Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Client: Minneapolis Park + Recreation Board

Status: Plan Completed in 2023

Area: 250 acres

Team: TEN x TEN, EOR, Quinn Evans, Hesse Roise, MSR Design, Mend Collaborative

In collaboration with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MRPB), TEN x TEN led a team of specialists through a three-year planning process for Cedar Lake and Lake of the Isles. These two lakes, as part of the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes Regional Park, contribute to a vital, urban natural ecosystem with unique experiences that protect, connect, and sustain people, wildlife, and natural resources, while maintaining the health of the lakes. The lakes and their surrounding parkland are home to many natural and cultural assets that deserve protection, enhancement, and celebration. The plan puts forth a vision for this area of parkland to be implemented over the next 20-30 years.

Through the skilled facilitation of deep dialogue and engagement between city decision-makers, wildlife advocates, state agencies, neighbors, and other stakeholders - the planning team crafted a plan that unifies an interwoven, complex web of interests, needs, and demands into one compelling vision for the future of beloved parkland and lakes. The plan’s designs and recommendations aim to sensitively respond to the general engagement received during community comment periods, surveys, small group meetings, site walks, and workshops.

The plan is anchored by a commitment to achieve key objectives identified through this extensive community engagement: improve water quality, restore natural areas to support wildlife and climate resilience, enhance circulation, acknowledge deep layers of history through education and interpretation, and provide amenities and program improvements to strengthen human relationships with the land and the lakes. Water quality was consistently identified as a top theme and priority by the public throughout the planning process. To comprehensively address current and future water quality improvement opportunities for Cedar Lake and Lake of the Isles, the project team worked to develop goals across three planning scales: lake, park plan, and watershed (listed smallest to largest scale).