Related Project Categories and Keyword

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 communities in Minnesota and elsewhere in the United States, and identifying specific implementation approaches the City might consider, including but not limited to conservation easements, transfer of development rights, and density bonuses.

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.

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) to guide the City and working group in identifying suitable greenway corridor and trail locations.

Explore the potential for perennial food crops that can both provide the benefits of living cover and produce an economic return that would potentially incentivize greater participation by farmers.

Assess the perceptions and attitudes among Minnetonka residents, developers, and community leaders toward green roof and rooftop garden projects; identify best practices for implementing green roofs in the context of a suburban community located in a northern climate.

Develop a prioritization plan to guide city investments in preservation and restoration projects in four priority watersheds; model the feasibility and cost of mitigation actions for reducing nutrient levels in key water bodies within these watersheds.

Examine the City of Minnetonka's conservation development scorecard to assess its effectiveness in evaluating previous and proposed conservation developments in terms of protecting natural environmental features, preserving open space, protecting natural habitats for wildlife, and maintaining rural character; recommend strategies for using the scorecard to increase social acceptability of conservation development and for implementing the tool through the city's planned unit development ordinance.

Develop education and outreach strategies that assist businesses in the community to address water and energy conservation, as well as surface water protection, through their operations and site management. 

Strengthen and integrate existing City stormwater management regulations to streamline the stormwater permitting process and reduce illicit discharges; recommend stormwater management strategies to reduce runoff and surface water pollution on the Ridgedale Mall redevelopment site.

Conduct an inventory of trees in North St. Paul; develop recommendations for combating emerald ash borer in the city and gaining community support for the management plan; develop an outreach plan to communicate tp homeowners the risks of EAB on private property.