HomeMy WebLinkAboutUrban Vision Symposium
City of Edina 4801 W. 50th St. Edina, MN 55424
Contact: Debbie Townsend, Communications Assistant
Phone 952-826-0396 dtownsend@EdinaMN.gov EdinaMN.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Urban Planning Exercise Set for Oct. 13
Edina, Minn., Sept. 15, 2017 – Edina residents interested in the real estate development process and
the City’s growth decisions will participate in a daylong land-use exercise to help them understand potential
challenges and the role they play in growth planning.
The public is welcome to watch the Oct. 13 workshop, hosted by the Urban Land Institute (ULI), at Braemar
Golf Course Clubhouse, 6364 John Harris Drive.
Workshop participants, who have already been invited to the event, include some community leaders. Experts
in land-use and growth planning from across the country will help lead the event.
The 60 participants will be given a hypothetical proposal for the redevelopment of a blighted district in a
fictional U.S. town. They will break into teams, using color-coded Legos to develop a site plan and
spreadsheets for the finances, as they make decisions based on realistic development tradeoffs, according to
ULI. After spending most of the day developing their proposals, they will present them and face critiques.
The workshop goals include teaching them the basics of funding a complex project; the economics and
community benefits of different building types; the risks associated with lengthy negotiations and the
importance of a clear and open process in selecting a private partner.
While the workshop runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., the most interesting part for people to attend will likely be
the 1:50 p.m. presentations from the teams. Those will be followed at 2:45 p.m. by a case study from Jim Heid
of Urbangreen, a California-based consulting firm focused on sustainable development.
For more information, contact City Management Fellow Chante Mitchell at cmitchell@EdinaMN.gov or 952-
826-0429.
-30-