Comprehensive Planning

Cities, townships and counties in the seven-county area prepare comprehensive plans as required by the Metropolitan Land Planning Act. Responsibilities of Met Council staff:

  • Coordinate review of local comprehensive land use plans and environmental documents

  • Provide professional planning and technical assistance

  • Offer cities assistance for implementing local plans and programs, and help in resolving issues

Communities receive assistance and support from Council Sector Representatives and through resources such as the Local Planning Handbook.

Other resources and assistance that Local Planning Assistance provides:

  • Staff expertise from Sector Representatives who serve as your primary staff contact at the Met Council and can answer questions about any of the items below - Ongoing

  • Local Planning Handbook provides guidance and a variety of resources for updating your 2040 plan and amending your current plan

  • Planning assistance grants are made available to assist communities with updating their local comprehensive plans. The Council establishes eligibility to apply for grants to target communities most in need of financial assistance to complete their local plans. Grants are not competitive.

  • Mapping Services Program provides direct service to smaller local governments in updating their planned land use map for their 2040 comprehensive plan.

  • ​Training and Workshop Courses provides guidance on how to meet the requirements for updating your 2040 comprehensive plan, along with additional training for getting more out of your plan. Sign up for email updates when new opportunities for the PlanIt program become available.

The following materials provide guidance to local communities on amending their local comprehensive plans and submitting them to the Council for review.

The Council issues system statements to all metro-area communities, as required by state statute. These customized documents inform each community how it is affected by the Met Council's policy plans for transportation, aviation, water resources, and regional parks and open space. You can find the system statements both linked below and on Community Pages of the Local Planning Handbook.