>From Sean Gosiewski, Alliance for Sustainability 612-331-1099, [EMAIL PROTECTED] , www.mtn.org/iasa , (resident of Corcoran Neighborhood)
After extensive research, McKinsey and Company recently published their report on Strengthening Community & Economic Development in Minneapolis http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/news/communitydevelopment/. Their major recommendation to the Mayor and City Council is to combine six city departments into one Office of Community Planning and Economic Development and to develop a clearly defined mission and measurable goals for the office focused on job creation and housing. We are making the recommendation that this new department be named the Office of Community Planning and Sustainable Development. The best way to ensure the long-term competitiveness of the City of Minneapolis in the global economy would be to form this new combined city department around the central mission of promoting sustainable development. Opportunity: Link the Mayor's Green City Initiative with development restructuring Mayor Rybak did a great job of highlighting many of the City's current sustainable development initiatives in his recent State of the City Address. Initiatives he mentioned included the Green Institute's work to create an eco-industrial park in the Bassets Creek area, and the City's (successful) effort to get Xcel Energy to agree to convert the Riverside Plant from coal to natural gas. The most exciting initiative he mentioned is the Mayor's the Green City initiative in which 6 interdepartmental work teams are developing plans to achieve dramatic improvements this year in the areas of green purchasing, green fleets, green buildings, green transportation, green energy and green neighborhoods. The long-term goal for the Green City Initiative, as stated in the Mayor's original 90-day plan is to "Identify opportunities to broaden "Green Government" initiatives throughout (city government)." What better way to accomplish this than to form the new combined planning / development / inspections/ NRP department around the mission of promoting sustainable development? Definition of Sustainable Development: Sustainable development means meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. It focuses on using resources efficiently and fairly to meet human needs while protecting the resource base which future generations will need to meet their needs. Sustainable development, a concept that is being showcased at our own Green Institute, here in Minneapolis, creates win-wins between the economy, equity and the environment. Benefits of Sustainable Development- A key recommendation in the McKinsey report is- "The City must agree upon development priorities and establish specific measurable goals for it's top priority development issues to guide development activity and measure progress against priorities." The report recommends that housing and job creation be the top two priorities for the City of Minneapolis. These priorities can best be met by the City focusing on an overall mission of promoting sustainable development. Some of the reasons include: Businesses come to Minneapolis because of our clean and healthy environment. Minneapolis attracts employers and a skilled workforce even with a harsh climate because Minneapolis has the greatest urban environment of any city in America. Sustainable development means that we will protect and improve our air, water and land, while generating new economic activity. Sustainable development ensures that social and environmental goals have equal priority with economic goals. The City's new development department needs to integrate considerations of social justice, public health and environmental health into their development decisions. Our future skilled workforce depends on the well being of our kids. Our kid's well being depends upon affordable housing, safe neighborhoods, good schools and clean air, soil and water. Businesses that are resource efficient are more competitive globally. Minnesota is a pioneering state in helping businesses to reduce their use of energy, water, materials and chemicals. Businesses improve their profitability by reducing their need for these costly inputs. Green buildings for homes, businesses and industry save money, increase employee and resident productivity and protect human health. Green businesses and industries more easily recruit, retain and motivate employees by creating a shared vision that inspires staff to think in new, creative ways leading to breakthrough, money-saving solutions to challenges. Green businesses and industries can more easily attract capital and dramatically reduce their risks and liabilities. Past Environmental Successes of the City of Minneapolis- To pursue a Green City/ Sustainable Development Initiative, Minneapolis can build upon it's many past successes and it's strong 10-year history of interdepartmental cooperation on the environment through the Environmental Coordinating Team, Citizens Environmental Advisory Committee and the Committee on the Urban Environment. 1978- City Energy Plan 1993- CO2 reduction partnership, including- land use, energy, solid waste and transportation 1994- forming the Environmental Coordinating Team of City Department heads and the Citizens Environmental Advisory Committee 1995-2002- municipal building energy conservation retrofits have saved +$1,000,000 Learning from other Sustainable City Initiatives- Minneapolis can also learn from the many other cities around the country and around the world that are focusing on sustainable development including; Chicago, Seattle, Portland, Berkeley, Santa Monica, many Canadian municipalities and a Sister City of Minneapolis, Uppsala Sweden. Please see the links below to see the descriptions of these other Green City Initiatives. Using the Natural Step Framework to Guide Action from a Systems View- Several of the leading Sustainable Cities in the World including Seattle, WA, Santa Monica, CA and Whistler, BC are using the Natural Step Framework to guide their efforts. The Natural Step Framework is a science and systems-based approach to organizational planning for sustainability. It provides a practical set of design criteria that can be used to direct social, environmental, and economic actions. The approach was developed in the late 1980s in response to growing concerns about the public health problems resulting from increasing toxins in the environment and current societal resource use practices. The TNS Framework describes core guiding principles for moving toward sustainability. It is intended to assist decision-makers by providing a pragmatic analytical tool for understanding and integrating sustainability principles into complex organizations. For more information please see, http://www.mtn.org/iasa/tnsintro.html or http://www.naturalstep.ca/framework.html . Conclusion- By creating a new Office of Community Planning and Sustainable Development, Mayor Rybak can simultaneously meet his two goals of creating a Green City Initiative and streamlining and improving the development climate in the City to create new jobs and housing. Please send your thoughts and comments to us about this proposal at [EMAIL PROTECTED] , THANKS Sean Gosiewski, 612-729-3828 Resources and Examples other Municipal Sustainable Development Initiatives International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, http://www.iclei.org , Chicago- http://w15.cityofchicago.org./mayor/government_enviro.html Santa Monica Sustainable City Program- http://pen.ci.santa-monica.ca.us/environment/policy Portland Office of Sustainable Development- http://www.sustainableportland.org Seattle Office of Sustainability & Environment- http://www.cityofseattle.net/environment/int_links.htm Berkeley- Office of Economic Development, Environmental Services- http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/oed/busserv/envserv.htm Uppsala- http://www.uppsala.se/english/environment/environment.htm Whistler, British Columbia, http://www.whistleritsournature.ca CH2M Hill-Sustainable Development Policy- http://www.ch2m.com/flash/Services/Services_frame.htm The Federation of Canadian Municipalities http://www.fcm.ca/newfcm/Java/frame.htm Chicago- http://w15.cityofchicago.org./mayor/government_enviro.html In recent years, the City of Chicago has gained a national reputation for identifying and implementing innovative solutions to environmental issues that affect urban areas. Our success in this regard is premised upon finding effective solutions to environmental problems that accomplish two goals at once: (1) providing critical protection for public health and the environment and (2) preserving Chicago's standing as the epicenter of economic activity in the Midwest. _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
