Urban Agriculture and Green Initiatives Prioritization and Implementation Plan

Hennepin county climate & resiliency department, Minnesota, 2023

Background
In 2023, Hennepin County led a project to repurpose tax-forfeited lots (TFLs) into green spaces, creating new opportunities for community-centered projects that protect vulnerable populations from a variety of threats, including flooding and extreme heat.

Strengths & Solutions
Young Environmental screened site data from a variety of sources to prioritize the lots for uses that ranged from green stormwater infrastructure to urban agriculture. Building on existing data, Young Environmental compiled, reviewed, and identified data representing Hennepin County’s social, economic, and environmental conditions. Several data layers were applied to indicate areas with disproportionate climate and economic impacts. Through this screening process, our team prioritized sites based on feasibility; Climate Action Plan goals; and a composite of equity factors. We then completed a manual screening assessment to determine the overall suitability for practices.

Project Impact
From the 181 TFL sites that were assessed, the project team narrowed the suitability to 26 priority sites. We also assessed 25 other vacant non-TFL lots that were available in the County. These lots were studied due to their long-vacant status, history of community interest, or proximity to densely populated urban areas. All 51 applicable lots were advanced for green practice consideration. Young Environmental GIS staff collaborated with scientists and communications specialists to develop site-specific factsheets and an implementation plan to indicate important site details and identify relevant projects. The factsheets and implementation plan give Hennepin County the tools to continuously advance their work, allowing them to drive stakeholder engagement to build community-driven projects on the available land. The implementation plan is currently advancing into the design phase for three sites in Minneapolis, Eden Prairie, and Corcoran.

GIS and Data Analysis, Urban Agriculture, Green Stormwater Infrastructure, Environmental Justice, Planning