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Ramsey Final Report <br />Grant No. 05 -1237 <br />City of Ramsey <br />Forum: <br />Date: <br />Speaker: <br />Cosponsor: <br />Attendance: <br />Regional Intersections <br />February 8, 2007 <br />Dan Marckel, CURA, Minneapolis, MN <br />Alliance for Metropolitan Stability <br />49 <br />Dan Marckel of the Center of Urban and Regional Affairs led <br />off the forums with an engaging discussion of current trends <br />facing communities in the Twin Cities metropolitan region <br />and ways that communities can balance their local needs with <br />these regional demands. Marckel first reviewed regional growth trends and the forces that drive them, <br />illustrating his presentation with data and examples from the Edge Project. Using examples from <br />communities in the region that face the same issues as Ramsey, he then moved on to describe possible <br />future scenarios for the Twin Cities region, reviewing how cities can address these trends through the <br />use of innovative development principles and zoning alternatives. <br />The discussion with participants focused on the inevitability of growth, the pros and cons of urban and <br />rural living, and the role of Met Council in determining Ramsey's future. <br />Forum: <br />Date: <br />Speaker: <br />Cosponsors: <br />Attendance: <br />Community Ecology <br />February 22, 2007 <br />Douglas Farr, Farr Associates, <br />Chicago, IL <br />Embrace Open Space <br />Minnesota Land Trust <br />The Trust for Public Land <br />52 <br />Douglas Farr, a nationally known architect and leader <br />in green design, headlined the second forum. Farr <br />prompted a spirited discussion by suggesting that Ramsey's current development patterns, namely large - <br />lot development, can not be sustained because of their long -term impacts on the environment. Farr <br />reviewed the impact of sprawl and offered alternatives such as New Urbanism's transect model, as well <br />as the concepts of trading density for open space and walkability. Using examples from communities <br />around the country, Farr introduced the group to the concept of LEED -ND, which utilizes the principles <br />of green building design and applies to them to neighborhoods and communities to reduce their <br />environmental footprint. <br />Mr. Farr also met with City staff to demonstrate the use of LEED -ND principles by reviewing recently <br />approved subdivisions and discussing design alternatives. <br />7 <br />