More than a Third of New Building Permits in Minneapolis are Near Transit – Mass Transit Mag
A study of building permits along high frequency transit lines in Minneapolis, Minn., by the Metropolitan Council (Met Council) shows both the trend of new development increasing and thriving in those corridors, and the value of transit investment. In analyzing building permit data between 2009 and 2022, the Met Council found more than $16 billion in development occurred within a half mile of high-frequency bus and rail transit, accounting for 37 percent of all the development in the seven-county Metro region.
“Transportation investment is an economic engine for the region,” said Met Council Chair Charlie Zelle. “As we work to build a transit network that will support our region for the next 50 years, these corridors will promote economic development while supporting walking and biking, which actively complement public transit.”
The report analyzes data from the Met Council’s Annual Building Permit Survey to assess construction activity within housing, commercial, retail and institutional sectors of the region’s economy. The report includes any development that occurs within a half-mile of a transitway station (light rail or bus rapid transit (BRT) or within a quarter mile of a high-frequency local bus route.
