Changes approved in Minneapolis 2040 plan begin to take shape
December 30, 2019 — 5:47am
When Minneapolis leaders began hashing out their vision for the city’s growth, the conversation became almost philosophical, Council President Lisa Bender recalled at a meeting this year. “How is our city arranged? Who can live where? What do buildings look like and feel like?” The result was a 2040 Comprehensive Plan that eliminates single-family zoning, boosts affordable housing requirements and invites the creation of tiny houses. But builders think something is missing: a broader conversation about regulations and how they raise housing costs. “I would say from a policy perspective, it’s like the city’s taken one step forward and two steps back,” said David Siegel, executive director of Housing First Minnesota. In 2020, the first policies will roll out, and we’ll begin to see how they change the city.