Imagine 2050

Imagine 2050 is the regional development guide created by the Metropolitan Council with input from technical experts, local officials, advocates, and residents across the seven-county Twin Cities region. Imagine 2050 includes a vision and goals and addresses critical issues that cross policy areas: climate, equity, natural systems, public health, safety, and well-being.

Land use policy is at the heart of how the region manages growth and development. It is the foundation of the local comprehensive planning process. How we respect and tend to the land as the region changes is key to balancing the needs of a growing human population with the needs of all living beings. It is a vision that includes care of the water that is foundational to all life, as well as all natural systems upon which our lives depend. The regional development guide sets the long-range policy foundation for: housing, regional parks and trails, transportation, and water.

View the 2050 Policy Plan Index

The guide will shape how this region grows in the next 30 years. Partnerships between government, business, nonprofits, and communities will help create a prosperous future for our children, grandchildren, and generations to come.

Regional core values

Imagine 2050 is built around a set of core values that guide the Met Council’s work, our expectations of partnerships, and our policy and program development into the future.

We value the people and communities of our region. Our region is economically and culturally vibrant. We also recognize, however, the harm and disparities that injustices, including racism, have created.

We are dedicated to creating systems, policies, and programs that repair and heal past harm, foster an equitable future, and eliminate disparities. Communities that have been marginalized in the past will be at the center of this work in leadership roles.

Accountability Icon We value those in our region who inspire and motivate others for positive change. Our region is known for its civic engagement. We need broad and inclusive leadership to help confront the significant challenges we face around equity, climate change, safety, and other pressing issues.

To maximize the potential of our region and its communities, we turn to leadership that is diverse, collaborative, culturally competent, and innovative. We encourage this kind of leadership across all sectors including business, government, non-profit, and education.

We value being effective in our work and achieving measurable outcomes. Our region is known for its research, initiatives, and collaborations. We must be open to criticism and clearly understand when we are not achieving results or have harmed communities.

We recognize that we can maximize our effectiveness by being in partnership with others. We will also be transparent and flexible so that we can change course when needed.

We value our region’s resources. Our resources include our natural, economic, and financial resources as well as our infrastructure. We recognize that these resources may be vulnerable over time to changing conditions, including from climate change.

We must design our systems and allocate our resources in ways that can be sustained over time and support the needs of future generations.

Regional goals

The Met Council has endorsed these goals for our region to achieve through our policies, practices, programs, and partnerships.

Our region is equitable and inclusive

Racial inequities and injustices experienced by historically marginalized communities have been eliminated; and all people feel welcome, included, and empowered.