September 18, 2008 (MINNEAPOLIS)— The Uptown Small Area Plan, adopted by the Minneapolis City Council in February, has won an award for its outstanding planning work from the Minnesota Chapter of the American Planning Association.

The award will be presented at the chapter’s annual state planning conference in Duluth on September 23. The award will be accepted by Cuningham Group, an urban design firm who partnered with the City to produce the plan.

The plan was judged on innovation, transferability, quality, comprehensiveness, public participation and collaboration, role of the planner, and effectiveness. The plan was given the award in large part because of its excellent transferability, or ability to be an example for other jurisdictions.

"I am especially proud that this plan, and our planning process, was able to address the unique and varied interests of the Uptown area. Our city communities depend upon solid urban planning to keep them vibrant and evolving," said Council Member Ralph Remington (Ward 10) upon learning of the award.

The plan signals a new era for Uptown and is a guide for future development in its core along south Hennepin Avenue. Uptown offers the best quality of urban living—it has green spaces, is well-connected to the metro area, and urban.

The plan promotes responsible growth and:

The public helped shape the plan through a series of open houses, survey participation, online feedback, and insight at community meetings.