During the 2025–2026 academic year, RCP will parter with Ramsey County, Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy, the City of Afton, and the Metropolitan Council on 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? Learn more about how to apply for an RCP Partnership!
Projects
- Project Categories: Environment & Energy | GIS & Technology | Land Use and Population
To identify key evidence-based criteria related to natural features, recreational opportunities, accessibility and connectivity to regional amenities, socio-cultural considerations, and other factors; and incorporate these criteria into a site assessment tool (such as a heat map or matrix…
- Project Categories: Environment & Energy | Community Outreach and Engagement | Land Use and Population
To identify engagement strategies and develop outreach tools for the City of Afton to involve residents and other stakeholders in the planning and implementation of a future greenway corridor and trails in the city.
- Project Categories: Parks and Recreation | Environment & Energy | Transportation
To identify strategies and tactics the City of Afton can use to plan for and implement future greenway corridors and trails, and may include identifying best practices for greenway and trail development, researching case studies of successful planning and implementation efforts in other…
- Project Categories: Climate Change | Health, Human, and Social Services | Infrastructure and Public Works
To develop a hypothetical model for a resilience zone that highlights urban planning considerations, necessary services and infrastructure requirements, and policy recommendations that could be replicated by other local government entities interested in establishing resilience zones.…
- Project Categories: Environment & Energy | Climate Change
Analyze strategies and best practices for collecting food scraps from businesses, institutional settings (schools, hospitals), public entities, and other non-residential sources, as well as transporting food scraps to the preferred recycling facility; provide recommendations for how R&…
- Project Categories: Environment & Energy | Communications and Marketing
Research existing models and tools that help translate or calculate waste reduction and recycling numbers into climate or community impacts, and offer recommendations for how Ramsey/Washington R&E can adapt or develop such a resource for local use.
- Project Categories: Environment & Energy | Communications and Marketing
Evaluate the effectiveness of existing building deconstruction grant programs and incentives, and develop resources to encourage homeowners and contractors to reuse or recycle building materials rather than sending them to a landfill.
- Project Categories: Environment & Energy | Climate Change
Research and make recommendations about how Ramsey/Washington R&E can support food donation and food waste reduction in grocery stores and restaurants by offering funding, technical assistance, and other incentives or resources.
- Project Categories: Health, Human, and Social Services | Transportation
To conduct research that explores how the Metropolitan Council can best communicate with local municipalities during the decennial comprehensive plan update process to support healthy and safe communities through the built environment.
- Project Categories: Environment & Energy | Climate Change
To review existing resources and tools that measure return on investment (ROI) of climate actions, and develop or recommend a methodology for local municipalities.