Green Zones Initiative Report (1)

Minneapolis

Green Zones Initiative

MINNEAPOLIS GREEN ZONES INITIATIVE

July 2014

Primary Author:

Julia Eagles

Prepared for:

City of Minneapolis Sustainability Office

Gayle Prest, Director

Brendon Slotterback, Program Coordinator

This research was part of a year-long internship position with the City of Minneapolis Sustainability office. Thanks to Megan Hoye from the Center for Energy and Environment for her assistance providing background, resources and feedback for this report.

Table of Contents Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………………1-2

Background and Problem Definition………………………………………………………3-6

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………….3

Program Design…………………………………………………………………………………….5

Models from other Communities..…………………………...…………………………….6

Recommendations……………………………………………………………………………..7-15

1 – Screening Tool.…………………………………………………………………................7

2 – Green Zones Policy………………………………………………………………………..10

3 – Community Engagement……………………………………………………………….12

4 – Demonstration Project…………………………………………………………………..15

Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………………………16

References………………………………………………………….…………………………..19-20

Appendix………………………………………………………….……………………………………21

What are Green Zones?

A Green Zone is a community initiative to provide deep and ongoing services on a neighborhood scale to transform underserved and environmentally impaired parts of a city into vibrant, thriving and sustainable communities.1 Programs take on various forms depending on the needs in a given city, but a few key elements are common. Communities are selected using a cumulative impacts screening process to identify high-priority neighborhoods. Partners and community members work with cities to develop public policies and funding sources that will support these local goals over time.

Green Zones are based on the principle that community voices should be involved in defining and planning their own future. The goals of Green Zones are to:

· Reduce environmental pollution, and improve land-use decision making · Invest in sustainable, community-based development · Increase community capacity and power for positive change2

In neighborhoods with disproportionate levels of environmental and health risks, where residents may be exposed to pollution and degradation from industrial and transportation infrastructure, Green Zones are designed to target public and private investment to address those risks. In Minneapolis these neighborhoods often have above-average poverty rates and are home to many residents of color, who have historically been burdened with more than their share of environmental risks. Climate change poses an additional set of challenges for already vulnerable communities, where existing risks are exacerbated and there is less economic, institutional, scientific and technical capacity to cope and adapt.3 Green Zones designation aims to reverse this trend and prepare vulnerable communities by prioritizing them for receiving local, state and federal resources for renewable energy and energy efficiency programs, community gardens, parks and “green” business entrepreneurship, among other programs.

In Minneapolis, disparities between white people and people of color in the areas of education, employment, economic vitality and health are pervasive. Data from the Minneapolis Foundation and Wilder Research looked at 24 community indicators to compare performance in the areas of education, economic vitality, and representative leadership between racial groups, and to measure progress towards addressing those disparities.4 Across most of those indicators, a wide gap in opportunity or outcomes exists by race and income. Green Zones is one strategy that could be part of broader efforts to address those racial disparities in the City.

Similar place-based strategies have been used in a number of other cities to deliver housing, education, healthcare and other services in a particular neighborhood or geographic area. The Green Zones model addresses environmental factors such as access to transportation options, nutritious food, green infrastructure, healthy housing and clean air and water to improve social and economic outcomes.

Executive Summary

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Figure 1: Population under age 18 who live in poverty, from the One Minneapolis Report.

Children in Poverty

Existing Programs, Policies & Initiatives There are a number of models in other cities for targeting specific neighborhoods or urban areas for sustainable, community-based development. These include:

Green Impact Zone — Kansas City, MO Clean Up and Green Up Policy — Los Angeles Emerald Cities — Various cities Eco Districts — Portland, OR PlaNYC Green Program — New York, NY Green Zones Initiative — California Environmental

Justice Alliance, Southern CA Environmental Justice Screening Methodology —

University of South California

The strategies for each of these programs varies slightly, this report will outline the key design features from those programs to inform recommendations for the City of Minneapolis including ownership, organizational structure and governance, funding, methods to define geographic focus and potential metrics to measure impacts.

Several programs already exist in Minneapolis that aim to transition underserved and environmentally impaired parts of the city into healthier, safer, and more economically viable places to live and work. For example, the Green Homes North initiative is building 100 energy efficient homes over five years to revitalize neighborhoods in North Minneapolis.5 The Midtown Sustainability Initiative is focused on increasing energy efficiency, renewable energy, recycling, transportation alternatives and water conservation along the Lake Street corridor in South Minneapolis.6 Hawthorne Eco Village is another project in North Minneapolis with goals of achieving greater energy independence, maximizing bio-diversity, protecting the local watershed, and acting as a catalyst for future sustainable urban redevelopment, both nearby and across the country.7 The Allina Backyard Initiative and Northside Achievement Zone take similar approaches but focus on health and educational outcomes.

Recommendations for Implementation in Minneapolis This report includes four potential strategies for implementing a Green Zones initiative in Minneapolis, to leverage existing programs and improve overall environmental, economic and social sustainability outcomes for residents. All four strategies should be implemented, either in tandem or in sequence, for a Green Zones initiative to achieve comprehensive results.

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“Green Zones are community efforts to transition underserved and environmentally impaired parts of a city into healthier, safer, and more economically viable places to live and work. Some promising tools are to use data and research to screen for and research systemic energy poverty linkages, and to provide deep and ongoing services on a neighborhood scale. Minneapolis’ GrowNorth initiative, the Hawthorne Eco Village, and the Midtown Sustainability Initiative are current examples of such targeted, neighborhood-scale initiatives, each of which could potentially be enhanced by a comprehensive Green Zones approach. Urban Green Zones have been adopted by cities that are trying to tackle systemic linkages between sustainability and poverty. Programs and services could also be coupled with data collection to create a more rigorous understanding of energy and health burdens.”

-Minneapolis Energy Pathways Study 1

-Establish a city policy to prioritize resources for designated urban Green Zones (GZ)

-Identify policy barriers and opportunities for GZ implementation

-Develop methodology based on cumulative environmental and health impacts

-Use screening tool to designate Green Zones and measure impacts

-Engage community and local government stakeholders to design a tailored GZ strategy

-Leverage existing assets from local organizations & entities

-Establish a GZ pilot program, in an anchor community identified by the screening tool

-Tailor strategies to local interests and to address specific needs

Screening Tool Green Zones

Policy Community Engagement

Demonstration Project

Background and Problem Definition

Introduction: What is the Problem? Communities of color, low-income and immigrant communities face disproportionate rates of environmental hazards, pollution and health risks in their neighborhoods. A number of factors contribute to this inequity: a history of residential segregation and discriminatory zoning, lower levels of political and economic power, and market-driven land use and economic development patterns that tend to exacerbate the concentration of environmental hazards in disadvantaged communities, distributing the benefits elsewhere.8

Organizing efforts to address these issues have occurred across the country under the banner of environmental justice, influencing political, economic and land use decisions that impact health and quality of life. While there have been a number of individual victories locally to reduce pollution, prevent the introduction of new sources, and increase environmental amenities such as parks, green space and affordable housing, there has not been a comprehensive strategy to overcome systemic barriers to healthy environments and

economic opportunities.9 Green Zones initiatives offer a more integrated approach to targeting at-risk neighborhoods and working with residents to identify local issues so that resources can be allocated to make measurable health, environmental and economic improvements.

Disparities in Minneapolis

Minneapolis has some of the widest gaps between white people and people of color of any city in the country in the areas of education, employment, economic vitality and health. Disparities also exist geographically across the city, through measures of tree canopy coverage, access to amenities, utility costs and proximity to environmental hazards.

Some key points of concern are noted below: More than half of all the American Indian,

Asian, and Black children in Minneapolis are living in poverty.

Hispanic, multiracial, and Black low-income households in Minneapolis are the least likely to have access to affordable housing, with fewer than 2 in 10 paying housing costs considered reasonable.

While only about 60% of Minneapolis residents are White, 83% of jobs in the city are filled by White workers.10

Given the racial disparities that exist in the city, a targeted strategy that addresses these issues in a place-based manner may be effective at bridging some of those gaps. In order to effectively screen for target Green Zone communities, design effective strategies and measure impacts of programs as they are implemented, further data is needed to illustrate how the disparities break down geographically.

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Photo source: Environmental Justice Advocates of MN

Figure 2: Data from the Minneapolis Sustainability Indicators shows severe racial disparities in poverty rates in the city

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Background–

Beginning in early 2012, Minneapolis worked with various stakeholders to develop a Climate Action Plan for the city, to reduce its overall greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets of 15% by 2015 and 30% by 2025.11 The plan provided a series of goals and strategies in three key sectors: Buildings & Energy, Transportation & Land Use, and Waste & Recycling. An Environmental Justice Working Group informed the plan’s content, to build social and environmental equity into the plan and aim to share the benefits of climate action with those who will be most impacted by climate change.

Within the Energy & Buildings section, the plan recommends developing a Green Zone initiative in Minneapolis (see text box). Designated Green Zone neighborhoods would then be the recipients of targeted retrofit campaigns to increase efficiency or boost renewable energy installations. Areas that are labeled Green Zone may be better positioned to access funding and other resources offered by the city, state and federal agencies.

With the expiration of utility franchise agreements with both Xcel Energy and CenterPoint Energy at the end of 2014, the City of Minneapolis embarked on a process to determine what it would want from a sustainable, 21st century energy system and potential options for achieving that system. The result of that process was the Minneapolis Energy Pathways study. The report addresses concerns from policymakers, advocates, businesses and residents related to environmental impacts of our energy system, reliability of service, local economic impacts and the equity of energy services.1 A Green Zones initiative is introduced in the report as a promising strategy to transition underserved and environmentally impaired parts of a city into healthier, safer, and more economically viable places to live and work.

The study included a recommendation to implement a Green Zones pilot project in the next 6-18 months in Minneapolis, as part of efforts related to a city-utility partnership. This may include working with the City planning office to devise a plan and goals, allocating funds or staff to support such a program, and connecting targeted communities with programs that will train and employ local residents to do work such as energy efficiency improvements or clean energy installations. The potential

savings from such an initiative was estimated assuming 5% participation among public buildings, residential properties and small businesses in a targeted zone of the city. This would result in estimated energy savings of up to 50,000 MMbtu in 2025.1

In the past year the City of Minneapolis has also launched its Equitable Solutions for One Minneapolis racial equity framework, aimed at eliminating institutional racism in city structures. The goal of the framework is to provide tools, data, proposed targets and strategies for viewing the City’s work through a racial equity lens that can influence community engagement, policy-making, planning and service delivery to improve the socio-economic condition for residents of Minneapolis.12 The Equitable Solutions initiative provides a powerful foundation of principles and tools (including a Racial Equity Assessment, Guides and Training) to support a Green Zones initiative, both of which aim to address structural disparities within the City.

“The City could create an initial planning framework based on a deeper review of efforts in other cities and form a task force to begin community led engagement to identify the priorities on the ground.”

-Minneapolis Energy Pathways Study

“The Green Zone Initiative will create a city designation for neighborhoods, or clusters of neighborhoods that face the cumulative impacts of environmental, social, political and economic vulnerability. Green Zones are an environmental and economic development tool that targets new green infrastructure and retrofits for a specific area, in a comprehensive manner. Minneapolis Green Zones could correspond with targeted housing and commercial retrofit campaigns, to increase energy efficiency or boost renewable energy installation. Green Zone designated neighborhoods may be better positioned to access benefits offered by the city as well as state and federal agencies, ranging from targeted pollution reduction, to increased funding opportunities.”

-Minneapolis Climate Action Plan, June 2013

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Program Design Green Zone definitions vary by location, but the common concept is a local framework to improve and protect the environmental and economic health of a community affected by environmental degradation. The Green Zone designation can be an entire city or a specific area with heavy concentrations of pollution, determined by a set of screening metrics.13 Partners then work with cities to develop public policies and resources that will support the local goals over time. In December 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency endorsed the Green Zone concept at a White House forum as a model to protect environmental and economic health that represents a new direction for the environmental justice movement.13

In a designated Green Zone, you might find:

Community involvement in decisions related to land use and development;

More parks, community gardens, urban farms, green businesses and jobs;

Land use policies that prevent new polluting projects or facilities from locating in these communities;

Increased access to energy efficiency programs and services and energy infrastructure improvements;

Support for businesses that want to “green up” their operations; and

Focused investment from private and public sectors for local economic development.13

The Green Zones approach creates community benefits in three areas: reducing existing environmental pollution and improving land use decisions; investing in sustainable, community-based development; and increasing community capacity and power.9 This approach aligns with the City’s racial equity vision, which recognizes that in order to achieve equity, some individuals or groups may need to receive more resources or services than others. A Green Zones initiative also supports the broader City goals of equity, safety, health, vitality, connectedness and growth, articulated in 2014 by the City Council as part of their long-term vision.14

Existing Metrics Minneapolis tracks progress towards these goals in several ways. One is called Results Minneapolis, which measures mostly internal metrics related to City services. Another is through the Sustainability Indicators, a set of 26 metrics in three topic areas —Healthy Life, Greenprint and Vital Community — which provide a baseline for the city and track progress towards 10-year environmental, economic and social sustainability targets (see full list in Appendix 1).15 While all of this data is useful for measuring the impact of some City programs, it doesn’t provide the level of specificity necessary for a place-based strategy like Green Zones. Only a few of the existing indicators have geographic and demographic-specific data, which would be necessary for developing a Green Zones screening methodology.

Architectural rendering of the Hawthorne Eco-Village Image source: Coen Partners

Figure 3: Neighborhood Urban Tree Canopy

An analysis by the University of Minnesota mapped urban tree canopy coverage by parcel across the city. This map shows coverage by neighborhood.

“The Green Zone concept is an affirmative approach to reduce and prevent pollution—one that looks at the overall environmental and economic health of a community.”

-Communities for a Better Environment

Entity/Location Initiative Overview

University of Southern California

Environmental Justice Screening Methodology

A mapping and scoring procedure to identify cumulative impacts and social vulnerability within regions to identify overburdened communities and to

inform citing, zoning and policy decisions 16

California Environmental Justice Alliance

Green Zones Initiative An advocate-led effort to pass state-wide Green Zones policy to move California away from environmental

siloes and towards transformation of toxic hotspots 17

Los Angeles, CA Clean Up and Green Up

City Policy

A policy initiative that aims to address environmental justice issues in communities disproportionally affected by industrial land uses and other polluting sources. Based on a four-pillar system of prevention, reduction,

revitalization and reinvestment 18

PlaNYC Green Buildings & Energy Efficiency

Zone Green Program

A citywide initiative that will unlock opportunities for building owners to make sustainable investments in new and existing buildings, part of the city’s larger

comprehensive strategies for growth 19

Portland, OR Eco Districts

A model of public-private partnership that emphasizes innovation and deployment of district-scale best practices to create the neighborhoods of the future -

resilient, vibrant, resource efficient and just 20

Washington, D.C. (headquarters, network is nationwide)

Emerald Cities

A non-profit network of organizations working together to advance a sustainable environment while creating greater economic opportunities for all by retrofitting building stock, creating high wage jobs, and

revitalizing local economies in metropolitan regions 21

Kansas City, MO Green Impact Zone

A cooperative effort to focus funds on projects in a targeted 150-square-block area of Kansas City Strategies include housing, neighborhood capacity building, employment and job training, energy and

water conservation 22

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Models from Other Communities

Photos from California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA)’s Green Zones Initiative

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One of the barriers to implementing a Green Zones initiative is the lack of a methodology and data for identifying target communities. While there has been recognition of the disproportionate health impacts and environmental hazards for minority and low-income communities, there has not been sufficient measurement and tracking to assess cumulative impact of these hazards in a comprehensive way. Developing a set of consistent measures to track disparities would also help to design strategies to effectively address those inequalities, tailored to mitigate the specific risks faced by a community.

Minneapolis uses its Sustainability Indicators to track a number of metrics related to environmental, economic and social sustainability in the city (see Appendix for full list), but this piecemeal approach does not give a holistic view of cumulative impacts. The first step would be to update those metrics to align with the risks or disparities identified as most important for the city to mitigate, and to gather geospatial data on those metrics. Next would be to develop a scoring or screening method that reveals and ranks the cumulative impact of the risks. Such a tool could be used not only to direct resources for a Green Zones initiative, but as a broader decision-making tool for policy makers to inform zoning and planning decisions, regulatory strategies and infrastructure investments.

Screening Tool

Existing Data Sources: Twin Cities Environmental Justice Atlas: 23 This tool (summarized in detail on page 12) was developed by the Center for Earth Energy and Democracy to track pollution and toxic risks in the Twin Cities. While not yet a cumulative screening tool, the atlas provides a foundation of geospatial data on race and ethnicity, land use, housing stock and poverty rates.

Minneapolis Sustainability Indicators: 15 Of the city’s twenty-six Sustainability Indicators, only 6 have geospatial data available. Much of the data for these indicators comes from public sources such as state agencies and the Census, while some is collected by city departments. The city has relied on free data sources to populate these metrics, but a Green Zones screening tool may require additional resources to collect new data.

MN Compass: Minneapolis neighborhoods 24 This project, led by the Wilder Foundation, measures progress across the state—in topic areas such as education, economy, workforce, health, housing and public safety– to inspire action. Neighborhood-specific data is available on household income, educational attainment, housing stock, employment rate and languages spoken at home. This data has been compiled to give some cumulative measurement identifying “neighborhoods of concern.” While not a comprehensive tool, it provides a useful foundation of potential metrics.

Figure 5: Data from the City’s Community Planning and Economic Development department on green jobs. The data shows steady growth in this area, but is not available by specific industry and location.

Healthy Food Access

Figure 4: Map showing access to healthy food outlets in Minneapolis. Data from the Sustainability Indicators

Recommendations

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Twin Cities Environmental Justice Atlas

The Center for Earth Energy and Democracy developed the Environmental Justice (EJ) Atlas in partnership with the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs at the University of Minnesota, with input from community members in the Twin Cities and allied environmental justice organizations across the country. The EJ Atlas provides information about pollution and toxic risks in the Twin Cities community and a way to compare environmental risks across communities based on race and income, and health sensitive populations.

The atlas currently includes the following data: 23

The tool provides a baseline, but could be expanded upon and supplemented with more specific data to create a screening tool for identifying highest risk communities. There are limitations to what geographically-specific data is available due to privacy protections. Efforts at the state and federal level to establish rules and processes for disclosing energy use data may help to more accurately identify properties with the greatest energy savings opportunities.

An additional data set comes from a recent study by Julian Marshall at the University of Minnesota, which looked at exposure to outdoor air pollution such as nitrogen oxide (NO2). The study found that nationally, people of color are exposed to 38 percent higher levels of NO2 compared to white people.25 The analysis included demographic Census data (race-ethnicity, poverty status, education status, and age) as well as air pollution and land use data. Nitrogen dioxide comes from sources like vehicle exhaust and power plants, and breathing it is linked to asthma symptoms and heart disease.25 By aggregating data from sources such as the Marshall study and other research, the Environmental Justice Atlas could be used to screen communities for Green Zone initiative implementation.

Data set Source

Race and Ethnicity U.S. Census 2010, available at the block group level

Median Household Income American Community Survey, 2010 5-year survey, block group level

Owner & Renter Occupied Housing Hennepin County and Ramsey County parcel data, July 2012

Blighted Housing City of Minneapolis and City of St. Paul Assessors, 2012

Land Use Metropolitan Council, Generalized Land Use 2010 for the Twin Cities

Potential Hazards, Air Quality, Landfills, and Contaminated Sites Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Site Data, 2010

Air Monitoring Stations Annual Air Monitoring Annual Plan, MPCA, 2012

Food Stores Google, Center for Earth Energy and Democracy 2013

Energy Poverty Derived from 2010 US Census data and the 2012 American Community Survey

Figure 6: A sample of data from the Twin Cities Environmental Justice Atlas, highlighting energy poverty (disproportionate energy costs) and volatile organic compound emitters.

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Case Study: University of Southern California, Environmental Justice Screening Methodology

The Environmental Justice Screening Method (EJSM) is a tool being developed by three faculty from colleges and universities across California to assess the cumulative impact of environmental hazards holistically and in a way that addresses patterns of environmental inequality. The tool itself is a fairly simple, flexible and transparent map, which incorporates a scoring system that weights the cumulative risk of a variety of environmental and social hazards. Results from the map can be used for citing, zoning, and policy development and decision-making in addition to identifying over-burdened communities. It was initially developed for the California Air Resources Board to assess cumulative impact on the basis of three factors: hazard proximity and land use, air pollution exposure and estimated health risk, and social and health vulnerability.26 The tool is being updated as more data is added, coverage is expanded across California, and indicators are developed related to climate change and vulnerability.

A critical component of the EJSM and other screening tools is to involve public participation in developing the metrics, to get community input and potentially assistance in the data collection process. Getting buy-in from community members will help legitimize the screening process among residents and may introduce new measures to include.

The EJSM tool uses 23 different indicators metrics including:27 Sensitive land use indicators: childcare and healthcare facilities, schools, playgrounds Hazardous facilities and land uses: air quality hazards, hazardous land uses (refineries, airports, ports, etc.) Health risk and exposure: respiratory hazards, cancer risks, particulate matter, ozone Social and health vulnerability: people of color, low-income households, home ownership levels, educational attainment, housing value, age of residents (under 5 and over 60), linguistic isolation, voter turnout, birth outcomes

The tool is intended to serve as a model for other communities – to score small areas based on regionally-specific metrics and use the results to change policy. In Minneapolis a similar tool could be developed that makes use of existing data resources, supplemented with more geospatial data on environmental and health risks and exposure.

Figure 7: Environmental Justice Screening Method (EJSM) Scores for Southern California. Scores range from 3 to 15, with higher scores indicating closer proximity to hazards, higher levels of exposure, and a higher degree of social vulnerability.

Screening Tool Recommendation

A number of communities have used policy measures to institute or support their Green Zones initiatives, aimed at different community-specific issues and goals. Minneapolis has included Green Zones references in several of its existing reports and plans, including the Climate Action Plan and Energy Pathways Study. While these documents each lay out some suggestions for implementation, an official policy would institutionalize the recommendations and may help direct City resources, staff and funds to Green Zones projects. Communities have taken various approaches to policy development to support Green Zones.

The City of Los Angeles passed a motion to designate Green Zone districts in the city (see side bar for more details) which would gain access to incentives to encourage green development and regulations to limit pollution. New York City took a different approach with its Zone Green program (see side bar, page 11) examining existing policies, plans, zoning and regulation to remove barriers to green construction and retrofits. The City of Commerce, CA passed a four-pillar plan that aims to prevent toxic exposure to residents from new land uses; reduce the level of existing impacts through voluntary business collaborations, allowing participants to utilize less polluting equipment; revitalize local economic opportunities to contribute in a vibrant economy and increase of jobs, and reinvest in key boulevards to bolster business and quality of life opportunities.28 The California Environmental Justice Alliance, a coalition of organizations representing communities across the state, has been working to develop an Assembly Bill (AB 1330) to identify disadvantaged communities for investment opportunities, increase environmental enforcement in highly impacted areas, advance resources in over-burdened areas, and ensure the state has an equitable, sustainable plan for reducing and managing hazardous waste.29 The bill provides a model state-wide policy to address the problem of disproportionate pollution burdens in low-income and minority communities.

Each of these approaches has merit, and Minneapolis might take a hybrid approach, both examining existing rules and regulations and developing new policies and decision-making tools to enable Green Zones.

Green Zones Policy

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Case Study: Los Angeles Clean Up Green Up In June of 2013, the City of Los Angeles City Council passed a “Clean Up, Green Up” motion, which designated three communities in the city as “green zone” districts.30 In an effort to use municipal planning and enforcement strategies to address cumulative community impacts, the City directed the Planning Department to implement a program to attract clean industries through incentives, including help obtaining permits and tax and utility rebates. Polluters would then be targeted with tougher inspection and enforcement protocols. This includes an ongoing outreach strategy to gather input from residents, businesses and stakeholders on the process. The City will create an ombudsman office to connect businesses with city, state and federal resources - business planning support, low interest loans - as well as helping businesses comply with existing regulations, streamlining city permitting processes and focusing economic investment in the target communities through public-private partnership. The program is supported by a $100,000 foundation grant accepted by the city to support salaries and other costs.18

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Existing Green Policies in Minneapolis: Minneapolis already has a number of both internal and external policies, codes and ordinances to encourage environmentally responsible practices in City operations and among residents and businesses.

The City aims to lead by example with its government policies, such as an environmental purchasing policy, a LEED building policy and a Green Fleets policy to reduce the environmental impacts of municipal purchases, properties and vehicles.32 Externally, the City has enacted a variety of ordinances related to air, land, water and energy that the City to reduce environmental impacts from residents and businesses. Examples of those ordinances include an anti-idling policy, a building energy disclosure ordinance, and waste control and discharge rules.33 Minneapolis’ Environmental Services Department, housed in the Department of Health, is responsible for enforcing those ordinances; administering programs to support clean, healthy and efficient business practices; and monitoring environmental quality.

These policies provide a strong foundation for Minneapolis to build upon with its Green Zones policy. Part of the process should be reviewing the City’s Municipal Code to identify existing regulatory, inspection and enforcement programs that may align with a Green Zones initiative, but also looking for regulatory and programmatic gaps that should be addressed. Dedicated staff time and resources will be required to coordinate the process and engage the community in planning and implementation.

The Minneapolis Sustainability Indicators, which were referenced in detail in the previous section, provide not only a measurement and potential screening tool for the City, but could also be used to set targets related to a Green Zones initiative. Existing indicator targets related to brownfield site clean-up and renewable energy project permits are examples of the types of goals the City might set for environmental improvements. The communities identified by the screening tool might take priority for those services based on highest need. Integrating Green Zones into the Sustainability Indicators would create an institutional process for setting goals and measuring impacts of the program.

Case Study: PlaNYC Zone Green Program As part of its broader plan to prepare the city for more residents, strengthen the economy, combat climate change, and enhance the quality of life- called PlaNYC- the New York City Department of City Planning has launched a citywide initiative called PlaNYC Green Buildings & Energy Efficiency to implement sustainability and energy efficiency improvements in new and existing buildings in the city.19 One component of that plan is called Zone Green — a set of amendments to zoning regulations, accompanied by supporting City and State legislation, to remove impediments to the construction and retrofitting of green buildings. By removing obstacles caused by previous zoning regulations and empowering property owners to build or retrofit buildings to 21st century standards, Zone Green will unlock opportunities to make buildings greener. Some of the strategies include installing external insulation, generating renewable energy, managing storm water through green roofs and detention systems, and providing opportunities to grow local food.31 A Green Codes Task Force was formed, convening a group of leading practitioners at the request of then Mayor Bloomberg, to review and give recommendations to the Council on City regulations related to green buildings. The group was free to propose changes to any and all codes and regulation that may pose impediments to sustainability.

Green Zones Policy Recommendation

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Community Engagement

Community engagement is the organized, interactive partnership between a government and its citizens, which is essential to the effective implementation of government-initiated sustainability programs.34 This process can foster a sense of community investment in the initiative that will support successful out-comes. An inclusive approach to policy-making takes advantage of the assets and diverse perspectives of the city’s population. A proactive and relationship-driven approach helps to anticipate and address potential roadblocks to implementation.

In developing a Minneapolis Green Zones initiative, there must be an effort to involve residents in all stages of the process, from visioning to implement-ation, to maintain trust and accountability to the public. Imperative to this process is the inclusion of diverse local stakeholders, targeting under-represented communities who may be uniquely impacted by the initiative’s implementation. These stakeholders should also include relevant City departments and elected officials, other local government partners, and representatives from the private and business sectors. Information about the process should be made available and accessible to residents through a variety of channels. The City’s website provides a potential forum for resources, but efforts should also be made to provide access through local media and social networks and with a concerted effort to reach Limited English Proficiency residents. In order for community groups to effectively participate, there is a need to build the capacity of residents through trainings and funding opportunities.

These principles should be upheld in all engagement efforts:

honor the wisdom and experience of residents treat them with integrity and respect work to ensure an inclusive process solicit input from under-represented groups maintain transparency share decision making and leadership with

participants welcome feedback and recommendations

throughout the process 34

Case Study: Eco Districts EcoDistricts is a comprehensive strategy developed by the Portland Sustainability Institute to accelerate sustainable development at the neighborhood-scale by integrating building and infrastructure projects with community and individual action.20 The scale of is small enough that they can implement projects quickly and nimbly to have a significant sustainability impact. Many of the strategies involved in EcoDistricts are well-suited to community-scale deployment, including green street and alley projects, district energy generation, urban agriculture, and public art projects.35 The EcoDistricts approach (illustrated below) involves community members at each step in the process: assembling neighborhood stakeholders, utilities, property developers, and municipalities to develop a collective community vision and manage its implementation.

Emerald Cities Emerald Cities Collaborative (ECC) is a national network of organizations that work to “advance a sustainable environment while creating greater economic opportunities for all.”21 ECC is based on a collaborative model, which engages leaders from government, labor, community and business to implement large-scale building retrofits, create high-wage trade jobs, and revitalize local economies in participating Emerald Cities across the country. The collaborative approach encourages shared learning and action, helps to bridge historic divides between groups, builds social capital within communities and produces well-rounded and sustainable outcomes. ECC coalitions focus on supporting metropolitan regions in ways that are accountable and equitable- engaging historically excluded and hard-to-reach populations in the new green economy.36

There are currently Emerald Cities pilot projects in the following cities: Atlanta, Cleveland, Los Angeles, New York, Milwaukee, Oakland, Portland, Providence, San Francisco and Seattle.21

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Community Engagement Recommendation

Minneapolis Models for Community Engagement Minneapolis has a number of existing structures in place to encourage community engagement in city processes: Citizen Boards and Commissions:

Minneapolis has over 50 volunteer-based boards, commissions and advisory committees with over 600 members. The City seeks applicants with diverse back-grounds and experiences to inform city policy-making. This provides a useful framework for engaging residents in city programs and decision-making.37

Community Environmental Advisory Commission: A volunteer committee, made up of community members, representatives from environmental advocacy groups, technical environmental experts and representatives from industries or companies having a major impact on the environment. been formed to provide assistance and advice to the city's efforts with its principal focus on sustainable development.38 The commission works closely with the Sustainability Office to provide advice and comments on projects, programs and policies. Members are appointed by the City Council, representing various wards and local government entities. CEAC’s membership and role in city decision-making may provide a useful model for a Green Zones initiative.

Minneapolis Climate Change Innovation Grants: Beginning in 2007, the Minneapolis Climate Change Innovation Grant program was designed to empower direct, immediate actions by residents and businesses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The purpose of the grants was to energize local groups- including neighborhood organizations, schools, and nonprofits- to develop community-scale solutions in energy efficiency and sustainability, and to inspire their communities to take action. In the 4 years the program operated, the city distributed over $250,000 in grant funds to support local projects.39 The projects saved Minneapolis residents and businesses thousands of dollars, prevented tons of carbon dioxide emissions and built lasting community connections. While the program is no longer active, it provides a model for how the City can empower community groups to design and implement sustainability, carbon reduction programs and initiatives.

Minneapolis Climate Action Plan development process: In early 2012, the City of Minneapolis embarked on a process to develop a Climate Action Plan to reduce its carbon emissions. This began with the formation of three technical working groups and a steering committee, each made up of City and other government agency representatives, technical experts, community representatives, and members of the City’s Community Environmental Advisory Commission (CEAC).11 Public open houses held in the community attracted over 50 attendees, many of whom provided written comments which were recorded and shared with the Steering Committee, and an online survey garnered 65 additional responses. Project staff also presented the draft goals and strategies to four additional City advisory groups. An Environmental Justice Working Group (EJWG) was established to ensure that the voices of those most impacted by both climate change (namely communities of color, American Indians, and low-income communities) were represented and supported in a decision-making capacity in the planning process. This process, of engaging diverse stakeholders and experts in developing a plan, may serve as a model for creating a Green Zones imitative in Minneapolis.

Allina Backyard Initiative This partnership between Allina Hospitals and Clinics, the Cultural Wellness Center, and neighborhood residents took a place-based approach to improve health outcomes of the residents who live in the “backyard” of the major healthcare providers in South Minneapolis.40 Through this process, residents participated in Citizen Health Action (CHAT) teams, designed and conducted a massive local health research study, organized preventative health interventions such as aerobics classes and dinner gatherings. The initiative provides a model for effective institutional-community partnership.

A workshop sponsored by the City convening community stakeholders on climate adaptation and resilience.

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In order to be successful, a Green Zones initiative in Minneapolis would have to engage stakeholders throughout the City, both internal departments and external partners. Listed below are some of the primary stakeholders who might be involved and their role as it relates to a Green Zones initiative:

Involving a variety of parties and interests will help to establish buy-in for the program, as well as bring a diversity of perspective and resources. A successful initiative requires a comprehensive approach that includes active community participation, assessment, new forms of capital and public policy support.

Consider the following recommendations in the Green Zones community engagement efforts: Establish a community advisory group of stakeholders to assist in developing the vision and

implementation of a Green Zone initiative (potential partners outlined above) Develop a Green Zones initiative website for the city - create accessible policy documents and guidelines,

and make city staff available to answer questions from the public Provide grants and technical assistance to encourage locally-based projects and solutions for energy

efficiency, sustainability, etc.

Organization Role

City Departments:

Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED)

Responsible for the City’s growth– both in residents and jobs—a critical partner to help review plans and develop resources related to Green Zones

Health Department– Environmental Services

Delivering programs and collecting data related to health equity, supporting environmental ordinances and monitoring, providing support for Green Zones screening, policy and implementation

Public Works A number of the potential Green Zones programs would likely relate to public infrastructure and services

City Coordinator’s Office– Sustainability Office

Coordinator of departments across the city, the maintainer of the Sustainability Indicators, houses Homegrown Minneapolis program

Neighborhood and Community Relations

Strengthening resident involvement and City-community partnerships

Local Government Partners:

Minneapolis Parks & Recreation Expansion of park land, green space and amenities

Minneapolis Public Schools Owner of properties and land throughout the city, as well as a link to youth

Hennepin County Managing funding and resources related to environmental education, recycling and waste reduction

Community Partners:

Community-Based Organizations Non-profit, advocacy organizations working on issues related to anti-poverty, economic development, environmental justice, energy efficiency, transit, local food access, etc.

Neighborhood Organizations Provide a connection to residents in the city’s 81 neighborhoods

Cultural Groups Another network of residents, who may otherwise be difficult to reach

Private/Business Partners Large and small, corporate and local, may provide funding, staff support

Utility Companies– Xcel Energy, CenterPoint Energy

Key partners as the providers of electricity and natural gas services in the city, have access to data and run programs for efficiency and conservation

Green Zones Community Advisory Group

Demonstration Project

The Minneapolis Energy Pathways Study includes a recommendation as part of the City-Utility Partnership to establish a Green Zones pilot with key community leadership and third party facilitators.

Each Green Zones pilot will likely look somewhat different depending on the community characteristics and priorities. A key element of a Green Zones initiative is that it be community-driven, based on priorities identified by local residents and delivered using culturally-appropriate strategies. A pilot Green Zones project in Minneapolis– in a targeted area identified through a comprehensive screening tool and developed through a community engagement process– could leverage existing city programs for place-based implementation. A successful pilot project would depend on a coordination between the stakeholders outlined on the previous page.

“Communities identified as Green Zones, after an extensive screening process, may collaborate with the City and partners to create a community–based vision for improved sustainability and environmental justice... The City could also showcase best practices of affordable housing developers who have maximized energy efficiency and minimized utility costs in new projects.”

-Minneapolis Energy Pathways Study

Existing Models in Minneapolis

Program Overview

Hawthorne Eco Village

A project of the Family Housing Fund, Project for Pride in Living, Habitat for Humanity, the City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County and Hawthorne Council. Consists of four city blocks in the Hawthorne neighborhood of Minneapolis, and involves a comprehensive range of activities including housing, green space, tree canopy, green alleys, and more.7

Midtown Sustainability

Initiative

A project of the Midtown Community Works Partnership, which focuses on the 17 neighborhoods that touch the Midtown Greenway and Lake Street. Strategies will target small business, large business, multi-family residential, and single family residential to increase: energy efficiency and use of renewable energy, recycling, use of transportation alternatives and water conservation.6

Green Homes North An initiative of the City of Minneapolis and several partners which will build 100 energy efficient homes on available City owned vacant lots over five years to revitalize neighborhoods in North Minneapolis.5

There are several existing targeted, neighborhood-scale initiatives (outlined in the table below) in Minneapolis that could be enhanced by a comprehensive Green Zones approach.

Existing City and local government programs that could be leveraged include: CPED’s business assistance and façade improvement grants, brown-fields remediation, energy efficiency programs, lead abatement grants, City Trees program, green business matching grant program and Hennepin County environmental grants, among others.

Implementation Strategies: Green Zones projects can take many forms, depending on the neighborhood characteristics and community priorities. Examples of potential projects include:

Home weatherization programs

Transit Oriented Development

Urban agriculture and food access initiatives

Job training, workforce development

Business energy efficiency & water conservation improvements

Tree planting campaigns

Appliance & electronics recycling program

Waste reduction strategies

Car and bike sharing programs

Energy infrastructure investments– smart grid

Rainwater harvesting and water management

Green streets and sidewalk improvements

Public art

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Demonstration Project Recommendation

Case Study: Kansas City Green Impact Zone In 2009, the city of Kansas City, MO launched a program aimed to concentrate resources in one portion of the city to model how a targeted investment of funding and programming could transform a struggling community to a thriving, sustainable neighborhood. The project, called the Green Impact Zone, has become a national model for a place-based environmental strategy that had measurable impacts. The initiative used a comprehensive neighborhood outreach program to deliver health and wellness programs; job training and placement; economic development efforts; housing rehab and weatherization programs; community policing and services; and neighborhood capacity-building all framed around sustainability as a catalyst for transformation.22

The target area for the Green Impact Zone was 150 square blocks in the heart of the city, which had experienced severe economic decline and abandonment; unemployment was estimated at nearly 50% in parts of the area and there were more than 1,000 vacant lots and abandoned properties. More than half of residents were renters and median income in the target area was $22,712.41 In order to reverse these trends in the zone, a team of leaders from neighborhood organizations, community development groups, nonprofit partners and public and private institutions was assembled to develop a comprehensive transformation strategy.

The Green Impact Zone focused its efforts on eight strategies identified by neighborhood leaders as priorities for community transformation: housing, weatherization, energy efficiency, employment and training, infrastructure, urban agriculture, public safety and community services, and youth.

The project leveraged $178 million in funding from public and private sources. Kansas City invested $4.2 million, with other funding coming from state and federal government Agencies: Departments of Transportation, Energy, Housing and Urban Development and the Environmental Protection Agency; Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant stimulus money; state funding for weatherization work: infrastructure investments by the utility company and private investments for housing rehab and incubator projects.22

Kansas City’s Green Impact Zone provides a successful model for a comprehensive sustainability strategy, coordinated programs and innovative engagement-based delivery. A few key elements of the model are:

People and Place: Dedicated staff time helped to provide the support to track, manage and advance initiatives, invest in people as well as physical infrastructure.

Institutional Support: Having a large, recognized Institution (in this case it was the Mid-American Regional

Council) helped to provide administrative support but also to ground the initiative through community connections.

Scale: The work must be done on a scale large enough to change the market in the community, focusing on specific projects that can act as catalysts for further development.42

Groundbreaking on a new grocery store in the Green Impact Zone in Kansas City

Highlights of Green Impact Zone achievements

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Conclusion

As U.S. cities diversify and environmental impacts persist, communities need new tools to address environmental injustice challenges. Models from across the country for targeted, place-based strategies to reduce disparities and improve environmental health provide some valuable lessons and examples for Minneapolis as the city considers implementing its own Green Zones initiative. Partners in Los Angeles have hired a staffer to help develop a city ordinance that will increase pollution prevention and assist businesses to adopt sustainable practices; Kansas City has provided energy efficiency services to underserved homeowners and small businesses to improve air quality and reduce energy costs; the focus of EcoDistricts is on community-based land use planning to reduce pollution and improve health conditions. Each of these is a Green Zones initiative, but aimed at different issues and goals.

How might Minneapolis approach a Green Zones initiative? The City could integrate the recommendations in this plan into existing initiatives such as the Grow North program, an economic development effort that contains aspects of an Urban Green Zone program. There are already many local advocates for a Green Zones initiative. Identifying the high risk neighborhoods and the local issues in those areas would be an early step for the City and advocates to facilitate. The Center for Earth, Energy, and Democracy’s (CEED) Environmental Justice Atlas could be a building block for a more

in-depth screening of the city. With support from foundations, public health agencies, and utility companies the City could establish a task force to begin planning and embark on a community-led engagement process to identify priorities and local initiatives that might be part of a Green Zones program.

Recommendations: Develop a screening tool: It will be important to first identify the disparities and hazards that are of

greatest concern to stakeholders, and design the screening tool to reflect those. The method would develop a scoring system that quantifies aggregate impacts of a variety of metrics. Minneapolis’ Sustainability Indicators provide some baseline data in the areas of environmental amenities and hazards, as well as health metrics and socio-economic vulnerabilities. Screening metrics might include:

“The work of the [City] – whether in workforce, economic development, housing, inspections or planning – is structured around the triple bottom line: growing the city, promoting sustainability, and ending disparities.”

-Mayor Betsy Hodges 2014 State of the City

Data Set Source

Demographics Race, Ethnicity, Income, etc. - U.S. Census, American Community Survey

Land Use (Designations & Hazards) Metropolitan Council, Generalized Land Use 2010 for the Twin Cities

Housing Stock, Owner/Renter Occupied City of Minneapolis Assessors, Hennepin County parcel data

Potential Land Use Hazards Landfills, contaminated sites- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Site Data

Infrastructure Status Road quality, stormwater systems, etc.– Minneapolis Public Works

Sustainability Indicators

Public Health Infant mortality, teen pregnancy, asthma rates, healthy weight, lead poisoning, etc. Minneapolis Health Department

Air Quality Air toxics and pollutants monitored - Minneapolis Environmental Services

Healthy Food Access Proximity to healthy food outlets - Homegrown Minneapolis

Brownfield Sites Location, # cleaned up - Community Planning & Economic Development

Tree Canopy Percentage coverage by parcel - University of Minnesota

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Form an advisory group: The success of any Green Zones efforts will depend heavily on the involvement of community members. An advisory group including elected officials, city staff and key partners could help design the initiative and seek support for its implementation.

Examine opportunities to leverage existing programs and policies: The City and other local entities could provide access to resources and funding to assist with environmental improvements. A Green Zones initiative should include a thorough inventory of those resources for targeted neighborhoods. A review of relevant existing City policies should be completed to identify opportunities to reduce barriers and enable Green Zones implementation.

Create a pilot Green Zones program: Launch an on-the-ground initiative in one of the communities identified with the screening tool, to deliver targeted resources that match the needs of the neighborhood.

Green Zones offer an innovative strategy for addressing the economic and environmental challenges in low-income and communities of color in our urban centers. There are opportunities to leverage the existing programs and policies of the City as well as the assets of the community to design an initiative and meet the local needs. Green Zones aligns well with Minneapolis’ goals of growing the city and addressing issues of racial equity, as well as growing interest in more sustainable models for developing and revitalizing communities. A collaborative, multi-agency, problem-solving approach will be required for a Green Zones policy to be effective. Minneapolis has the potential to implement this strategy to achieve more healthy, vibrant and sustainable neighborhoods across the city.

Conclusion

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References

-1- Minneapolis Energy Pathways Study. City of Minneapolis. http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/www/ groups/public/@citycoordinator/documents/webcontent/wcms1p-121587.pdf

-2- "Green Zones Factsheet." Center for Earth Energy and Democracy. http://www.ceed.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Green-Zones.pdf

-3- "Integrating Climate Change Adaptation into Development Co-operation." Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. http://www.oecd.org/dac/43652123.pdf

-4- "Report: Mpls. race, ethnic-based disparities pervasive." Minnesota Public Radio News. Williams, Brandt. http://www.mprnews.org/story/2011/10/05/minneapolis-foundation

-5- "Green Homes North." City of Minneapolis. Community Planning and Economic Development. http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/cped/housing/GreenHomesNorth

-6- "MCW Partnership Planning a New Sustainability Initiative." Midtown Community Works. http://www.midtowncommunityworks.org/MCWSustainabilityInitiative.htm

-7- "Hawthorne Eco Village Master Plan." EcoVillage Minneapolis. Coen + Partners 2014. http://www.ecovillageminneapolis.com/

-8- “Which Came First? Toxic Facilities, Minority Move-In, and Environmental Justice.” Manuel Pastor, Jr., Jim Sadd, and John Hipp. Journal of Urban Affairs, 23.1 (2001): 3.

-9- “Green Zones for Economic and Environmental Sustainability.” California Environmental Justice Alliance, January 2012. http://caleja.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/greenzones_short.pdf

-10- “OneMinneapolis: Community Indicators Report.” Laura Kelly and Andi Egbert. The Minneapolis Foundation, Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, October 2011.

http://www.minneapolisfoundation.org/Libraries/2011CommunityIndicatorsReport.sflb.ashx

-11- Minneapolis Climate Action Plan. City of Minneapolis. http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups/public/@citycoordinator/documents/webcontent/wcms1p-109331.pdf

-12- “Equitable Solutions for One Minneapolis: A Racial Equity Framework.” City of Minneapolis, April 2014. http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups/public/@clerk/documents/webcontent/wcms1p-123811.pdf

-13- "CBE Takes the Lead in Creating Green Zones." Communities for a Better Environment- Green Zones Initiative. http://www.cbecal.org/issues/green-zones/

-14- “City Vision, Values Goals & Strategic Directions.” City of Minneapolis, March 2014. http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/citygoals/

-15- "Minneapolis Sustainability Indicators." City of Minneapolis Indicators. http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/sustainability/indicators/sustainability_indicators

-16- "Screening for Justice: Proactive Spatial Approaches to Environmental Disparities." Environmental Justice Screening Method. University of South California. Pastor, Manuel, Rachel Morello-Frosch , and Jim Sadd. http://dornsife.usc.edu/assets/sites/242/docs/screening_for_justice.pdf

-17- “Green Zones Initiative: Transforming Toxic Hot Spots into Thriving Communities.” California Environmental Justice Alliance. http://caleja.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/GZ-2-pgr-2013.pdf

-18- "Los Angeles' 'green zone' plan is aimed at low-income, high-pollution areas." Los Angeles Times. Sahagun, Louis. http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jan/21/local/la-me-hazards-pacoima-20110121

-19- "Greening the City's Codes & Regulations." PlaNYC Green Buildings & Energy Efficiency. The City of New York. http://www.nyc.gov/html/gbee/html/home/home.shtml

-20- "Revitalizing cities from the neighborhood up." EcoDistricts. Portland Sustainability Institute. http://ecodistricts.org/

-21- Environment. Economy. Equity. Emerald Cities Collaborative. http://emeraldcities.org/

-22- "Green Impact Zone of Missouri." About the Green Impact Zone. Mid-America Regional Council, http://www.greenimpactzone.org/

References– Continued

-23- Center for Earth Energy and Democracy. Twin Cities Environmental Justice Atlas. http://umn.maps.arcgis.com/apps/OnePane/basicviewer/index.html?appid=a826e71660804b97afd942c1d5001c22

-24- "Measuring Progress. Inspiring Action." Minnesota Compass. Wilder Foundation, http://www.mncompass.org/

-25- "National Patterns in Environmental Injustice and Inequality: Outdoor NO2 Air Pollution in the United States." University of Minnesota, Clark, Lara, Dylan Millet, and Julian Marshall. http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0094431

-26- "Environmental Justice Screening Method." Program for Environmental and Regional Equity. USC Dornsife College. http://dornsife.usc.edu/pere/cumulative-impacts/

-27- "Playing It Safe: Assessing Cumulative Impact and Social Vulnerability through an Environmental Justice Screening Method in the South Coast Air Basin, CA." Sadd, James L., Manuel Pastor, Rachel Morello-Frosch, Justin Scoggins, and Bill Jesdale. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 8.5 (2011)

-28- “Commerce Approves Three-Prongs of Green Zone Policy.” Eastern Publications Group News. Garcia, Jaqueline. November 14, 2013. http://egpnews.com/2013/11/commerce-approves-three-prongs-of-green-zone-policy/

-29- AB 1330 Assembly Bill - AMENDED. (2011, September 2). http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/11-12/bill/asm/ab_1301-1350/ab_1330_bill_20110902_amended_sen_v92.html

-30- Clean Up, Green Up. Communities for a Better Environment. http://www.cbecal.org/organizing/southern-california/clean-up-green-up/

-31- "Zone Green Text Amendment." Department of City Planning. The City of New York. http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/greenbuildings/index.shtml

-32- “Leading by Example: Government Policies.” City of Minneapolis Sustainability Office. http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/sustainability/approach/policies/index.htm

-33- “Environmental Services - Ordinances.” City of Minneapolis Health Department. http://www.minneapolismn.gov/environment/environment_ordinances

-34- “Community Engagement: Sustainable Strategies.” National League of Cities, Sustainable Cities Institute. http://www.sustainablecitiesinstitute.org/

-35- "The EcoDistricts Framework: Building Blocks of Sustainable Cities." EcoDistricts Framework. Portland Sustainability Institute. http://ecodistricts.org/tools/framework/

-36- Environment. Economy. Equity. Emerald Cities Collaborative. http://emeraldcities.org/

-37- “Boards, Commissions and Advisory Committees.” City of Minneapolis City Clerk’s Office. http://www.minneapolismn.gov/boards/

-38- “Sustainability Teams.” City of Minneapolis Sustainability Office. http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/sustainability/approach/teams/index.htm

-39- "Minneapolis Climate Change Grants." City of Minneapolis. http://www.minneapolismn.gov/sustainability/action/grants/sustainability_climatechangegrants_home

-40- “Community engagement done right: The Backyard Initiative.” LISC Twin Cities. http://www.tclisc.org/enews10s/byi.pdf

-41- "Funding." Green Impact Zone. http://www.greenimpactzone.org/funding

-42- "Green Impact Zone/EnergyWorks Kansas City White Paper." Green Impact Zone of Missouri. http://greenimpactzone.org/assets/GreenImpactZone_EnergyWorksKC_WhitePaper.pdf

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Indicator Target 1 Target 2

Healthy infants Reduce infant mortality rate Reduce low birth weight infants

Teen Pregnancy Reduce teen pregnancy rate

HIV and gonorrhea Reduce new HIV case rate Reduce new gonorrhea case rate

Healthy weight Increase healthy weight rate Decrease obesity rate

Asthma* Reduce asthma-related hospitalizations

Lead poisoning Test all 1- and 2-year olds for lead Inspect all homes of children with elevated blood lead

Climate change Reduce greenhouse gas emissions– citywide and from municipal operations

Renewable energy Permit 70 renewable energy projects annually

Increase renewable energy in municipal operations

Air quality Reduce criteria air pollution levels Reduce all monitored air toxics

Tree canopy* Maintain the tree canopy level Plant at least 6,000 trees annually

Biking Increase % of bike commuters Increase the # of cyclists in bike counts

Transportation alternatives Reduce % of Minneapolis residents driving alone to work

Airport noise* Reduce average noise levels

Storm water Reduce pollutants in runoff Increase the number of rain gardens

Healthy lakes, streams, rivers*

Achieve zero beach closings Prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species

Green jobs Achieve growth in green jobs Create jobs through building retrofits

Local food* Increase food producing gardens Ensure all residents live within 1/4 mile of a healthy food choice

Waste reduction & recycling Increase organics collection Recover 2/3 of all recyclable materials

Brownfield sites* Clean up 170 brownfield sites

Violent crimes Reduce the violent crime rate Maintain a low homicide rate

Community engagement Ensure meaningful opportunities for resident engagement

Increase participation in City boards by non-white members

Homelessness End homelessness by 2016

Cost-burdened households Reduce cost-burdened renter and owner households

Produce affordable housing through City programs

Employment and poverty Reduce racial/ethnic disparities in unemployment

Reduce racial/ethnic disparities in poverty

Graduation rate Increase the high school graduation rate

Arts and the economy Increase creative sector workers Increase the # artists living in the city

Appendix 1: Minneapolis Sustainability Indicators A

He

alth

y L

ife

G

ree

np

rin

t A

Vit

al C

om

mu

nit

y

* indicates data that is available geographically

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