Agenda - Planning Commission - 03/06/2014

Home

use development." As such, the region's response to climate change must include both measures to reduce emissions and to improve our local systems to make them less vulnerable to climate change impacts. The Council's land use direction is rooted in our mission to guide the orderly and economical growth of the region, but changes to our region's land use patterns can also help drive emissions reductions. Compact redevelopment near regional job and activity centers or transit will result in fewer emissions from transportation. Redevelopment or renovation of existing buildings for new uses is more energy -efficient than new development and takes advantage of existing infrastructure. Growth at the edge of the region that includes interconnected streets and walkable/bikeable destinations nearby will also result in fewer emissions from local trips. Communities in the region are choosing to reduce their contributions to climate change and attempt to mitigate its impacts through a variety of energy reduction measures, developing in a more compact land use pattern, and reducing automobile dependency, to name a few. Integrating natural resources into our development patterns, or green infrastructure, can also serve to improve the resiliency of the existing built environment, as many plant communities can help manage stormwater. Improving urban forestry can mitigate emissions and provide co - benefits, such as an improved pedestrian experience and reduction of urban heat island effects. Taking these measures ensures that communities are better prepared to deal with more frequent extreme weather events and other expected climate impacts that can drain limited local resources and threaten the region's competitiveness and viability. Because of the related benefits, many communities are responding to climate change by reducing their energy use. Local government budgets are leaner than ever and addressing climate change as a means to reduce energy costs is an approach more and more common by communities faced with fiscal constraints. This can mean many things and some innovative ideas have surfaced on how and where to reduce costs. For example, the City of Falcon Heights began with implementing improvements to its solid waste operations, then instituting lighting retrofits throughout the City, adopting a new recycling program, and exploring solar power, all implemented or to be implemented as cost saving measures. Effective land use planning provides a community with the tools needed to better address climate change locally. Encouraging land use policies that create a more compact land use pattern can ultimately reduce energy consumption, protect public investments in infrastructure, reduce development pressures on habitat and open space, provide benefits to public health, and create a more sustainable community. Innovative land use policies can create a more compact region resulting in more efficient use of our infrastructure investments, cost-effective extension of urban services, and preservation of natural and agricultural areas within the region. "The Minnesota Climate Change Advisory Group Final Report, April 2008, found that of the principal sources of the state's green house gas emissions from 2005 data, transportation made up 24% of the state's total emissions, and the use of fossil fuels in residential, commercial, and industrial sectors added another 20% of the state's emissions in 2005. DRAFT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT Last revised: February 21, 2014 79