Framework for Measuring Sustainable Regional Development for the Twin Cities Region

Abstract

Patterns of growth and development impact our environmental, social, economic, and cultural quality of life. In order to take steps toward sustainable development that will have a positive impact on these effects, this project, sponsored by the McKnight Foundation, identified a framework for an indicator system to measure sustainable regional development in the Twin Cities metropolitan region. The proposed framework includes a set of sustainability principles, indicators, measures, and accompanying data sources. It is anticipated that the McKnight Foundation will use this sustainability framework for internal organizational purposes with the possibility of the system being considered by other local geographies in the future. This framework could also serve as a tool to compare sustainability between the Twin Cities seven-county region and other comparable regions. The report provides a summary of the research, presents a final recommended set of performance measures for the indicators, makes recommendations for the selection of tier 1 and tier 2 indicators, and recommends a plan for next steps.