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Metropolitan Agencies <br />4-KRegionalGrowth <br />Themost recentregional populationforecast prepared by theMetropolitanCouncil projectsa <br />populationof3,738,047peopleby2040. <br />MetroCitiesrecognizescitiesÓresponsibilitytoplanforsustainable growthpatterns that <br />integratetransportation,housing,parks,openspaceandeconomicdevelopment thatwillresultin <br />a region better equipped to manage population growth, to provide a high quality of life for a <br />growing and increasingly diverse metropolitan area population and improved environmental <br />health. <br />In developing local comprehensive plans to fit within a regional framework, adequate state and <br />regional financial resources and incentives and maximum flexibility for local planning decisions <br />are imperative. The regional framework should assist cities in managing growth while being <br />responsivetotheindividualqualities,characteristicsandneedsof metropolitancities,andshould <br />encourage sub-regionalcooperationandcoordination. <br />Inordertoaccommodatethis growthinamannerthatpreservesthe regionÓshighqualityoflife: <br />Naturalresourceprotectionwill haveto bebalanced with growthand <br />development/reinvestment; <br />Significantnewresources willhavetobeprovidedfortransportationandtransit;and <br />New households will have to be incorporated into the core cities, first and second-ring <br />suburbs,anddevelopingcitiesthroughbothdevelopmentandredevelopment. <br />In order forregional and local planning to result in the successful implementation of regional <br />policies: <br />TheState ofMinnesotamustcontributeadditionalfinancial resources,particularlyinthe <br />areas of transportation and transit, community reinvestment, affordable housing <br />development,and the preservation of parks and open space. If funding for regional <br />infrastructure is notadequate, cities should not be responsible for meeting the growth <br />forecast set forth by theMetropolitan Council; <br />TheMetropolitanCouncilandLegislaturemust work topursuelevelsofstateandfederal <br />transportation funding that are adequate to meet identified transportation and transit needs in <br />themetropolitanarea; <br />TheMetropolitanCouncilmust recognizethelimitationsofitsauthority andcontinueto <br />workwithcitiesinacollaborative,incentives-basedmanner; <br />TheMetropolitanCouncilmust recognizethevariousneedsand capacitiesofitsmany <br />partners, including but not limited to cities, counties, economic development authorities <br />2022 Legislative Policies <br />48 <br /> <br />