2016–2017 Partner: Brooklyn Park

Banner for 2016-17 comunity partners

 

Brooklyn Park was the Resilient Communities Project's partner community for the 2016–2017 academic year. A northwestern suburb of the Twin Cities, Brooklyn Park’s mission is to be “a thriving community inspiring pride where opportunities exist for all.” Brooklyn Park is located in Hennepin County, and is the sixth-largest city in the state. In 1990, just 10% of Brooklyn Park’s residents identified as people of color. Today, Brooklyn Park is already as diverse as the rest of Minnesota will be by 2040. More than half of the city’s 79,000 residents are people of color, and 20% of residents are recent immigrants to the United States. Strikingly, 10% of residents are immigrants from Liberia, giving Brooklyn Park (when combined with Brooklyn Center) the largest population of Liberians outside of Liberia. 

The RCP–Brooklyn Park partnership involved collaboration on 24 projects that were matched with 47 courses spanning 21 academic departments at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and Duluth campuses, engaging more than 250 students in meaningful real-world projects, and providing Brooklyn Park with information, ideas, and new perspectives on local sustainability and resilience issues. The partnership involved 48 organizations, groups of community members, and governmental bodies and departments, with partners ranging from North Hennepin Community College and the Brooklyn Bridge Alliance for Youth to local food entrepreneurs and the African Development Center. Projects were designed to further the city’s strategic planning priorities, which include financial sustainability, focused redevelopment and development, community image, adapting to changing demographics, public safety and strong neighborhoods. Almost half of the projects were focused on the City's goal of adapting to changing demographics.  

University and city personnel gathered at the McNamara Alumni Center for an end-of-year celebration on May 12, 2017. You can view a brief summary of the partnership and projects, a video about the partnership, or learn more about individual projects and read news items about the partnership below. 

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Community Identity and Engagement

Challenging Conceptions of Brooklyn Park: Branding & Public Art

Goal: Create a branding strategy and public art policy to promote and foster a positive community image.
Project Lead: Angelica Klebsch, Project Facilitator, City of Brooklyn Park  

IDES 2604: Interior Design Studio IV (Instructors: Abi Asojo and Justine Pliska) Final Posters

DES 3331: Street Life Urban Design Seminar (Instructor: Carrie Christensen) Final Report and Presentation

PA 5311: Program Evaluation (Instructor: Jodi Sanfort) Final Report + Poster + Presentation

Community Engagement Plan for Comprehensive Plan Update

Goal: Develop a community engagement plan to broaden community outreach and improve the engagement process around Brooklyn Park’s 2018 comprehensive plan update.
Project Lead: Cindy Sherman, Planning Director, City of Brooklyn Park  

PA 5145: Civic Participation in Public Affairs (Instructor: Kathy Quick) Final Report

Evaluation of the City’s Community Engagement Initiative

Goal: Assess the impact of Brooklyn Park’s 2010 Community Engagement Initiative.
Project Lead: Josie Shardlow, Community Engagement Coordinator, City of Brooklyn Park  

PUBH 7094: Culminating Experience: Community Health Promotion (Advisor: Keith Horvath) Final Report and Poster

Creation of a Community-Oriented PAFR

Goal: Develop a popular annual finance report (PAFR), with community input, to improve transparency within city government and broaden understanding of government finances.
Project Leads: Korrie Johnson and Pa Thao, Accountants, City of Brooklyn Park

PA 8081: Public Affairs Capstone (Instructor: Greg Lindsey) Final Report and Design Template

Neighborhood Stability

Stable Neighborhood Action Plan Update

Goal: Update the City's Stable Neighborhood Action Plan (SNAP) to evaluate neighborhood improvements since creating the original SNAP document in 2005.
Project Lead: Emily Carr, Development Project Coordinator, City of Brooklyn Park 

PA 8203: Neighborhood Revitalization Strategies and Theories (Instructor: Neeraj Mehta) Final Report and Presentation

PA 5271: GIS Applications in Planning and Policy Analysis (Instructor: Geoff Maas) Final Presentation

DES 3331: Street Life Urban Design Seminar (Instructor: Carrie Christensen) Final Report and Presentation

Foreclosure Recovery Impact in Brooklyn Park Neighborhoods

Goal: Assess the impacts of Brooklyn Park’s Foreclosure Recovery Program.
Project Lead: Erika Byrd, Economic Development Specialist, City of Brooklyn Park

GEOG 5564: Urban GIS and Analysis (Instructor: Ying Song) Group 1 Final Report + Poster + Presentation | Group 2 Poster and Presentation

PA 5261: Housing Policy (Instructors: Ed Goetz and Tony Damiano) Final Report + Poster + Presentation

Creating Thriving Neighborhoods Through Greater Renter Engagement

Goal: Develop strategies to improve outreach to renters and create more equitable access to community information and resources.
Project Lead: Lidiya Girma, Neighborhood Relations Specialist, City of Brooklyn Park

PA 5145: Civic Participation in Public Affairs (Instructor: Kathy Quick) Final Report and Engagement Diagram

Music and the Arts

North Hennepin Community College Performing Arts Center

Goal: Create design and programming options for a proposed Performing Fine Arts and Education Center and develop strategies for joint financing of the center.
Project Lead: Kim Berggren, Director of Community Development, City of Brooklyn Park

SW 8551: Advanced Community Practice: Assessment, Organizing, and Advocacy (Instructor: Jennifer Blevins) Final Report and Presentation 

Public Safety

Pedestrian Safety in the Village Creek Neighborhood

Goal: Identify opportunities for making the Village Creek neighborhood more walkable, increasing access to transit and other neighborhood amenities, and improving public spaces in the the area.
Project Lead: Todd Larson, Senior Planner, City of Brooklyn Park

DES 3331: Street Life Urban Design Seminar (Instructor: Carrie Christensen) Final Report and Presentation

Diversifying the Brooklyn Park Police Department

Goal: Investigate current demographic trends in law enforcement candidate pools and develop strategies to attract more applicants of color in an effort to make the Brooklyn Park police force more representative of the community.
Project Lead: Deputy Chief Mark Bruley, Investigations Commander, City of Brooklyn Park

PA 8081: Public Affairs Capstone (Instructor: Greg Lindsey) Final Report and Presentation

PSY 5701: Employee Selection and Staffing (Instructor: Deniz Ones) Final Report

Senior and Youth Services Projects

Senior/50+ Civic Engagement: An Age-Friendly Initiative

Goal: Identify barriers to seniors volunteering with organizations, and develop a program to train and engage both new and return senior volunteers. 
Project Lead: Pat Busch, Program Supervisor, City of Brooklyn Park 

PA 5145: Civic Participation in Public Affairs (Instructor: Kathy Quick) Final Report

SW 8551: Advanced Community Practice: Assessment, Organizing, and Advocacy (Instructor: Jennifer Blevins) Final Report and Presentation

Shared-Use Mobility Possibilities in Brooklyn Park

Goal: Develop strategies to improve access to shared forms of transportation, such as bike- and car-sharing programs, among low-income residents. 
Project Lead: Emily Carr, Development Project Coordinator, City of Brooklyn Park

PA 5232/CEGE 5212: Transportation Policy, Planning, and Deployment (Instructor: Andrew Guthrie)

Existing Models: Final Report and Presentation
Public Data: Final Report and Presentation 
Community Engagement: Final Report and Presentation 

North Hennepin Community College (NHCC) Site Concepts: Supportive Off-Campus Services

Goal: Provide recommendations for potential developments on the NHCC campus that will serve student needs, including private off-campus housing and student support services. 
Project Lead: Kim Berggren, Director of Community Development, City of Brooklyn Park

SW 8551: Advanced Community Practice: Assessment, Organizing, and Advocacy (Instructor: Jennifer Blevins) Final Report and Presentation

PA 8081: Public Affairs Capstone (Instructor: Greg Lindsey) Final Report and Presentation 

PA 5261: Housing Policy (Instructors: Ed Goetz and Tony Damiano) Final Report and Presentation 

Workforce Development and Employment Projects

Measuring Youth Employment in the Brooklyns

Goal: Define and measure youth unemployment in Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center to inform programs that will increase youth access to employment opportunities.
Project Lead: Ivan Lui, Data & Quality Coordinator, Brooklyn Bridge Alliance for Youth

PA 5251: Strategic Planning and Management (Instructor: John Bryson) Final Report and Presentation 

Workforce Development Strategies

Goal: Identify gaps in current workforce delivery models, create targeted workforce development strategies in areas with high unemployment, and identify suburban transit-oriented workforce development strategies.
Project Lead: Erik Hansen, Economic Development & Housing Director, City of Brooklyn Park

PA 5512: Economic and Workforce Development (Instructor: Neal Young)  Group 1 Report | Group 2 Report | Group 3 Report

OLPD 5296: Internship in Human Resource Development (Instructor: Rosemarie Park) Final Report

Environmental Stewardship Projects

Long-Term Sustainability of Natural Resources

Goal: Develop a natural resource management plan to ensure long-term care of natural resources in Brooklyn Park.
Project Lead: Jodi Yungers, Director of Parks and Recreation, City of Brooklyn Park

ESPM 5245: Sustainable Land Use Planning and Policy (Instructor: Mae Davenport) Final Report and Presentation

EnEd 5325: Sustainability Issues Investigation (Instructor: Ken Gilbertson) Final Report

Potable Water: Supply, Use, and Conservation

Goal: Assess current water usage patterns, identify best practices for education around water conservation, and develop recommendations for development practices that support water conservation.
Project Lead: Jon Watson, Public Utilities Superintendent, City of Brooklyn Park

PA 5721: Energy and Environmental Policy (Instructor: Stephen Rose and Vivek Bhandari) Final Report and Presentation

Restaurants & Food Waste: Reuse & Disposal

Goal: Evaluate the financial impacts of creating a city-wide food waste recycling program and identify best practices for food waste recycling and reduction.
Project Lead: Dan Opsahl, Environmental Health Specialist, City of Brooklyn Park

PA 5213: Introduction to Site Planning (Instructor: Fernando Burga) Final Report

PA 5712: Science to Action: All Paths (Instructor: Steve Kelley) Final Report and Presentations

Parks and Recreation Projects

Community Change & Sustainability of Athletic Fields

Goal: Conduct a needs assessment for athletic field use and develop recommendations for athletic field surface materials and scheduling.
Project Lead: Brad Tullberg, Parks & Facilities Manager, City of Brooklyn Park

REC 3281: Research and Evaluation in Recreation, Park, and Leisure Studies (Instructor: Tony Brown)  Group 1 Flyer and Presentation | Group 2 Report and Presentation

HORT 4061: Turfgrass Management (Instructor: Eric Watkins)  Compiled Final Report and Presentations

PUBH 7194: Culminating Experience: Environmental Health (Advisor: Betsy Wattenberg) Final Report and Presentation

SMGT 3881W: Senior Seminar in Sport Management (Instructor: Lisa Kihl) Group 1 Final Report + Poster + Presentation | Group 2 Report and Presentation 

Nature-Based Recreation: A Recipe for Community Health

Goal: Create a design and site recommendation for a new nature play area at Eidem Farm, analyze risks associated with nature play areas, and develop strategies for integrating nature play into existing parks programming.
Project Lead: Brad Tullberg, Parks & Facilities Manager, City of Brooklyn Park 

EnEd 4315: Operations and Management (Instructor: Ken Gilbertson)  Final Report and Presentation 

REC 3281: Research and Evaluation in Recreation, Park, and Leisure Studies (Instructor: Tony Brown)  Central Team Report and Presentation | East Central Team Report and Presentation | North Team Report and Presentation | Southeast Team Presentation | Southwest Team Report

HPER 3100: Risk Management (Instructor: Danny Frank)  Final Report and Presentation

Master Planning for Historic Eidem Farm and Homestead

Goal: Identify strategies for engaging the public in master planning for the farm, investigate opportunities for preserving the heritage and history of the farm, and compile an oral history of the farm.
Project Lead: Pat Busch, Program Supervisor, City of Brooklyn Park

PA 5145: Civic Participation in Public Affairs (Instructor: Kathy Quick)  Final Report and Process Diagram

OLPD 5204: Designing the Adult Education Program (Instructor: Catherine Twohig) Final Report + Poster + Presentation

Food Access

Evaluation of a Potential Community Kitchen Project

Goal: Determine community goals for a shared commercial kitchen space, assess obstacles to new community kitchens, and evaluate the economic viability of a stand-alone community kitchen space 
Project Lead: Jason Newby, Code Enforcement & Public Health Manager, City of Brooklyn Park

PA 5213: Introduction to Site Planning (Instructor: Fernando Burga) Final Report

FDSY 4101: Holistic Approaches to Improving Food Systems Sustainability Final Poster

Assessing Access to Healthful Food

Goal: Determine barriers to accessing fresh foods and identify ways to increase consumption of healthy foods.
Project Lead: John Nerge, GIS Coordinator, City of Brooklyn Park

PA 5271: GIS Applications in Planning and Policy Analysis (Instructor: Geoff Maas)  Final Report

PA 5213: Introduction to Site Planning (Instructor: Fernando Burga) Final Report 

PUBH 7696: Field Experience: Maternal and Child Health (Advisor: Jamie Stang) Final Report + Presentation + Poster

FDSY 4101: Holistic Approaches to Improving Food Systems Sustainability (Instructor: Julie Grossman) Final Report and Poster

RCP–Brooklyn Park Partnership in the News