Cultural Districts: Strengthen neighborhoods by prioritizing and accelerating economic development, public transit, and affordable housing policies, practices, and resources to protect the racial diversity and uplift the cultural identity of the city’s areas where a significant portion of the population is comprised of people of color, Indigenous people, and/or immigrant (POCII) communities.
THIS POLICY SUPPORTS GOALS:
- #1: Eliminate disparities
- #3: Affordable and accessible housing
- #4: Living-wage jobs
- #5: Healthy, safe, and connected people
- #6: High-quality physical environment
- #7: History and culture
- #8: Creative, cultural, and natural amenities
- #9: Complete neighborhoods
- #12: Healthy, sustainable, and diverse economy
- #14: Equitable civic participation system
THIS POLICY RELATES TO TOPICS:
Given the history of redlining and economic exclusion, the City will designate Cultural Districts to prevent the displacement of low-income residents while nurturing thriving commercial corridors. A Cultural District is a contiguous area with a rich sense of cultural and/or linguistic identity rooted in communities significantly populated by people of color, Indigenous people, and/or immigrants. The City of Minneapolis’ Cultural Districts designation will allow for the creation and prioritized implementation of new investment tools, policies, and practices that directly respond to the needs of POCII communities to stop the displacement of these communities and advance racial equity in Minneapolis.
ACTION STEPS
The City will seek to accomplish the following action steps to strengthen neighborhoods by prioritizing and accelerating economic development, public transit, and affordable housing policies, practices, and resources to protect the racial diversity and uplift the cultural identity of the city’s areas where a significant portion of the population is comprised of people of color, Indigenous people, and/or immigrant (POCII) communities.
- Partner with the Cultural District residents, cultural workers, artists, entrepreneurs, businesses, institutions, and other levels of government to develop multi-faceted strategies that elevate the district’s cultural and linguistic identity.
- Partner with POCII entrepreneurs and business owners to create new tools that help them retain and expand commercial activities.
- Provide more flexible response to and support for efforts that help Cultural Districts thrive. This includes, but is not limited to, facilitating increased street activation by addressing regulatory barriers and amplifying the impact of Special Service Districts and the City’s Great Streets Program.
- Current City policies, resources, and departmental work will be prioritized to accelerate racially equitable outcomes in commercial vitality, stable housing, and infrastructure within the District area.
- Help create and prioritize the implementation of cooperative-based economic and housing development strategies such as cooperatively-owned housing and commercial land trusts to secure long-term affordability and greater equitable outcomes for POCII.
- Promote Cultural Districts as prime areas for ethical tourism by aligning and leveraging funding and programs with key regional partners such as Meet Minneapolis and Greater MSP.