Successful Strategies
Start with an environmental assessment. Many neighborhood associations have started their environmental work by doing a neighborhood environmental assessment. City staff, resource organizations and student researchers can all provide help. Environmental assessments can focus on neighborhood up-keep, use of open space, habitat opportunities, sources point & non-point and air and water pollution, energy efficiency of buildings, and transportation, transit and bikes. For examples of neighborhood environmental assessments contact CURA’s Neighborhood Planning for Community Revitalization.
Use clean-ups to improve neighborhood pride. “Grime begets crime” says Kata Novak of the Lyndale neighborhood. Clean up projects can boost community among residents while restoring pride on hard-hit blocks and commercial districts. Your city solid waste department can offer advice and support to your neighborhood in accessing sentence-to-serve crews for litter removal, installing mid-block garbage bins, hauling away larger items during alley clean-ups and coordinating with county drop-offs for hazardous materials. Individual resident crusaders, block club clean-ups, and neighborhood-wide clean-sweeps all make a difference.
Community gardens & boulevard plantings strengthen neighborliness. Abundant support services are listed in the MCN’s Resource Guide for accessing technical assistance, funding and low-cost materials for your neighborhood to develop community gardens on vacant lots and boulevars. The Sustainable Resources Center can help you explore long-term land ownership options for community gardens. The MCDA supports neighborhoods to do short-term community gardens on vacant MCDA lots. Minnesota Green can help your group access free bedding plants for gardens. Youth gardening projects are also listed.
Protect neighborhood trees. The cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis Park Boards can offer advice to your neighborhood on how to best protect boulevard elms and other trees. Both cities and the MN DNR provide technical assistance and funding for tree planting projects for beautification, energy conservation and habitat expansion.
Make the most of natural amenities, watersheds and corridors. Many neighborhoods located along the Mississippi river, major creeks, lakes and park lands are seeking to reduce industrial uses along these areas (especially along the upper Mississippi, Cedar Lake and Phalen Creek) to link neighborhood residential areas with these natural areas.
Reduce solid waste through the reducing, reuse and recycling. In the 1970’s and 80’s many neighborhoods helped to boost resident participation in residential recycling programs. Now neighborhood groups can support business owners and apartment owners to recycle as well. Business associations can purchase recycling services together. However, the production of garbage in MN is still going up, even though the state has high recycling rates. Reducing the use of new materials at home, in construction and in business is also necessary. The Re-Use Center of the Green Institute in Minneapolis also has a home de-construction program and successful used building materials store. The new St. Paul Neighborhood Energy Consortium building at Selby Dale is a show-case for the creative use of recycled materials in building design. The Artscraps store in St. Paul sells recycled materials for use in arts projects.
Prevent pollution through partnerships. In the 90’s Citizens for a Better Environment assisted several Twin Cities neighborhoods to negotiate “Good Neighbor Agreements” with industries located in their area in which the manufacturers received training and assistance from the MN OEA to reduce their pollution and manufacturing costs by reducing their use of toxic chemicals. The Windom Park neighborhood in Northeast Minneapolis has recently struggled with chemical air pollution from a local manufacturer.
Conserve energy in buildings, appliances and transportation. Neighborhoods can encourage home owners and developers to use smart environmental design in building construction and rehab. By planning for a good mix of housing, services and employment in their area, neighborhoods can help reduce automobile use by residents. Check with the Institute for Local Self Reliance for information on conservation ideas.
“Watershed thinking” can improve water quality. Clean rivers, creeks and lakes improve the livability of neighborhoods for people and wildlife. Many neighborhood groups are encouraging residents to care for lawns without the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, and are stenciling storm drains to let people know what watershed they live in and alert neighbors not to dump motor oil, etc. down the drains. Ensuring proper disposal of leaves and grass clippings also adds to water quality. Large and very small permanent and seasonal wet lands are being used in neighborhoods to treat storm water before it enters lakes and rivers. The Minneapolis Chain of Lakes Clean Water Task Force recently published a “Clean Water Cook Book” with dozens of ideas for neighborhood action to improve water quality.
Improve indoor environments. The Public Health Departments in Minneapolis and St. Paul can help your neighborhood group work with home owners, business owners and apartment owners to reduce indoor health risks that can be caused by lead, radon, asbestos, mold, second-hand-smoke and other indoor pollutants. Please remember that a certain percentage of the general public has more severe environmental allergies, and can only attend public meetings in buildings that meet high indoor air standards.
Tack long-term change through sustainability indicators. In 1998 the Seward and Longfellow neighborhoods developed long-term neighborhood sustainability indicators, that will be measured every two years to track changes in the livabililty of their neighborhoods over time, with support from the Cross Roads Research Center and funding from the MN OEA.
Clean up brown fields. The Metropolitan Council, Minneapolis Community Development Agency, and St. Paul PED all can provide training, assessment and funding to clean up and re-develop contaminated sites in your neighborhood. The Jordan neighborhood also did a study on Abandoned Gas Stations in their neighborhood through CURA/Neighborhood Planning for Community Revitalization.
Increase habitat for wildlife. The Mississippi river and other major creeks provide valuable animal and bird transportation routes. Even small areas of parks and yards planted with the proper native plants can provide valuable habitat for birds and butterflies. Contact the DNR or St. Paul Neighborhood Energy Consortium for more information on habitat restoration.
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Annotated WebLinks
Public decision-making on land use issues
Embrace Open Space Citizen Engagement Campaign 06/15/04
In partnership with ten open space protection organizations, The McKnight Foundation's "Embrace Open Space" campaign provides information and advocacy strategies for working on local land use and open space protection issues.
Broad-based environmental resource information
Institute for Local Self-Reliance 06/15/04
A nonprofit research and educational organization that provides technical assistance and information on environmentally sound economic development strategies
Environmental reports on neighborhoods
Neighborhood Planning for Community Revitalization 06/15/04
Published environmental assessments of selected Twin Cities neighborhoods
Environmental clearinghouse website
Next Step 06/14/04
Provides Minnesota Sustainable Communities Network (MnSCN) members and others with information, access to resources, opportunities for networking, and inspiration on the topic of sustainable communities
National environmental clearinghouse website
Urban Ecology 06/15/04
Works to build cities that are ecologically thriving and socially just
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Library
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Vendors by Sub-Topic
Environmental Consultants 
MMC Associates
MN TAP- MN Technical Assistance Program
Sustainability Associates
Environmental Funders
Minnehaha Creek Watershed District
Environmental Projects in Neighborhoods
Big Woods Club -- City Green
Camden Garden Club
Cedar Lake Park Association
Citzens for a Loring Park Community
GreenSpace Partners
KEEY - Kids Education Environment You
Mississippi Corridor Neighborhood Coalition
Northside Garden Club
Phalen Corridor Initiative
Phillips Lead Collaborative
Residents Organizing Against Airport Racket
Selby/ Dale Community Garden
Seward Environment Committee
Soo Line Community Garden
Upper Swede Hollow Neighborhood Association
Environmental Resource Organizations
Center for Energy and Environment (CEE)
Center for Neighborhood Technology
Citizens for a Better Environment
Clean Water Action Alliance
Community Eco Design Network
Eco Education
Environment and Energy Resource Center
Eureka Recycling
Friends of the Mississippi River
Full Circle Institute
Great River Earth Institute
Great River Greening
Green Institute
Green Institute (The)
Hart Environmental Data
Land Stewardship Project
Midtown Greenway Coalition
Minnesota State Horticultural Society
Minnesotans for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Mississippi Corridor Neighborhood Coalition
Reuse Center
Science Museum of MN
Seward Environment Committee
Sierra Club, Northstar Chapter
South Metropolitan Airport Coalition - SMAC
St. Paul Neighborhood Energy Consortium
Sustainable Resources Center
Transit for Livable Communities
Tree Trust
Trust for Public Land
University of Minnesota Extension Service (Hennepin Co.)
University of Minnesota Extension Service Ramsey County
Urban Ecology, Inc.
Yellow Bike Coalition
Governmental Environment Contacts
City of Minneapolis Environmental Health
City of Minneapolis Housing Inspections
Hennepin County Environmental Services
Minneapolis Environmental Management
Minneapolis Neighborhood Revitalization Program
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
Minneapolis Planning Department
Minneapolis Solid Waste & Recycling
Minnesota Dept of Natural Resources
Minnesota Environmental Education Advisory Board
Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
National Park Service
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