During the 2023–2024 academic year, RCP is partnering with Scott, Ramsey, and Washington Counties, the Cities of Duluth, La Crescent, Buffalo, and Edina, and Metropolitan Council on ten projects to advance community sustainability, equity, and resilience. You can learn more about the projects below.
Does your local government agency have a project idea to build community resilience that could benefit from research or technical assistance from the University of Minnesota? It's not too late to apply for an RCP Partnership!
Scott County: Pedestrian and Bike Trail Gap Analysis
Project Goal: Review the existing trail and sidewalk infrastructure in Scott County to understand where gaps in the system exist along County Roads, and develop a scoring system the County can use to inform decision making for future public investment by prioritizing implementation of trail segment construction (Project Brief)
Partner: Scott County
Project Lead: Terri Dill, Principal Planner, Scott County Department of Roads & Transportation
Matches:
PA 5234: Urban Transportation Planning and Policy (Instructor: Dr. Dorian Bautista), Spring 2024
Ramsey County: Urban Agriculture and Food Recovery: Aligning Food Security and Resilience
Project Goal: Identify opportunities and strategies for Ramsey County to engage, encourage, and support municipalities in the county to implement systems and policy changes that expand access to land for urban agriculture, amend zoning to allow for urban agricultural uses, and otherwise support residents and community groups interested in pursuing urban agriculture (Project Brief)
Partner: Ramsey County
Project Lead: Carissa Dillon, Food Security Coordinator and Planning Manager, Ramsey County Health & Wellness Service Team
Matches:
PA 8081: Master of Public Policy Capstone (Instructor: Jeannie Entenza) (Summer 2024)
La Crescent: Indigenous History Project for City Public Spaces
Project Goal: Identify opportunities for the City of La Crescent to share the history and celebrate the culture of indigenous communities that have inhabited the land in and around La Crescent as they develop a plan for a new Overlook Plaza and other public spaces in the community (Project Brief)
Partner: City of La Crescent
Project Lead: Larry Kirch, Director of Community Development, City of La Crescent
Matches:
PA 8081: Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone (Instructor: Peter Brown)
La Crescent: Designing Overlook Plaza
Project Goal: Create design options for the proposed Overlook Plaza, to be located at the terminus of the new Wagon Wheel Trail bicycle/pedestrian connector bridge over U.S. Highway 14/61 in downtown La Crescent (Project Brief)
Partner: City of La Crescent
Project Lead: Larry Kirch, Director of Community Development, City of La Crescent
Matches:
Coming soon!
Buffalo: Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Feasibility Study
Project Goal: Conduct a feasibility study to evaluate community demand for electric vehicle chargers, determine where existing utility infrastructure could support charging stations, and position the city to be competitive for future federal and state funding for EV infrastructure (Project Brief)
Partner: City of Buffalo
Project Lead: Travis Fieber, Lead Lineman, City of Buffalo Electric Department
Matches:
Coming soon!
Buffalo: Street Light Conversion Feasibility Study
Project Goal: Conduct a feasibility study of options for introducing energy-efficient street lighting to city streets that are environmentally friendly, require less maintenance, and are more luminescent to provide a greater sense of safety for residents (Project Brief)
Partner: City of Buffalo
Project Lead: Shannon Zachariason, Electric Supervisor, City of Buffalo Electric Department
Matches:
Coming soon!
Edina: Density Study to Achieve Climate and Transportation Goals
Project Goal: Investigate if the City of Edina’s 2030 population density targets are adequate to meet its transportation goals, analyze how this density target aligns with the City’s current comprehensive plan, and recommend site-specific and general strategies for increasing density to meet the target goal (Project Brief)
Partner: City of Edina (with matching funds provided by the Metropolitan Council)
Project Lead: Matthew Gabb, Sustainability Specialist, City of Edina Engineering Department
Matches:
PA 8081: Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone (Instructor: Dr. Nichola Lowe)
Duluth: Engaging with Residents about City Services, Programs, and Policies
Project Goal: Assist the City to understand how residents learn about city services and programs, and develop communication strategies and materials to better communicate, promote, and market these opportunities in ways that are equitable and accessible (Project Brief)
Partner: City of Duluth
Project Lead: Kelli Latuska, Public Information Officer
Matches:
PA 8081: Master of Public Policy Capstone (Instructor: Jeannie Entenza) (Summer 2024)
Duluth: Property Condition Scoring for Blight Mitigation
Project Goal: Investigate the use of property condition scorecards in other communities, develop a standard metric to score properties in Duluth, and pilot the scorecard to begin identifying and mapping properties in poor condition that are at risk of deterioration and demolition, and that might benefit from City investments in infrastructure, housing assistance, and targeted services (Project Brief)
Partner: City of Duluth
Project Lead: Jon Otis, Deputy Chief of Life Safety
Matches:
PA 8081: Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone (Instructor: Dr. Nichola Lowe)
Duluth: Making Duluth a "Smart City"
Project Goal: Investigate the feasibility of deploying a “smart city” network in Duluth that would allow staff to gather instant and location-based data for core city functions—including water meter reading, public safety, and emergency response—to ensure equitable access to services, and reduce energy and water use (Project Brief)
Partner: City of Duluth
Project Lead: Mindy Granley, Sustainability Officer
Matches:
PA 8081: Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy Capstone (Instructor: Steve Kelley)