Best Practice Action 11.2
GreenStep City Best Practices: Transportation
Living & Complete Streets No. 11
Create a network of green complete streets that improves city quality of life, public health, and adds value to surrounding properties.
Best Practice Action Detail
Best Practice Action 2
Adopt zoning language or approve a skinny street/development project that follows green street and/or walkable streets principles.
- The EPA Green Streets Handbook (2021) features examples from the City of Maplewood and includes resources from the MPCA Stormwater Manual.
- While zoning policy is typically under the purview of planning and zoning offices, partnering with public health practitioners can support efforts to amend long-term zoning and planning to foster walkable communities. See resources from the Institute for Health Research and Policy.
- Using a skinny street design over time as street reconstruction is needed on low-traffic streets, cities can see the multiple benefits of decreased impervious area, more trees and infiltration area, less polluted runoff to nearby bodies of water, more/better sidewalks, and decreased construction and maintenance costs. See Skinny Streets Aid Crystal Lake Water Quality where a GreenStep participant is narrowing most streets from 34 to 32 or 30 feet and 32 to 30 feet to reduce costs and reduce stormwater runoff.
- LEED-ND performance standards specify at least 90 street intersections per square mile. See resources for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development program.
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Describe your green street project; report street narrowing done as part of a street reconstruction project; satisfy LEED-ND prerequisites and a minimum of 2 credits (in addition to Walkable Streets and Street Network) among Connected & Open Community, Tree-Lined & Shaded Streets, Stormwater Management. |
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Describe your green street ordinance; satisfy LEED-ND prerequisites and between 7 & 12 credits among all 1-star categories. |
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Document savings from a green streets project; certify as a LEED-ND development and achieve more than 12 credits among all 1-star categories; set a maximum block perimeter total that does not exceed 2400 feet. |
Who's doing it
Arden Hills -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed: 2015
Implementation details:
The TCAAP Redevelopment Code for the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant redevelopment includes street design standards that are meant to support and balance automobile, bicycle, and walking trips. A Project Circulation Plan is required for all larger projects and must show how the plan considers all modes of transportation and integrated with existing planned streets, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and trails in the surrounding area. Streetscape standards require a minimum number of street tree plantings and vegetative screening for surface parking lots.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Descriptive File:
Descriptive links: http://mn-ardenhills.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/1302
For more information contact:
Mike Mrosla (City staff) | mmrosla@cityofardenhills.org | 6517927822
Partners:
La Crescent -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed: No record available
Implementation details:
N 3rd street was narrowed with street reconstruction. A pedestrian bump-out was also added.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Descriptive File: view file
Descriptive links:
For more information contact:
Jason Ludwigson (Contractor) | JDLudwigson@gmail.com | 5073139633
Partners:
Coon Rapids -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed: 2020
Implementation details:
The Port Riverwalk redevelopment project incorporated aspects of skinny street development by narrowing some public streets. 24-foot street widths were used on private streets. The project also included numerous sidewalks and trail connections for enhanced walkability.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Descriptive File:
Descriptive links:
For more information contact:
Colleen Sinclair (City staff) | csinclair@coonrapidsmn.gov | 763-767-6485
Partners:
Saint Peter -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed: 2010
Implementation details:
The arrangement, character, extent, width and location of streets shall conform to the Comprehensive Plan, the approved standard street sections and all applicable ordinances and shall be considered in their relation to existing and planned streets, to reasonable circulation of traffic, to topographical conditions, to runoff of storm water, to public convenience and safety and in their appropriate relation to the proposed uses of the area to be served.
Sec. 44-48. - Design standards. sub. 2. Saint Peter, MN Code of Ordinances.
Sec. 44-48. - Design standards. sub. 2. Saint Peter, MN Code of Ordinances.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Descriptive File:
Descriptive links: https://library.municode.com/mn/saint_peter/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CICO_CH44SU_ARTIIIRE_S44-48DEST
For more information contact:
Todd Prafke (City Staff) | barbaral@saintpetermn.gov | 507-934-0663
Partners:
Greenstep Advisor
Nissa Tupper, Transportation and Public Health Planning Director, Office of Sustainability and Public Health, MN Dept. of Transportation: 651/366-4807, Nissa.Tupper@state.mn.us, www.dot.state.mn.us/complete-streets