Abstract: This paper presents an overview of the North Metro I35W Corridor Coalition (www.i35w.org) and its aims and objectives in helping seven diverse suburban Twin Cities communities respond to rapid metropolitan growth and change. Four years ago, these seven communities asked themselves: "Can we compete in a global economy if we develop separately and continue to compete with one another? Doesn't it make more sense to share ideas and resources to collectively build more livable communities?" This presentation will focus on the Coalition's GIS Work Program, which encompasses a number of unique projects designed to enhance the use and effectiveness of GIS within the region. The presentation will detail some of the technical aspects of its development and management.

In response to rapid growth and change in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area, seven diverse , yet contiguous, suburban communities—Arden Hills, Blaine, Circle Pines, Mounds View, New Brighton, Roseville, and Shoreview—have formed a joint powers organization, the North Metro I-35W Corridor Coalition ("the Coalition"). The Coalition seeks to construct an interjurisdictional planning and development framework that is integrated and coordinated at the municipal level. This effort has four primary objectives:

¨ expanding conventional land-use planning methods by applying livable community goals and objectives;

¨ approaching physical, social, and economic development issues in an integrated and multifaceted manner;

¨ working at a subregional level to bridge the gap between regional policies and local circumstances; and

¨ implementing the policies and strategies outlined in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Council Regional Blueprint.

To begin this work, the Coalition launched two major initiatives: (1) development of a subregional Geographic Information System (GIS) that is accessible to member communities; and (2) a Comprehensive Livable Community Urban Design and Transportation study that also addresses socioeconomic and environmental implications for the subregion’s residents, businesses, and educational and cultural institutions. At the heart of the Coalition’s work is its concern for maintaining and enhancing quality of life in its communities as the region continues to evolve.

The Coalition has bundled its activities into the following three livable community work areas that form a "Subregional Urban Design and Planning Framework."

¨ Building Metropolitan Towns: joint actions that strengthen and create connections—physical, social, and economic—among communities.

¨ Redefining Metropolitan Competitiveness: cooperative strategies that position the subregion to attract economic development and support a local economy that values and thrives in livable communities.

¨ Ensuring Healthy Neighborhoods: coordinated initiatives to build neighborhoods that support individuals and families throughout their life cycles.

Currently, the Coalition is building a common base of information and data from which it can coordinate planning and implementation programs at the subregional level. The first phase of the GIS initiative has been completed. This puts into place the technological capability to share information across political borders and between departments and agencies. The Coalition also is commissioning studies in the areas of transportation and land use, housing, natural resources and the environment, economic development, and community outcomes. With the information obtained from these studies, along with data and applications from the GIS initiative, the Coalition will continue to refine and augment the subregional livable community urban design and planning framework and will begin to implement subregional programs and policies.

The ambitious goals of the Coalition and the unique partnership of its members require new and innovative methods of working. Guided by the policies and strategies of the Metropolitan Council’s Regional Blueprint and by the Livable Community Goals established by the Minnesota State Legislature, the Coalition has drafted a Subregional Urban Design and Planning Framework to help direct its efforts. This framework challenges conventional planning and is built upon:

¨ a move away from individual projects and towards integrated subregional systems;

¨ information sharing across departments and political / jurisdictional boundaries; and

¨ partnership and collaboration in the face of common problems and challenges.

The Coalition’s framework serves as a structure around which it organizes work plans, working groups, and financial reporting; sets priorities; creates partnerships; and links individual projects.

In 1997, the Coalition embarked upon the construction of its subregional GIS data base. The system provides a more efficient, more effective, and less expensive method of sharing and coordinating information between member cities. This shared data base helps the Coalition identify trends within the subregion, recognize the needs of its residents, and assists in developing programs and policies that address these needs. For example, manipulating this data allows users to:

¨ analyze social demographic information in ways that enable Coalition cities to evaluate how effectively policies, services, and programs meet such residents’ needs as housing, transit and transportation, and job training;

¨ identify sites suitable for development and redevelopment by applying search criteria for querying the GIS base (incorporating information on soil types, floodplains, wetlands, transportation networks, zoning, etc.);

¨ coordinate land uses across city lines to avoid conflicts between new development and existing uses and maximize development opportunities;

¨ develop traffic capacity models and divert traffic to / from minor arterials to help relieve traffic congestion;

¨ calculate the density of potential transit users along selected routes and the community transit centers that will serve them;

¨ inventory natural resources to identify greenway corridors, potential acquisition sites for trails and open space, development and redevelopment sites linked to ecological corridors, and brownfield redevelopment opportunties;

¨ assist new businesses in locating within the subregion by displaying available spaces for lease or purchase; and

¨ integrate and analyze diverse data sets to provide comprehensive subregional and local information to aid decision-makers in their efforts to achieve Livable Community Goals.

¨ enable cities to "get-up-and-running" with GIS much more quickly and cheaply than would be the case if they were to undertake GIS implementation individually.

Throughout the four-year period from 1997 through 2000, the Coalition GIS Task Force has been guided by the following general work plan:

¨ develop a fully integrated and maintained GIS parcel-level data base

¨ establish a dedicated Coalition GIS data server

¨ establish electronic high-speed data links between Coalition cities

¨ develop effective data dissemination techniques

¨ provide GIS training for Coalition cities at multiple levels

¨ identify and produce custom GIS applications to support the needs of the Coalition

To date, the Coalition GIS has evolved in the following way:

2000. and beyond – "Where do we go from here"

The work plan for the Coalition is constantly evolving as additional information about the subregion becomes available and priorities are recognized. Until the late spring of 1999, the Coalition will continue to oversee and receive feed-back from the five study areas outlined above.

With its unique and innovative approach, the Coalition will continue to serve as a model of subregional planning, sharing its tools and ideas with other communities and planning bodies. The GIS Initiative is a perfect example this. Its techniques and products are made available to its member cities, the Metropolitan Council in its metropolitan-wide GIS effort supporting regional planning, to other Coalition participants and to the public. In addition, it brings those who utilize GIS technology together through the exchange of innovative ideas.

The Coalition has sought support from a wide variety of organizations and individuals, both from within and outside of the subregion. The North Metro I-35W Corridor Coalition truly is a collaborative effort, currently involving a number of local, regional, and state agencies and organizations. As the next stages of work evolve, the Coalition will continue to welcome input and assistance as it strives to maintain and enhance the quality of life for those living and working in the area.

Other contributors include: David Windle, GIS Coordinator, City of Roseville; Kevin Ringwald, Assistant City Administrator, City of Arden Hills; Carol Swenson, Research Fellow, University of Minnesota Design Center for the American Urban Landscape; Jerry Happel, Principal, PlanSight^LLC; John Carpenter, Principal, Demographic Technologies, Inc.

Jerry Happel, Principal

PlanSight^LLC

3625 Talmage Circle, Suite 201

Vadnais Heights, MN 55110

Phone (651) 653-5141

Fax (651) 653-3423