Cross-pollinating art, sustainability, and urban design in Northeast Minneapolis
Northeast Incubator is a pilot project to explore the potential of cross-pollinating art, sustainability education, urban design, and community-building practices in Northeast Minneapolis, a neighborhood known for its industrial landscape, its proximity to the Mississippi River, its density of artists and art studios, as well as many other creative and locally-focused businesses, cultural organizations, and economically and culturally diverse residents.
Some of the priorities shared by the City of Minneapolis and its northeast neighborhoods are addressing the causes and impacts of climate change, finding solutions to environmental injustice, innovating more equitable and sustainable economic and community development practices, including those that prioritize water quality, and utilize public art to inspire stewardship of land, air, water, and public space.
Through the existing Northeast Green Campus project at Edison High School, the Holland Neighborhood Improvement Association (HNIA) and other partners are demonstrating the impact of sustainable landscape design and education, particularly with public high school students. The NE Incubator will build on the innovative Northeast Green Campus and other local design and development projects with explicit environmental sustainability goals, engaging more neighborhood artists and designers, and a broader spectrum of residents.
Together, this network of neighbors will imagine and experiment with creative ways that art and design can be a means of understanding, educating, engaging, and involving ourselves, other neighborhood residents and organizations, and local business owners in protecting water quality, preparing for climate change, and promoting environmental justice.