Any aambitious plan will have to change on its way to adoption. The Minneapolis 2040 comprehensive plan not only kept many of its core ambitions intact through the political process, but expanded them.
Jessica Lee prepares for the likely adoption of the Minneapolis 2040 Plan, one of the most ambitious and closely watched comprehensive plans in recent memory, by tracking the changes that got it to the finish line.
Lee list six big changes made to the plan from draft to final.
- Shifting from a draft proposal to allow flourplexes on residential properties to the final version that allows fourplexes.
- Making incremental changes to the zoning maps proposed in the plan.
- Changing wording from "reducing" to "eliminating" racial disparities.
- Adding additional priority on cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
- Removing the draft proposal to end parking minimums in the entire city. "After facing complaints from some drivers, however, council members approved new language to clarify 'that demand for parking will still result in new supply being built,'" reports Lee.
- Additional incremental changes on issues like indoor plants and transportation technology.
Lee provides more details on the politics of and processes of each of these changes.
FULL STORY: All the ways the City Council changed the Minneapolis 2040 plan
Mapping the Ambitious Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan
A parcel-by-parcel map of zoning changes included in the Minneapolis 2040 comprehensive plan.
Triplexes Replace Fourplexes in Revised Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan
Minneapolis planners have released a revise draft of the Minneapolis 2040 comprehensive plan, cutting back on some of the plan's most controversial aspects, but still maintaining an ambitiously urban approach.
Minneapolis Draft Comprehensive Plan Revealed
The city of Minneapolis is deploying many of the most contemporary planning tools as it works toward approval of the Minneapolis 2040 plan.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research