Minneapolis Root District: Planting Seeds, Growing Roots

Join us for an enjoyable walk and talk about the vision of the Minneapolis Root District. The walk will pass the Farmers Market, Target Field and the new Royalston Station LRT stop- discussing climate, food, placemaking, and more.

Root District is poised for change and is an opportunity to experience and guide major urban form development over the next 15 to 30 years. Community design innovations, technologies and strategies can be prototyped and implemented in Root District. Design innovations such as creative public life programming; public realm amenities and environmental investments to support the experience; and multi-use new buildings to activate the place, is the vision. New technology can be part of the district’s future development. Changes in communication, entertainment, transportation, and virtual reality experience can be featured and experienced for future adoption. Strategies around equitable development, BIPOC community wealth building and redline reparations, pedestrian automobile balance, and greening the environment are prescribed.

There are challenges, and opportunities to address, the changes envisioned. Transition from auto dominated use and parking to pedestrian oriented transit oriented development will evolve over time but prototypes of complete streets can begin immediately. Equitable access to development and business capital should also begin to be tested now. The transition to new sustainable district energy systems can be designed and implemented over time with development projects. New forms of construction and land flexibility can be piloted in housing, entertainment, and food related projects.

Tangible outcomes will include: Improvement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Root District footprint in the district; Number of BIPOC food related businesses established over the next 15 years; Number of trees planted; Significant affordable housing; Royalston Station LRT ridership; and overall community health and wellbeing.