In this webinar, presented live on January 18, 2023, we learned more about the demographic data available for your community and how it can be used in your sustainability planning.
- 9:00am – Welcome
- 9:15 – Minnesota Compass: Sheri Holm, Senior Communication Specialist - Wilder Research
- Wilder Research was created to "gather, research, and analyze data about Minnesotans for Minnesotans" and launched the Minnesota Compass tool around 15 years ago.
- Sheri shared that the Minnesota Compass tool can be used to explore data by who lives in Minnesota, where they live, their quality of life, and by special projects. The special projects include:
- Who Leads in MN? - Are leaders reflective of and responsive to the diversity of those they employ and serve?
- STEM in Minnesota - Is Minnesota preparing its residents with STEM competencies that need to succeed?
- Data for Equity - data and resources to help you create welcoming workplace, learning, and community environments where everyone is valued and thrives. See the Diversity Index and DEI resources that include: DEI promising practices for leaders, Leadership program directory, and STEM access toolkit.
- COVID-19 data - regular assembly and updates on data related to the virus and its impacts.
- Sheri also shared additional tools that GreenStep participants may be interested in:
- Environment topic page - includes key measures on air quality and GHG emissions and more measures.
- Build your own custom profile - you can switch to different geographies (including a ‘draw’ tool - if larger than 1 sq. mile), download data, and compare data between geographic areas. See the Video and Guide.
- How to use the data
- Newsletter - sign up on home page or on the contact page.
- Storytelling with data: where do i begin?
- User stories:
- Thief River Falls - created a dashboard
- Washington County Parks - find out who lives around their parks and tailor plans in response.
- 10:00 – Labor Market Information (LMI): Cameron Macht, Regional Analysis & Outreach Manager - Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
- Cameron shared a few interesting facts including: Minnesota's population is 5,717,184 people in 2022, with more children/youth under 18 than seniors. The state has fewer workers in 2022 compared with 2020 - at 3,071,168 currently and we have a tight labor market with 2.3% unemployment rate. The state's labor force is expected to add 8,600 workers per year over the next decade, although most will be located in the Twin Cities. Our labor force has been diversifying; almost half of the state's labor force grew from foreign-born workers.
- LMI resources include:
- County Profiles & Regional Profiles - updated 2x/year include population, education, and labor data
- Cost of Living data - by household size, basic needs, etc.
- Data Tools: https://mn.gov/deed/data/data-tools/
- Newsletters
- LMI economists and analysts contacts: https://mn.gov/deed/business/help/lmi/
- 10:20 – Community GIS Program: Jeff Matson, Coordinator - University of Minnesota Center for Urban & Regional Affairs (CURA)
CURA has been around for 55 years providing research and technical assistance. Find local government programs.
Jeff shared that the Community GIS Program is a walk-in technical assistance center that requires no fees for small, community-initiated projects such as: mapping, data analysis, poster printing, and customized trainings. Projects can be focused on neighborhood-level/census track demographics, statewide data projects and web maps, or data Indicators - (i.e. gentrification study and transitways).
- 10:40 – Equity Considerations: Matt Schroeder, Principal Researcher - Metropolitan Council
- Matt started by sharing resources available using census data, including: Interactive map, digital report, download data, community profiles, summary of jurisdictions, customized report for each jurisdiction, downloadable spatial files for GIS analysis, data with standardized demographics.
- The Metropolitan Council identifies Areas of Concentrated Poverty for the seven-county Twin Cities region using the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. However, this is not a great proxy alone so researchers are including other data, like vehicle availability. See Rethinking Areas of Concentrated Poverty.
- Over 300 fields of data by the region's census tracts is available in the Equity Considerations for Place-based Advocacy and Decisions Dataset. However, Matt noted that quantitative data does not capture everything that we need. See the Equity Considerations for Place Based Decisions and Advocacy user guide to learn more.
- 11:00 – Conclusion
View the slides and additional materials:
Additional Resources:
- The importance of the American Community Survey and the Decennial Census (US Census Bureau, 2022)
- Minnesota Compass - Minnesota Compass was developed when leaders from across Minnesota voiced a desire to have credible, easy-to-access data about their communities.
- Met Council's Equity Considerations Dataset - This dataset provides equity-relevant characteristics for each census tract in the Twin Cities region.
- Minnesota State Demographic Center - The Minnesota State Demographic Center (SDC), part of the Minnesota Department of Administration, is the main provider of demographic data and analysis for the state of Minnesota. The SDC assists policymakers, state and local governments, businesses, nonprofits, the media, and all Minnesotans locate and understand the demographic data they need to make smart decisions.
6.1 Adopt a comprehensive plan or (for Category B & C cities) adopt a future land use plan that was adopted by the county or a regional entity.
7.4 Provide incentives for affordable housing, workforce housing, infill projects, or for life-cycle housing at or near job or retail centers, or for achieving an average net residential density of seven units per acre.
7.5 Use design to create social trust and interaction among neighbors and allow developments that meet the prerequisites for LEED for Neighborhood Development certification.
9.2 Participate in regional economic development planning with representatives from surrounding townships, cities, the county and business interests.
14.4 Require new developments or redevelopments to prepare a travel demand management plan or transit-oriented development standards or LEED for Neighborhood Development certification.
24.1 Inclusive and Coordinated Decision-Making: Use a city commission or committee to lead, coordinate, report to and engage community members on the identification and equitable implementation of sustainability best practices.
24.2 Communicating Progress on Goals: Organize goals/outcome measures from all city plans (social, environmental, economic) and report to community members data that show progress toward meeting these goals.
24.3 Measuring Outcomes: Engage community members and partners in identifying, measuring, and reporting progress on key sustainability and social indicators/ including energy use/greenhouse gas emissions, social vitality/social inclusion outcome measures.
24.5 Planning with a Purpose: Conduct a community visioning and planning initiative that engages a diverse set of community members & stakeholders and uses a sustainability, resilience, or environmental justice framework.
24.7 Expanding Community Engagement: Engage Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), renters, low-income, new Americans, differently abled and other traditionally under-represented community members by encouragement, and support to participate in current and new opportunities in city government.
25.1 Grow new/emerging green businesses and green jobs through targeted assistance and new workforce development.
27.4 Measurably increase institutional buying, and sales through groceries and restaurants.
28.4 Use 21st century ecodistrict tools to structure, guide and link multiple green and sustainable projects together in a mixed-use neighborhood/development, or innovation district, aiming to deliver superior social, environmental and economic outcomes.
29.1 Prepare to maintain public health and safety during extreme weather and climate-change-related events, while also taking a preventive approach to reduce risk for community members.
29.2 Integrate climate resilience into city or tribal planning, policy, operations, and budgeting processes.
29.3 Increase social connectedness through engagement, capacity building, public investment, and opportunities for economically vulnerable residents to improve their economic prosperity and resilience to climate change.
29.6 Reduce the urban heat impacts of public buildings, sites, and infrastructure and provide resiliency co-benefits.
29.7 Protect water supply and wastewater treatment facilities to reduce physical damage and sustain their function during extreme weather events.
29.8 Improve local energy resilience by minimizing fuel poverty, installing distributed renewable energy systems, and developing microgrids that can improve energy system resiliency.
- #4 Infrastructure for Walking and Biking
- #5 Car, Transit, and Bike Options
- #6 Transportation Modes & Miles
- #7 Land Use
- #10 Drinking Water
- #11 Wastewater
- #12 Solid Waste
- #13 Renewable Energy
- #15 Local Food
- #16 Jobs & Employment
- #17 Climate
- #18 Additional Metrics
