PlanIt

You most likely have heard the term ‘Economic Development’ a lot, but what does it really mean and how do different cities approach it? In this episode we talked with Dave Gontarek, Principal Project Manager, and Nora Riemenschneider, Economic Development Program Coordinator at the City of St. Paul about their experiences and ideas for successful economic development.

Planning can at times create unintended consequences, mostly for lower income communities and communities of color. It's the job of planners and policy makers to address these inequitable outcomes. Green Zones Initiative in Minneapolis is a concept to ensure these efforts are intentional, organized, and timely. Another similar effort is EcoDistricts that focuses on sustainable communities. In this episode, Kelly Muellman, Sustainability Program Coordinator at the City of Minneapolis explains the City's work and collaboration with the community in establishing this policy. 

Planning for a community includes thinking about the population and their housing needs in the future. Local governments need to be mindful of the policies they adopt and resources they provide. In this episode, James Lehnhoff from Ehlers talks about housing, housing finance, tools and how to meet your community's future needs. 

Change is inevitable. Communities are constantly changing and evolving due to new demands, technology, public spaces, and more. Private sector developers play an important role in shaping the future of the communities. So, what is their relationship like with Cities and planners? And how can this relationship be utilized to achieve positive outcomes for all parties? In this episode, Peter Brown who consults with both sides, explores ways to ensure best results.

Neighborhood is a term loosely used when talking about any certain area of a community. But Neighborhood Groups exist in many communities across the Twin Cities region regardless of the exact terminology and size of the neighborhood. These group structures can be a valuable conduit in connecting with the residents. In this episode, we explore the value of collaboration between Neighborhood Groups and Cities in local planning processes and best practices. Our guests are Tabitha Montgomery, the Executive Director of the Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association, and Lisa Barajas, Vice-Chair of the board of Corcoran Neighborhood Organization, in Minneapolis.

Space and place define our cities. According to Max Musicant, the Founder and Principal at The Musicant Group, place and space can be used for creative activities, or to foster community engagement with groups who may not normally be at the table. In this episode, we talk about placemaking and community engagement with underrepresented populations. We recorded this episode at the Capella Tower in downtown Minneapolis, where the Musicant Group helped change the use of common spaces in the building. We apologize for the audio quality of this podcast.

Recently, communities are having more conversations about equity, engaging with the topic in a variety of ways, from human resources management to parks planning. However, there are other planning areas that have not clearly addressed equity. When we think of transportation planning, we often inherently think of it through an equity lens, but we don’t convey this or clearly identify equity in our transportation planning. Going forward, we will need to clearly link equity and transportation to evaluate if we are achieving equitable outcomes in our transportation planning. This episode sheds light on the topic and explores the connection between transportation planning and planning for equity.

Agencies, local governments, and community groups frequently face challenges in their work due to limited resources. They may not be able to start/finish projects because of insufficient staff time, funds, or priorities. In these situations, academic institutions can be a great resource to build capacity and support good planning practices. Local schools, colleges, and universities provide a connection between students and communities. In this episode, we explore two of these programs, the Resilient Communities Project (RCP) at the University of Minnesota and Sustainable Communities Partnership (SCP) at the University of St. Thomas.

Environmental Justice is a topic that appears more in conversations. While it may seem that Environmental Justice is specifically about natural environment, the topic encompasses all physical and social attributes of the built environment. In this episode, Karen Monahan from the Sierra Club North Star Chapter, talks about what it means and how it can be incorporated into city planning. 

Historic Preservation is a topic that more and more communities are including in their planning efforts. But what is Historic Preservation and what does planning for it mean? In this episode, John Smoley from the City of Minneapolis explains this concept, ways to include it in the comprehensive planning process, and resources that are available for communities.