Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 10/09/2014

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Chapter One: Planning for the Twin Cities Region Thrive MSP 2040 Our region is anchored by three great rivers, dotted by hundreds of lakes, and endowed with wide expanses of green space, giving our residents beautiful landscapes that inspire and renew. Its largest river - the Mississippi - gave birth to two frontier settlements - Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Since then, our region has grown and prospered, and is now well -known for its high quality of life, its strong, resilient economy, and many other assets: • Vibrant arts, music and theatre communities and professional sports teams • Rich cultural diversity • Abundant parks, recreational trails, conserved open space, fertile agricultural land, and natural resources • A civic tradition of shared action. Today, the Twin Cities metropolitan area - the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Council - is a thriving region of nearly three million people living in 186 communities across the seven counties of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington. The region has emerged as a world -class metropolitan area - a great place to live, work, play and do business. As we plan for our next 30 years, key challenges lie ahead - constrained fiscal resources, new demands stemming from demographic shifts, emerging environmental challenges, new regional planning priorities, and the increasing necessity of regional economic cooperation. Under state law, the Metropolitan Council is responsible for preparing a comprehensive development guide for the seven - county Twin Cities metropolitan area. The Council's Thrive MSP 2040, adopted in May 2014, provides a framework for a shared vision for the future of the region over the next 30 years. Thrive establishes the policy foundation used by the Council to develop its regional systems and policy plans, as well as development policies and implementation strategies. Taken together, these constitute the comprehensive development guide that guides the orderly and economical development of the region. State statute specifies three metropolitan systems plans: • Transportation Policy Plan (including Aviation) • Water Resources Policy Plan • Regional Parks Policy Plan In addition to the three statutory metropolitan systems plans, the Council is developing a Housing Policy Plan. The Housing Policy Plan will provide an expanded policy framework to inform the Council's review of the housing elements and housing implementation programs of local comprehensive plans required in statute. Thrive is the result of extensive engagement with the region's residents, civic, nonprofit and business leaders, and governmental officials. As a regional plan, Thrive addresses issues greater than any one neighborhood, city, or single county can tackle alone to build and maintain a thriving metropolitan region. Using an outcomes -based approach, Thrive puts forward five outcomes and three principles as the foundation of a prosperous, equitable, and livable region for today and generations to come.