A map showing the Northside Green Zone in Minneapolis. This is one of two designated green zones in the city. While most of the zone is in North Minneapolis, part of the designation follows 22nd Avenue NE and goes along Grand and Marshall streets in Northeast Minneapolis. (Provided)
On March 3, the Minneapolis League of Women Voters (LWV) hosted its monthly community speaker series, “Civic Buzz.” This month’s topic was “Green Zones: Working Toward Environmental Justice in Minneapolis,” featuring speaker Jayda Pounds, Sustainability Program Coordinator for the Minneapolis Health Department.
In 2017, the City of Minneapolis designated Green Zones as neighborhoods with higher levels of environmental pollution and as places that have been economically, racially or politically marginalized. Factors such as air quality, food access, higher rates of illness, pollution and substandard housing are just a few of the factors that contribute to this designation.
North Minneapolis and the Phillips, Cedar-Riverside and Ventura Village neighborhoods in south Minneapolis are designated as Green Zones.
Former Ward 1 Council Member Kevin Reich was in office in 2017 when Northeast Minneapolis received a few Green Zones. Marshall Terrace, Sheridan, Bottineau and St. Anthony West neighborhoods which run along the Mississippi River have the designation due to the many industrial river sites there.
A small corridor runs from Edison High School along 22nd Avenue NE before crossing over the river to 26th Ave. N to Nellie Stone Johnson School. This pathway was designated a Green Zone to connect the two schools and to teach environmental education to students. Because of the designation, solar panels were installed at Edison High School to lower energy costs.
Reich said, “Being in a Green Zone prioritized capital projects and how they were being looked at with more green building with each project thinking of the environment as well.”
The Green Zone initiative focuses on reducing pollution and environmental elements. Programs such as rebates and 0% loans for energy-efficient upgrades to windows, insulation and energy-efficient appliances are available. Residents in these areas may also qualify for free trees.
Community members can get involved in many ways. Residents can sponsor a Purple Air Sensor which monitors air quality, be on an advisory board such as the Northside Green Zone Task Force or Southside Green Zone Council, partner with community organizations, recycle and, soon, promote and use biochar.
Minneapolis’s commitment to climate action extends beyond Green Zones. In the summer of 2026, the city will open a carbon-capturing Biochar facility at 670 25th Ave. SE.
Minneapolis is one of seven cities in the world to receive grant funding for a biochar project. In this process, tree waste wood is heated to 700°F without oxygen, creating a charcoal-like substance called biochar. When mixed into compost, biochar acts like a sponge that helps soil hold nutrients and keeps carbon stored in the ground.
The LWV are also working with green partners to support environmental justice by promoting recycling.
The Hennepin County Trash Incinerator burns most of the waste the city generates. To reduce the amount sent to the incinerator, the LWV is encouraging organics and single-sort-recycling in multi-unit communities in Green Zones.
A LWV representative said some Green Zone areas may not have the infrastructure for this type of recycling, and education could help with understanding of how waste affects pollution. Having access and information could help reduce the impact.
Reich, who currently works as Executive Director of the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, said, “The Green Zones designations are changing things and good work is being done in our backyard and on our terms.”
The City of Minneapolis has developed a Climate Equity Plan which focuses on actions that benefit diverse and low-income communities. Additional information on Green Zones and energy rebates can be found on the city’s website: https://bit.ly/47BUJXW.