Exploring the Origins and Evolution of Regional Parks

This mobile workshop will explore the origins, evolution, and future of the Regional Parks System through an equity lens. Attendees will visit Phalen, Indian Mounds, and Minnehaha regional parks via bus and include lakeside walks and scenic overlooks.

The history of the Twin Cities and the Regional Parks System is intertwined. Prior to European colonization, indigenous people subsisted on abundant resources near the confluence of the rivers now known as Mississippi and Minnesota. That space, known to Dakota people as Bdote, is considered sacred. Multiple regional parks protect spaces along and above these riverways and their tributaries.

Today, the Regional Park System is nationally renowned, with Minneapolis and St. Paul consistently ranked in the top five of Trust for Public Land’s rankings. But the region also faces significant disparities between white residents and residents of color. Twentieth century practices of redlining and racial covenants impacted where people lived. This impacted where parks and other amenities were sited. The impacts of these practices are still felt today.

The Metropolitan Council is working with partners to develop a Historical-Cultural Study. This work strives to acknowledge the past and build a better future. Examining the exclusionary policies that shaped the region and its parks systems is a key part of this work. So is authentic engagement with BIPOC communities.

Attendees will explore these topics in regional parks and consider how to create a more welcoming and inclusive park system for all. Originating in 1974, the park system's purpose was to provide recreational open space as the region was rapidly developing. Community partnerships are reshaping the system. This tour will explore historical/cultural underpinnings of the system including daylighting a sacred water body, celebrating cross-continental partnerships, and grappling with multiple origin stories.