Minneapolis and St. Paul are considering changes to their planning ordinances that would require developers to set aside a percentage of every developed acre for more urban park areas. According to Embrace Open Space, Minnesota residents are losing an area the size of Minneapolis to development every 7 months. With residents claiming they would pay 10 to 25 percent more for a home within walking distance of open space, it looks like this is an important step for both cities.
Wide Open Spaces
Jan 13 2006 — 2:00am
5 Reader Comments
2:14 pm
Suburbs have requirements built in to their planning ordinances already. Lakeville, for example, doesn’t seem to require parks to be built but they do require 10% of any given plot of land to be left as “green space”.
At a recent Lakeville Planning Commission meeting, RL Jansen was showing their plans for Sunrise Village (a townhouse complex that is being built across from my home) and their plans call for 30% green space which is 3x more than the required 10%.
With St. Paul only looking to max the cap at 14%, it would appear that they are going to beat out even some of the suburbs!
3:23 pm
[quote]According to Embrace Open Space, Minnesota residents are losing an area the size of Minneapolis to development every 7 months.[/quote]
I’m curious as to the source of that claim, as it seems pretty extreme. A quick look over the website didn’t reveal much.
4:11 pm
I’m curious as to the source of that claim, as it seems pretty extreme. A quick look over the website didn’t reveal much.
Well, you would have to take any action group like Embrace Open Space cum grano salis… While I don’t believe their claim I do take their point and agree with it.
Minnesota is one of the few areas I have been that truly enjoys their open and green spaces. Growing up in PA I had plenty of State Forests, trails, etc to enjoy but the cities and towns just didn’t offer what Minnesota towns and counties do.
I’m glad to see that more and more people are beginning to understand that and “embrace” it.
11:16 am
Another ordinance to spawns request for variance. Great.
Here’s an idea-rather than further complicate the development process (insert standard rant here), mpls & st. Paul could allocate land they already control for the creation of open space, rather than selling the public’s land.
In some circles this process is refered to as “planning”.
Oh what the f**k, just pass another ordinance
10:14 am
I always thought that urban people liked living in cities because it didn’t involve much grass or trees unless it involved going to crowded lakes in semi-urban areas. Or at least that’s how it seems.