportation needs for effective use of
those sites.
Identify important multimodal intersections,
alternative freight routes, key intersections,
and other existing opportunities that may
contribute to local and regional economic
competitiveness.
THRIVE MSP 2040 LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
EMERGING SUBURBAN EDGE: Transitioning from,
rural to developed 40
The Emerging Suburban Edge includes cities, townships and portions of both that are in the
early stages of transitioning into urbanized levels of development. Strategically located between
Suburban Edge and Rural communities, the Emerging Suburban Edge communities offer both
connections to urban amenities and the proximity to open spaces that characterizes a rural
lifestyle. Often, the cities and townships in the Emerging Suburban Edge are in more than one
Community Designation. In the majority of Emerging Suburban Edge communities, less than
40% of the land has been developed.
Orderly and Efficient Land Use
Promote land use patterns with clear
distinctions between urban and rural areas
to protect natural resources and land for
agricultural viability.
Provide technical assistance to
communities on land use strategies and
staged development to inform the local
comprehensive planning process.
Partner with local communities to improve
land use patterns to reduce generation of
carbon emissions.
LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
• Plan and stage development for forecasted
growth through 2040 and beyond at overall
average net densities of at least 3-5 dwelling
units per acre in the community. Target higher -
intensity developments in areas with better
access to regional sewer and transportation
infrastructure, connections to local commercial
activity centers, transit facilities, and
recreational amenities.
• Identify and protect an adequate supply of land
to support growth for future development beyond
2040, with regard to agricultural viability and
natural and historic resources preservation.
• Incorporate best management practices for
stormwater management and natural
resources conservation and restoration in
planning processes.
• Plan for local infrastructure needs including those
needed to support future growth.
r,
EMERGING SUBURBAN EDGE:
61 Iii1w
.e:.
Natural Resources Protection
See policy discussion on Natural Resources
Protection in the "Land Use Policy" section.
Water Sustainability
See policy discussion on Water Sustainability
in the "Land Use Policy" section.
Complete local natural resources inventories,
prioritize areas to protect, and integrate natural
resources conservation into local ordinances.
Conserve natural resources and protect vital
natural areas when designing and constructing
local infrastructure and planning land
use patterns.
Encourage site planning that incorporates
natural areas as part of site development
and redevelopment.
Incorporate best management practices for
stormwater management in planning processes
and implement best management practices with
development and redevelopment to control and
treat stormwater.
Integrate water sustainability and protection
of groundwater recharge areas into local
plans. Consider how development, irrigation,
reductions in infiltration and inflow, and
increased surface runoff impact groundwater
recharge and consider conservation strategies
and best management practices to mitigate
these impacts.
Adopt and implement best management
practices for protection of natural resources, the
quality and quantity of our water resources, and
the preservation of water supply.
Explore alternative water supply sources to
ensure adequate water resources beyond 2040.
THRIVE MSP 2040 LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
Housing Affordability and Choice
See policy discussion on Housing
Affordability and Choice in the "Land Use
Policy" section.
• Designate land in the comprehensive plan to
support household growth forecasts and address
the community's share of the region's affordable
housing need through development and
redevelopment at a range of densities.
• Use state, regional, and federal sources of
funding and/or financing and development tools
allowed by state law to facilitate the development
of new lifecycle and affordable housing.
• Plan for affordable housing that meets the needs
of multigenerational households.
• Plan for future staged growth through 2040 and
beyond to accommodate a variety of housing
choices based on local needs.
Access, Mobility, and Transportation Choice
• Invest in strategic transit and transportation
improvements that support more reliable access to
and from Emerging Suburban Edge communities.
• Plan park-and-ride capacity in parts of the region
where there is significant demand for access to
regional destinations, but where it is currently not
cost-effective to provide local bus connections.
• Plan transit facilities to better incorporate
alternative mode connections, such as trails and
sidewalks, for facilities serving locations where
commuters have to travel greater distances to
complete their trip.
• Encourage communities to develop at densities
and in ways that could eventually support local
transit service, including walking and bicycling
connections to transit.
• Invest in the development and improvement
of regional trails and regional bicycle corridors
to better connect communities and provide
viable transportation options for commuting via
alternative modes.
• Work with state agencies, counties, and local
governments to provide assistance in planning
for freight transportation to connect the rural and
urban areas' markets and resources.
LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
Develop local policies, plans, and
practices that improve pedestrian and
bicycle circulation, including access to
regional transit services, regional trails with
improved pedestrian connections, and
regional bicycle corridors.
Target opportunities for intensive
development in nodes along corridors
with strong potential for future transit
investment, consistent with the 2040
Transportation Policy Plan, to create
the transit -supportive land use patterns
necessary for efficient future transit service
and investment.
Work with partners in communities
and counties to overcome barriers to
transportation and to improve pedestrian
and bicycle connections across
jurisdictional boundaries.
Economic Competitiveness
• Invest in regional amenities and services,
including transit, regional parks and trails, and
bikeways to support the Emerging Suburban
Edge area as an attractive place to locate and
do business.
• Promote local planning around key intersections,
regional infrastructure, and business needs.
• Support the development of workforce housing to
provide nearby housing options for employees of
local employers.
• Convene interested partners to further strategies
towards increasing regional competitiveness and
include discussion of how Emerging Suburban
Edge communities can contribute to the region's
overall economic growth.
Building in Resilience
See policy discussion on Building in Resilience in
the "Land Use Policy" section.
Consider how local efforts to focus
economic development strategies along
existing commercial centers (historic
downtowns or commercial corridors) can
contribute to the region's overall economic
competitiveness through enhanced
integration of local and regional
planning efforts.
Protect sites for highway-, river- and
rail -dependent manufacturing and freight
transportation needs from incompatible
uses and identify local land supply and
transportation needs for effective use of
those sites.
Identify important multimodal
intersections, alternative freight routes,
key intersections, and other existing
opportunities that may contribute to local
and regional economic competitiveness.
Identify local measures that would
result in reductions in water use, energy
consumption, and greenhouse
gas emissions.
Identify local mitigation and adaptation
strategies and infrastructure resiliency
plans to protect against potential
negative impacts to local economies,
local resources, and infrastructure
systems that result from more frequent
or severe weather events.
Implement compact development
patterns and create more connected
places to reduce auto -dependency and
related generation of greenhouse
gas emissions.
THRIVE MSP 2040 LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
RURAL CENTERS: Serving the rural areas as small towAnS
Rural Centers are local commercial, employment, and residential activity centers serving
rural areas in the region. These small towns are surrounded by agricultural lands and serve
as centers of commerce to those surrounding farm lands and the accompanying population.
Although smaller in scale than urbanized communities, Rural Centers provide similar
development patterns and locally accessible commercial services for the surrounding area.
Orderly and Efficient Land Use
• Partner with local jurisdictions to work toward'
the orderly expansion of Rural Centers in a
manner that efficiently uses infrastructure and
guides growth where infrastructure capacity
exists while preserving prime agricultural soils
and surrounding low-density residential uses.
• Consider long range potential for
improvements to regional infrastructure
to support expected growth at average
residential densities of at least 3-5 units per
acre or more.
• Encourage innovative approaches to
development where existing infrastructure
and capacity are able to support increased
residential densities.
• Attain a balance of urban and rural uses to
retain the viability of the agricultural economy
and direct growth towards Rural Centers as
is appropriate.
• Partner with local communities to improve
land use patterns to reduce carbon emissions.
LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
• Plan for forecasted population and household
growth at overall average densities of at least
3-5 units per acre.
• Strive for higher -density commercial uses
and compatible higher -density residential
land uses in the commercial core of the
community to ensure efficient uses of existing
infrastructure investments.
• Work with adjacent jurisdictions to execute
orderly annexation agreements where
forecasted growth exceeds land capacity
within existing city boundaries.
• Work to focus forecasted growth in areas
with existing infrastructure capacity to protect
existing farm land and prime agricultural soils
for the long term.
• Adopt ordinances that coordinate
development with infrastructure availability.
• Identify areas that will accommodate post -
2040 growth forecasts and implement
strategies to preserve these areas for
future growth. Plan for necessary
infrastructure improvements.
DIVERSIFIED RURAL: Protecting land for rural
lifestyles and long-term urbanization -JIM
Diversified Rural communities are home to a variety of farm and nonfarm land uses including
very large -lot residential, clustered housing, hobby farms and agricultural uses. Located
adjacent to the Emerging Suburban Edge of the Urban Service Area, Diversified Rural
designation protects rural land for rural lifestyles today and potential urbanized levels of
development sometime after 2040. Large portions of communities in the Diversified Rural area
also contain prime agricultural soils, located primarily in Scott and Washington Counties.
There is a portion of the region's population that is interested in rural and small town living.
For communities in the Diversified Rural area, the Council supports the clustering of homes
to meet that demand, designed in a manner that protects high-quality and locally prioritized
natural areas and open spaces, and also preserves lands in areas identified for potential future
post -2040 urban development. In August 2008, the Council adopted Flexible Residential
Development Ordinance Guidelines for the Diversified Rural Area that describe the factors that
communities should take into account if they are considering allowing residential development
at densities greater than 4 units per 40 acres. These guidelines include the following points:
1. Include the need to reserve land resources for efficient future urban development as part
of the ordinance purpose.
2. Identify the land characteristics required to support future urbanization.
3. Allow no more than 25% of the developable land in a project to be developed, reserving
larger future urbanization parcels.
4. Protect future urbanization parcels with temporary development agreements, easements,
or deed restrictions.
5. Provide for the rezoning of the future urbanization parcels to a residential zoning
classification at densities consistent with Council policy at such time that urban services
are available.
6. Encourage the use of community wastewater treatment systems to serve the
temporary cluster.
For those communities on the edge of the urbanizing area, designated as part of the Long-
term Wastewater Service Area, a cluster ordinance should be developed and implemented
to provide for interim land uses without precluding the opportunity for future urban -density
development. For areas outside of the Long-term Wastewater Service Area, the Council also
encourages the clustering of homes, particularly when communities are considering densities
greater than 4 units per 40 acres. Similar to the guidelines applicable to areas within the Long-
term Wastewater Service Area, communities should consider implementing conservation
subdivision ordinances or other similar development ordinances to protect natural resources,
preserve open spaces, and address other local priorities.
LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
Natural Resources Protection
See policy discussion on Natural Resources 7policyssion on Natural Resources
Protection in the "Land Use Policy" section. "Land Use Policy" section.
Housing Affordability and Choice
See policy discussion on Housing Affordability
and Choice in the "Land Use Policy" section.
Designate land in the comprehensive plan
to support household growth forecasts and
address the community's share of the region's
affordable housing need through development
and redevelopment at a range of densities.
Use state, regional, and federal sources of
funding and/or financing and development
tools allowed by state law to facilitate the
development of new lifecycle and
affordable housing.
Plan for future staged growth through 2040 and
beyond to accommodate a variety of housing
choices based on local needs.
THRIVE MSP 2040 LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
Orderly and Efficient Land Use
Work with communities to plan development
patterns that will protect natural resources,
preserve areas where post -2040 growth can be
provided with cost-effective and efficient urban
infrastructure, and support forecasted growth
through 2040 without the provision of regional
urban services.
Promote development practices and patterns th
protect the integrity of the region's water supply
and the quality and quantity of water resources.
Natural Resources Protection
Provide technical assistance and tools for
resource protection, such as best practices
regarding the use of conservation easements
and clustered development ordinances.
Water Sustainability
Support the Minnesota Pollution Control
Agency's regulatory approach to private
treatment systems, which requires
permits for systems designed to treat an
average flow greater than 10,000 gallons
per day of wastewater (approximately
35 homes).
Advocate that the local community be
the permit holder for private wastewater
treatment systems to ensure long-term
accountability for the proper functioning
and maintenance of systems.
Provide technical assistance regarding
private wastewater treatment systems
and share information about the
performance of these systems in
the region.
Plan for growth not to exceed forecasts and
in patterns that do not exceed 4 units per
40 acres.
Preserve areas where post -2040 growth can
be provided with cost-effective and efficient
urban infrastructure.
Manage land uses to prevent the premature
demand for extension of urban services, and
so that existing service levels (such as on-site
wastewater management, gravel, and other
local roads) will meet service needs.
• Plan development patterns that incorporate
the protection of natural resources. Consider
implementing conservation subdivision
ordinances, cluster development ordinances, or
environmental protection provisions in local land
use ordinances.
• Protect the rural environment through local
oversight of the management and maintenance
of subsurface sewage treatment systems (SSTS)
to avoid the environmental and economic costs
of failed systems. Proactively explore options to
address failing septic systems.
• Ensure financial and environmental accountability
for installation, maintenance, remediation, and
management of any permitted private
wastewater system.
• Adopt subsurface sewage treatment system
(SSTS) management ordinances and implement
maintenance programs, consistent with current
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency rules (Minn.
Rules 7080-7083).
• Encourage the use of environmentally sensitive
development techniques, such as surface water
management best management practices that
capture, filter, and infiltrate stormwater
where possible.
THRIVE MSP 2040 LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
Water Sustainability
7"Land
on on Water Sustainability in
cy" section.
See poli7Use
ssion on Water Sustainability in
the "Lanolicy" section.
Access, Mobility, and Transportation Choice
Plan regional infrastructure consistent with a
rural level of service.
Explore transit links to urban areas based on
demand and the availability of resources.
Plan transit facilities to better incorporate
alternative mode connections for facilities
serving locations where commuters have to
travel greater distances to complete their trip.
LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
• Plan for and construct an interconnected
system of local streets, pedestrian facilities,
and bicycle facilities.
• Plan and develop local trail connections to
the regional parks and trails system
where appropriate.
Economic Competitiveness
Encourage communities to support a range of
housing opportunities for those interested in a
more rural lifestyle.
Support the development of workforce
housing to provide nearby housing options for
employees of local employers.
Convene interested partners to further strategies
toward increasing regional competitiveness
and include discussion of how Rural Center
communities can contribute to the region's
overall economic growth.
Building in Resilience
• Consider best practices for providing housing
opportunities to support local employment
and community needs.
• Consider identifying key intersections that
accommodate connections between rail and
highway infrastructure that could serve an
intermodal purpose.
• Consider how land uses adjacent to
key intersections could provide access
for trucking, freight, barge, shipping, or
warehousing purposes that may strengthen or
bolster the local economy.
• Consider how local efforts to focus economic
development strategies along existing
commercial centers (historic downtowns or
commercial corridors) can contribute to the
region's overall economic competitiveness
through enhanced integration of local and
regional planning efforts.
• Identify important multimodal intersections,
alternative freight routes, key intersections,
and other existing opportunities that may
contribute to local and regional
economic competitiveness.
See policy discussion on Building -in 7the
icy discussion on Building in Resilience
Resilience in the "Land Use Policy" section. Land Use Policy" section.
THRIVE MSP 2040 LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION
Housing Affordability and Choice
7Seelicy discussion on Housing Affordability and 7amix
a balanced housing supply and
in the "Land Use Policy" section. housing affordability to ensure
m community vitality.
Access, Mobility, and Transportation Choice
Plan regional transportation infrastructure
consistent with a rural level of service.
Support the management of access points to
state and county road systems and emphasize
construction of a local public street system
where needed.
Encourage communities to plan and develop
local trail connections to the Regional Parks
System where appropriate.
Economic Competitiveness
Where appropriate, promote the use of the Green
Acres and Agricultural Preserves programs to
preserve prime agricultural soils and maintain
agricultural uses as a long-term primary land use.
Support agriculture as a primary long-term use
to protect the region's agricultural economy, to
provide economic opportunities for farmers, and
to promote local food production.
Support connections between the Diversified
Rural communities and other areas both within
and outside of the region that promote safe
travel and ensure efficient transportation of
agricultural products.
Building in Resilience
• Plan for and construct local transportation
infrastructure, including trails, sufficient to
meet local needs.
• Plan and develop local trail connections
to the Regional Parks System where
appropriate.
• Identify and protect locally important
agricultural areas, in addition to prime
agricultural lands, to provide a range of
economic opportunities.
• Support existing agricultural uses as
primary long-term land uses and consider
allowing agricultural -supportive land uses in
local comprehensive plans.
• Support local property enrollment in the
Agricultural Preserves and Green
Acres programs.
• Consider opportunities for smaller -acreage
agricultural operations to support food
production for local markets.
See policy discussion on Building in Resilience in Seepolicy discussion on Building in
the "Land Use Policy" section. Resilience in the "Land Use Policy" section.
LAND USE POLICIES BY COMMUNITY DESIGNATION