The Minneapolis-St. Paul region is spreading further south, according to a recent study, which shows that projected growth will require more than 50,000 new homes and millions of square feet of retail and office space.
"In Dakota County, 53,000 households are projected to be added from now through 2030, fueling demand for more commercial space -- and creating up to 58,000 new jobs."
"That means about 2,200 acres will be needed for new commercial and industrial space, according to research conducted for the county's Community Development Agency."
"The south metro county is continuing to grow as the "urban fringe" of the Twin Cities metro area expands farther into the county. Outer-ring suburbs will see the greatest growth and potential to support more retailers and industry, the report said."
"It points to the trend of big-box stores cropping up nationwide. Since 2000, more than a third of the commercial space added in Dakota County has been for big-box stores"
FULL STORY: 'Urban fringe' continues to boom
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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