Document compiled by the Kingfield Neighborhood Association to help neighbors understand the purpose and process of the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan, and it’s relevancy to issues important to Kingfield Neighborhood.Â
What is the 2040 Comprehensive Plan ?
From the 2040 Comprehensive Plan Website:
“Minneapolis 2040 is a draft Comprehensive Plan that shapes how the city will grow and change. The draft covers topics such as housing, job access, the design of new buildings, and how we use our streets.
Over the past two years, the people of Minneapolis have told us a lot about their vision and hopes for the future of our city. A main theme we heard is that as the city grows, everyone must benefit from that growth. Historically, not everyone has. This draft plan is one opportunity to undo barriers and overcome inequities created by a history of policies in our city that have prevented equitable access to housing, jobs, and investments.
The draft plan reflects the result of two years of engagement with the people of Minneapolis, including over 50 meetings and conversations with thousands of residents, business owners and others. Your feedback directly helped us establish priorities and inform the content of the draft plan. For more details about the process and what we’ve heard so far, see the Planning Process section.
The Metropolitan Land Planning Act requires municipalities in the Twin Cities area to provide the Metropolitan Council with an updated Comprehensive Plan every ten years. The Comprehensive Plan must be consistent with the Metropolitan Council’s regional development guide, Thrive MSP 2040, that sets the direction for the region’s growth and development. Local communities are served by regional systems planned by the Metropolitan Council, including housing, transportation, wastewater collection and treatment, and regional parks.
The plan will be adopted by the City Council and provided to the Metropolitan Council for their review by December 31, 2018. While Minneapolis 2040 is intended to meet the requirements of state statute and the Metropolitan Council, the plan also has particular significance for Minneapolis in a time of population and employment growth. The City will use this plan to guide decision-making that affects the long-term future of our city as it relates to the built, natural, and economic environment.â€
Why is this plan important for the Kingfield Neighborhood? Â
Since the 2040 plan sets the vision and priorities for the future of Minneapolis, the vision and priorities that it adopts will guide policy for the next twenty years. Â Many of the policies discussed and highlighted in the 2040 plan are concerns of the Kingfield neighborhood including housing access and affordability, sustainable development and transportation options.
On the edge of newer, more dense developments over the last 10 years, the Kingfield neighborhood needs to understand and prepare for development in the neighborhood. Â Specifically, the 2040 plan lays out a vision for higher use corridors like Nicollet Ave. As a neighborhood it is essential that we understand, prepare and advocate for development along the corridor that is within the neighborhoods interest. Â The 2040 plan is an opportunity to not only see the vision and future of Kingfield and these growing corridors like Nicollet but influence their development and the city wide policies that will guide growth and priorities moving forward.
How can I comment on this plan?
There are a couple of ways to comment on the plan. Â Www.minneapolis2040.com/how-to-comment/ walks through all the ways you can comment on the site online including sending an email to: Â . If you are able, we also encourage you to attend the upcoming meeting at Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center, 4055 Nicollet Ave. S.) on May 14th to speak with other residents, city planners and officials about the plan.
What are the next steps in this process and when will this plan be developed? Â
From the Minneapolis 2040 website:
“In spring 2018, a draft comprehensive plan document was released for public review. Throughout the months of May through July a series of engagement activities will be hosted in order to gather public feedback on the draft comprehensive plan document. At the same time the plan will undergo jurisdictional review by neighboring cities, and applicable government jurisdictions.
All comments that are collected during this process will be compiled in order to inform the City Planning Commission and the City Council’s decision on final plan revision and adoption.â€
If I drive a car to get around will I still be able to get everywhere I need to go? Â
Yes!  Although the comprehensive plan talks about supporting infrastructure and design that provides for safer and easier walking, biking and transit, the comprehensive plan does not discuss removing whole pieces of infrastructure intended for cars.  The City of Minneapolis’ ‘Complete Streets’ policy that discusses the prioritization of modes of travel is actually already existing policy that was adopted in May of 2016. The complete streets policy can be found under policy 17 in the 2040 plan.
If you are concerned about the Complete Streets Policy and the focus on ‘complete streets’, or if you support the policy, we encourage you to comment on the plan.
I’ve heard a lot about making Minneapolis more dense but not a lot about affordability.  Does the 2040 plan address affordability? Â
Yes, the plan does cover both affordability and density. Â The Policies that discuss affordability are # 1 and #33-#43. Â If you have ideas, opinions or comments on the future of affordable housing for Minneapolis we would encourage you to comment on the plan.
My property is in a darker color on the land-use or built form map, what does this mean and will I be able to stay in my house? Â
The maps show in the 2040 plan are guiding documents for how the city plans on thinking about land-use and built form within the city.  In the 2040 plan, the majority of the Kingfield neighborhood is visioned to stay a lower density residential area but the plan does propose a different guiding vision for some of the properties along Nicollet Avenue, 46th Street and 38th Street.  If your property is along or adjacent to these corridors this only means that the city’s vision for properties along this corridor may allow for larger properties or different uses (commercial) in the long term.
What is the difference between the ‘land use’ and ‘built form’ maps?
‘Land use’ is the designation of activities that can go on a specific property.  Some of the different land use categories in the 2040 plan are things like Urban Neighborhood,  Corridor Mixed Use and Goods/Services Corridor. This map will tell you the vision for how activities are dispersed around the city.
‘Built Form’ is the designation for the size and design of buildings that can go on a specific property.  This map sets out the vision for the type and size of buildings within the City of Minneapolis.
We would encourage Kingfield residents to comment on these maps on the 2040 plan online.
What is the Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) doing to better understand the effects this plan will have on the neighborhood? Â
KFNA has done an extensive review of the 2040 plan and is working to produced a draft document outlining how the 2040 plan’s visions compares to the neighborhoods re-development goals and policies.  The draft of that document will be posted and shared when it is available.
KNFA’s re-development committee will continue to review and discuss the 2040 plan, refine this response, and help guide a response to the plan.
KFNA would encourage residents who have questions or concerns about the plan to attend a re-development committee meeting or contact KFNA at to discuss their concerns and questions.  These comments will be compiled and attached to KFNA’s response to the City of Minneapolis on the 2040 plan.