2016–2017 Partner: Brooklyn Park

Create a branding strategy and public art policy to promote and foster a positive community image.

Develop a community engagement plan to broaden community outreach and improve the engagement process around Brooklyn Park’s 2018 comprehensive plan update.

Assess the impact of Brooklyn Park’s 2010 Community Engagement Initiative.

Develop a popular annual finance report (PAFR), with community input, to improve transparency within city government and broaden understanding of government finances.

Update the City's Stable Neighborhood Action Plan (SNAP) to evaluate neighborhood improvements since creating the original SNAP document in 2005.

Assess the impacts of Brooklyn Park’s Foreclosure Recovery Program.

Develop strategies to improve outreach to renters and create more equitable access to community information and resources.

Create design and programming options for a proposed Performing Fine Arts and Education Center and develop strategies for joint financing of the center.

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.

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.

Identify barriers to seniors volunteering with organizations, and develop a program to train and engage both new and return senior volunteers. 

Develop strategies to improve access to shared forms of transportation, such as bike- and car-sharing programs, among low-income residents.

Provide recommendations for potential developments on the NHCC campus that will serve student needs, including private off-campus housing and student support services.

Define and measure youth unemployment in Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center to inform programs that will increase youth access to employment opportunities.

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.

Develop a natural resource management plan to ensure long-term care of natural resources in Brooklyn Park.

Assess current water usage patterns, identify best practices for education around water conservation, and develop recommendations for development practices that support water conservation.

Evaluate the financial impacts of creating a city-wide food waste recycling program and identify best practices for food waste recycling and reduction.

Conduct a needs assessment for athletic field use and develop recommendations for athletic field surface materials and scheduling.

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.

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.

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 

Determine barriers to accessing fresh foods and identify ways to increase consumption of healthy foods.