An official website of the About imagine 2050
What is Imagine 2050?
One of the biggest responsibilities of the Metropolitan Council is to create a regional development guide every 10 years.
Our latest guide – Imagine 2050 – envisions the future we collectively want for this region in 30 years.
It tackles issues that are greater than any one neighborhood, city, township, or county alone can solve or address to reach the regional vision. It includes policies for how we will plan for and interact with land, transportation, water, housing, and parks and trails. Local governments will use it to guide a wide range of plans and actions for shared infrastructure like roads, sewers, regional parks, housing, water supply, and more.
What is the Met Council?
The Met Council is the regional policy-making body, planning agency, and provider of essential services in the seven-county Twin Cities region. We provide the infrastructure to help support communities and businesses and ensure a high quality of life for residents. Our mission is to foster efficient and economic growth for a prosperous region where everyone can thrive.
FAQs
2 Foundational Chapters:
- Vision, Values, and Goals chapter
- This introductory chapter describes the existing conditions and emerging changes that generated the vision, values, and goals that guide the regional planning process
- Land Use Policy Plan
- The Land Use plan lays the groundwork for managing growth and development for the region. Land use policy is the foundation of the local comprehensive planning process.
3 Statutory Metropolitan System Plans:
- Transportation Policy Plan
- Water Policy Plan
- Regional Parks and Trails Policy Plan
1 additional policy plan:
- Housing
- The Housing Policy Plan provides an expanded policy framework to inform the Met Council’s review of the housing elements and housing implementation programs of local comprehensive plans required in statute (Minn. Stat. 473.859, subd. 2 and subd. 4) as well as direction for our housing-related programs.
The Met Council was created to coordinate and organize the planning and problem-solving that no one community can do alone.
The regional development guide is one way we are able to coordinate planning across the metro area. By creating the regional development guide, we are able to provide guidance for development of comprehensive plans that spans individual, local governments.
It is by state statute (Minn. Stat. 473.145) that we are required to produce a comprehensive development guide for the region. (See "What state statutes guide the creation of the Regional Development Guide?" below.)
The Met Council develops a comprehensive regional development guide at least once a decade following the updates to the long-term forecasts that follow the decennial U.S. Census.
Imagine 2050 assists local governments to create consistent, compatible, and coordinated local comprehensive plans. Together, these plans advance local visions within the regional policy framework, and help ensure efficient and cost-effective regional infrastructure.
