Minneapolis Downtown Council

A feasibility study is underway, looking at greening and the public realm in downtown Minneapolis, and seeking perspectives regarding the need for a greening non-profit organization.

Share your ideas on greening and the public realm in Downtown Minneapolis by taking a survey or providing email feedback.

• The 2025 Plan defines Downtown Minneapolis as the area roughly bordered by 94 to the west, 35W to the east, Loring Park and the Walker Art Center to the south and the University/Central area to the north.

WHO

• The Trust for Public Land is conducting a feasibility study to explore the idea of such a partnership in Minneapolis.

• The study is being overseen by an Advisory Committee comprised of representatives from the public sector (the City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board) as well as the private sector and local community (representatives from local businesses, non-profits, philanthropists, and residents.)

• To gauge community and stakeholder support, The Trust for Public Land will be surveying numerous people in the community from a wide variety of constituencies, using in-person interviews and an on-line survey. The input requested includes evaluation of existing condition, assessment of the landscape for such an endeavor, and what the concerns/obstacles/benefits of such an organization might be.

• Stakeholders being interviewed and surveyed include representatives from public sector (City, County, MPRB) and private entities (businesses, foundations) and individuals (philanthropists, residents etc)

• Funding is provided through contributions from public, private and philanthropic entities. DID is acting as fiscal sponsor for the study.

WHEN

• The report is due in late Spring 2012, and will aggregate input from everyone. The report will be available on this website, along with next steps and further updates. Submit your contact information via the feedback form below if you would like to be involved and/or receive further updates.

WHY?

• The idea for this study came from an effort to answer some of the difficult questions that arose about the downtown community, as a result of the Downtown 2025 planning process. You are invited to reflect on the questions that arose, and submit your comments either via voicemail or using the email feedback form at the bottom of this page.

Competitiveness
1. How do we ensure Minneapolis is a place where people and businesses want to be?
2. How can we get/keep Minneapolis on the list of vibrant cities?

Green connections
3. How can we use greening and public realm elements to make downtown more welcoming for the entire community?
4. How can we ensure the benefits of green space and a vital downtown are available to all?
5. How can we use greening and public realm elements to connect people to the many key sites and amenities downtown, like parks, entertainment districts, the University of Minnesota, the riverfront, etc.?
6. How do we showcase the Riverfront? How do we bring the vibrancy of downtown to the river, and bring the beauty of the river to downtown?
7. How can we use greening and public realm elements to reinforce connections between the many residential neighborhoods of downtown to the center of town, and each other?
8. How can we connect the millions of out of state visitors that come to the city every year to the natural beauty for which our community is known?

Changing times
9. How do we raise the priority of greening downtown (e.g. trees) in all public-private policy discussions?
10. How will Minneapolis meet the demand of the growing downtown residential population? (Residential areas included in the downtown as defined by the 2025 Plan are Loring Park, Elliott Park, Marcy Holmes, Old St. Anthony, Mills District, West Bank and North Loop. The collective resident population of 35,000 means downtown is one of the City’s largest neighborhoods, and resident population is projected to grow to 70,000 by 2025.)
11. How do we continue the legacy of our city’s parks and green infrastructure given reducing resources, increased demand and aging infrastructure?

Using all resources efficiently
12. How can we efficiently use everybody’s core skill sets (public sector, private sector, community) in a way that maximizes resources, outcomes and the benefit for the public good?
13. How do we channel private investment to benefit the public good?
14. Can Minneapolis create a public/private partnership model around parks that strengthens the tradition of a public park system and community engagement?

WHERE?
                 HERE!

Elaborate further on these questions
Pose questions you would like to ask
Contribute comments

Please send your comments, and any additional questions you think should be considered, using the email feedback form, or via voicemail at 651-999-5318.

Community members and interested parties can be notified of future opportunities to be involved by submitting contact information using the email feedback form, or via voicemail at 651-999-5318.

Should there be any work on this initiative beyond the feasibility study, a community engagement plan will be developed, posted on this website, and distributed to interested parties at that time.