Did you know that there are six distinct nodes for land use in Edina City? These are the areas in which the city's population will grow or decrease. The city's 2008 Comprehensive Plan opened with a statement about the desires of its residents, and its 2018 update includes a similar declaration. Both plans reflect the city's vision for its future and determine land use, including redevelopment of older neighborhoods and housing needs, transportation needs, and natural areas.
The population of Edina City is a mix of American dream symbols and has never really let them go. According to Iric Nathanson, a Minneapolis-based author and historian, the blending of these two concepts has been a longstanding trend. Nathanson notes that in 1975, a cartoon depicted a mother sitting in a wicker chair and talking to her son. The same cartoon appeared in a painting by Richard Guindon, which depicted the mother with hanging plants.
While Edina's future is still uncertain, its current plan is a model for other inner-ring cities. The city has been redeveloping its urban core for over a decade. Future iQ led the 12-month process and performed benchmarking studies against other cities in the area. During that time, the city engaged more than 800 stakeholders in a rigorous planning process and developed a shared vision and preliminary action plan. This process also included bridging sessions, where future-oriented visioning techniques were discussed and a nodes-and-modes concept was explored.