The Metropolitan Council is gearing up for the next round of local comprehensive plan updates. This week the Council adopted forecasts for population, households and employment in cities and townships in the metro area. Local units of government will use the forecasts to 2020, 2030, and 2040 in updating their plans for future growth, development, and redevelopment.
“The Council is updating the forecasts to reflect newer data and assumptions, so that local officials can use the freshest possible forecasts to begin their local comprehensive planning,” said Libby Starling, Manager of Regional Policy and Research. “These forecasts help local units of government plan infrastructure, investment, and land use to accommodate future growth.”
The adopted forecasts will be included in System Statements* that the Council will issue this fall to communities to convey how regional policies, data, and system plans guide local plans. The forecasts are not cast in stone, however; local communities can request revisions as their local plans evolve.
Council analysts say the forecast totals for the region, which are allocated to cities and townships, have been revised slightly downward since 2014, due in part to a slightly lower national employment forecast and revised immigration assumptions. Nonetheless, the region will continue to grow in population and jobs.
The region is expected to grow from nearly 2.9 million residents in 2010 to nearly 3.7 million in 2040. Good planning for all that growth, Council officials say, is the steppingstone to a region that’s competitive, vital, and prosperous.
Forecast reports and tables are available online.
For more information on demographic changes anticipated in the region, see the Council MetroStats report, “Steady Growth and Big Changes Ahead (pdf).”
*System Statements are customized for each community to inform them of how they are affected by the Council’s policy plans for regional systems—transportation, wastewater and regional parks.