Minneapolis Strategic Growth Plan: Land Use
Land is one of the most valuable resources because of its fixed quantity and its appreciating value. With each civilization and development comes the need to establish the most effective strategy for increasing the yield from natural resources, without causing any harm to the environment. For Minneapolis City, land use has always been structured to achieve the most from its resources to increase welfare in the area.
Since the 19th century and ever since, the city development focuses on considering the natural system of its location, which includes lakes, the Mississippi wetlands, and creeks. In addition, the Mississippi river is the most important natural resource, because of the St. Anthony Falls’ hydroelectric generators, which would service the power needs of the city. Currently, general plans for the Minneapolis are contained in the Minneapolis Plan for Sustainable Growth, which was adopted in 2009. Not to forget to mention, that the Minneapolis City council actively sought the suggestions and approval of the public before adopting the plan, to ensure the commitment of both parties towards the
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The General Land Use Policy is a regulatory tool, which ensures that each construction or development project results in quality structures that have no negative effect on the man-made and natural systems in the city. Not only that, but it also emphasizes on achieving a sustainable balance in land uses while maintaining flexibility in the approaches used, to achieve the goals of the sustainability plan (Minneapolis City Council, Land Use 5). Regulatory measures also ensure the effective transition from one form of land use to another while ensuring accessibility needs are catered for. The goal of these policies is to effectively balance the economic and social needs of the