Housing, Land and Development Repository

The field of planning is now rich with examples of adopted land use plans, analyzing the benefits and burdens of growth and integrating considerations of racial equity into their zoning maps and policy. One example is the City of Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan. It was one of the first plans to adopt racial equity as a goal with an emphasis on eliminating exclusionary zoning.

Through the planning process, the City acknowledged the continuing impacts of redlining — racially discriminatory mortgage lending practices and restrictive housing covenants that kept people of color out of predominately white neighborhood. Subsequent zoning reform is now beginning to reverse decades of racial and ethnic segregation that was reinforced by single-family zoning policies. Property owners and developers are now allowed to build accessory dwelling units, duplexes, and triplexes in most neighborhoods. 

The plan includes 14 goals with an overarching theme: growth must be managed with a focus on undoing barriers created by a history of policies that have prevented equitable access to housing, jobs and investments, and that have resulted in significant racial disparities. The plan features nearly 100 policies with action steps outlining ways to achieve the plan’s goals.