The hotly debated plan to remake Minneapolis into a denser urban core over the next 20 years won approval Wednesday night from the Metropolitan Council.
Minneapolis' 2040 plan wins Met Council approval
The City Council is expected to give it final approval on Oct. 11, and staffers said it would likely be in effect by mid-November.
September 25, 2019 at 10:29PM
The regional planning agency requires cities to submit the plans every decade and align them with the broader 2040 plan for the metro area. Minneapolis' plan has drawn both national plaudits and fierce opposition for allowing denser housing across the city, such as duplexes and triplexes in wide swaths zoned for single-family houses.
When the City Council voted to submit the plan last December, City Council President Lisa Bender described it as "a bold vision for our city to tackle racial exclusion in housing and climate change head on."
The council is expected to give it final approval on Oct. 11, and city staff said it would likely be in effect by mid-November.
The plan directs changes to the city's zoning code, some of which are already being implemented. The city's planning commission took a first look at the duplex and triplex change last month. John Louis, a spokesman for the city's planning department, said that could also be implemented by mid-November.
The council also agreed Wednesday to forecast greater long-term population increases for the city, as requested by city staff. The city's estimated population of roughly 428,000 is already 5,000 more than the council's 2020 forecast. The council now anticipates a population of 485,000 by 2040, an increase of more than 5% over the prior forecast.
Minneapolis' 2040 vision was by far the most high-profile among the 168 plans the council expects to receive.
Eric Roper • 612-673-1732 Twitter: @StribRoper
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