Rethinking I-94 

Engaging Youth to Advance Social Justice 

 

 
Prepared by 
Neva Hubbert, Matthew Lupini, Anna Peters, Kathleen Russell, and Leoma Van Dort 

Prepared for 
The Minnesota Department of Transportation  

December 2018 
PA 5253 Designing Planning and Participation Processes 
Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs - University of Minnesota 

 
 

Acknowledgments 

Rethinking I-94: Engaging Youth to Advance Social Justice​ is a report prepared by Neva Hubbert, 
Matthew Lupini, Anna Peters, Kathleen Russell, and Leoma Van Dort for the Minnesota Department 
of Transportation’s Rethinking I-94 project. The report summarizes the work of a three-week design 
process carried out as part of the Fall 2018 PA 5253 Designing Planning and Participation Processes 
class at the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota. We would like to 
acknowledge the assistance and guidance of the following individuals throughout the project 
process.  

Thank you. 

Course Instructor 
Dan Milz, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor, Humphrey School of Public Affairs 

Project Client 
Brenda Thomas, Engagement & Strategy Director, Rethinking I-94, Minnesota Department of 
Transportation 

Community Partner 
Dawn Selle, Director of External Affairs & Development, Hallie Q. Brown Community Center, St. Paul 
 
Technical Assistance 
Liz Engels, Teaching Assistant, Humphrey School of Public Affairs 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Table of Contents 
 
Historical Perspective 3 
Background for Engagement Proposal 3 
Purpose and Goals of Engagement Strategy 4 
Target Audience 4 
Review of Stakeholder Analysis 5 
Conflict Assessment 6 
Engagement Timeline and Tools of Engagement 8 
Phase 0: Prep (2-3 months) 9 
Phase 1: Past (4-5 months) 9 
Phase 3: Future (3-4 months) 10 
Evaluation Plan 11 
Potential Outcomes 11 
Potential Challenges 12 

References 13 

Appendix A: Stakeholder Analysis 14 

Appendix B: Key Demographics 20 

Appendix C: Conflict Assessment Matrix 21 

Appendix D: Example Prompts and Questions for Engagement Events 22 

Appendix E: Sample GIS Story Map Point 23 

Appendix F: Example Image from the 360-degree Camera 24 

Appendix G: Sample Annotated 360-degree Photo 25 

Appendix H: Evaluation Questions for Phase 0 - Phase 3 26 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Historical Perspective  
In the early and mid-20th century, the Rondo neighborhood was the center of the Twin Cities’ 
African American community, with a majority of African American residents, businesses, 
organizations, and institutions in the region. The Federal Highway Act of 1956 provided funding to 
American cities to build a network of freeways, as a result of the greater use of automobiles across 
the nation. While there were a variety of proposed routes for the I-94 in St. Paul, including one 
option further north through industrial land, the central route through the majority-Black Rondo 
neighborhood was chosen. Without question, there were racial motivations behind the route choice, 
as the northern layout would have had very little impact on established communities in the Twin 
Cities. However, the construction of I-94 directly through the Rondo neighborhood destroyed a 
substantial number of homes, businesses, and community organizations that existed prior to the 
highway project. The project also disconnected neighborhoods, as the new interstate cut individuals 
off from friends, family, and community resources that had previously been easily accessible. 
 
While the Rondo neighborhood was certainly not forgotten by communities or policymakers, the 
issues inherent to the highway construction resurfaced during the planning process for the Green 
Line LRT. With the plan to construct the Green Line along University Avenue (only a few blocks away 
from I-94), many of the same groups were at risk of displacement, and the communities involved 
grew concerned that the process would once again disregard historically marginalized populations 
and communities. Fortunately, this was not the case. In fact, organizational efforts and significant 
legal action spurred a change in the planned LRT stops to include three additional stations that 
primarily served communities affected by the I-94 construction.  
 
Thus, the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s (MnDOT) Rethinking I-94 project that came 
about as a government-led effort to re-engage (or really, engage for the first time) the historically 
marginalized communities along the I-94, aims at “improving MnDOT’s engagement and 
relationships with the communities in a 15-mile study area between St. Paul and Minneapolis” 
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2018a, p. 5). The project gained immediate significance in 
several ways, but notably, when current MnDOT Commissioner Charlie Zelle and then-St. Paul Mayor 
Chris Coleman formally apologized to affected communities for the way the interstate construction 
was handled. This public declaration that the government systematically implemented 
racially-motivated public policy marked a clear departure from previous rhetoric. The statement by 
Commissioner Zelle and Mayor Coleman and the subsequent healing session held at the Rondo 
Community Center was key to MnDOT’s shift in priorities to make I-94 an asset to the Rondo 
neighborhood, rather than something that dismantled and destroyed this culturally-rich community.  
 

Background for Engagement Proposal 

 
Phase 1 of the Rethinking I-94 project was conducted between January 2016 and August 2018, with a 
stated focus of understanding the corridor and the communities it serves. Through critical 
engagement with communities, as well as significant technical research, Phase 1 generated three 
overarching lessons. First and most important for the purpose of our group’s engagement proposal 
is MnDOT’s efforts in understanding the historical perspective of communities living along the 
corridor so that they can be effectively and successfully engaged throughout the project process. 
Second, is the realization that the I-94 represents a significant planning challenge even among other 

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freeway corridors in Minnesota, especially due to its influence on communities. And finally, the 
understanding that the implementation of Rethinking I-94 must take into consideration the changes 
that places and people will experience as a result of the project, and that engagement should only 
be done in a deliberate and thoughtful way considering how each step of the process will affect 
communities. 
 
As MnDOT moves into Phase 2 - the environmental assessment - the issue at the heart of the project 
is how the organization should continue to engage residents along the I-94 corridor, especially in 
Rondo, in a thoughtful, culturally-sensitive, and constructive way. As MnDOT looks to promote and 
support environmental justice through all stages of the planning process, through identification and 
evaluation of environmental, social, and economic effects of programs, policies and activities 
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2018b), we believe that this process is pertinent to Phase 
2 of the project, especially in regards to engaging the communities the project aims to serve, 
developing and evaluating alternatives for I-94, identifying actions to address I-94 needs, preparing 
the environmental documentation, and advancing social justice through this process. 
 

Purpose and Goals of Engagement Strategy 

 
The purpose of our engagement strategy is to engage youth in the Rondo neighborhood in order to 
identify what assets already exist in the community, what possibilities they envision, and ultimately, 
how the I-94 corridor can meet their needs in the future. Given this stated purpose, the primary 
goals of our engagement strategy are to engage, educate, and empower youth. 
 
● Engage​: to promote social justice 
● Educate​: to increase awareness about the community’s history, legacy, and identity through 
shared narratives 
● Empower​: to drive conversations and shape decisions about the future of their community 
 
Prior to designing our engagement strategy, we carried out a stakeholder analysis (see Appendix A) 
and used the power/interest matrix to prioritize stakeholder engagement. This analysis helped 
demonstrate that youth are often left out of planning processes and therefore typically have little 
interest and power to influence decision-making processes. With our engagement strategy, we 
believe that MnDOT has the opportunity to engage youth to advance social justice, educate them of 
their community’s history and identity, and empower them to drive conversations and shape 
decisions about the future of their community, as a result of which, youth will become more 
interested and have more power to participate in and influence decision-making processes. 
 

Target Audience 
Our engagement strategy primarily targets youth ages 14-25 years in the Rondo/ Summit-University 
neighborhood that is part of Zone 4 of the I-94 corridor. This group would primarily constitute high 
school students, college students, and working youth. We believe that engaging youth in the 
Rethinking I-94 project is particularly important given that they constitute around 16 percent of the 
neighborhood population (Minnesota Compass, 2016) and that they are both current and future 
users of the highway system. We also identify several benefits to engaging youth in a transportation 

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planning project as significant as Rethinking I-94. For example, we believe that engaging with the 
youth population and working with them collaboratively can help establish mutually-beneficial and 
long-term relationships between youth and MnDOT, and also help retain youth in the Rondo 
community by creating a vested interest in the community that they live, play, study, and work in. 
 
A demographic analysis of the Rondo/Summit-University target area (see Appendix B) shows that 
the Rondo neighborhood is a racially diverse community. The largest racial group of residents are 
African American (47.5%) while other racial groups include White (33.6%), Asian (10.1%) Native 
American (1.3%) and Two or More Races (5.9%) (Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2017, p. 
54). The demographic analysis also shows us that about 18 percent of the population is foreign-born 
and that there are residents speaking several languages other than English, including African 
languages, Hmong, Vietnamese, and Spanish (Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2017, p. 
54). Also, an estimated 33.6 percent of people living in the Rondo target area live in poverty. 
 
With MnDOT’s commitment to Environmental Justice goals and the Title VI program, we think that 
MnDOT has the opportunity to carry out targeted outreach and engagement to include minority and 
low-income youth as well as other underserved and underrepresented youth, such as youth from 
limited English populations and youth with disabilities, in the planning process. Such an approach, 
we believe, will allow MnDOT to create an inclusive engagement process that can help advance 
social justice.  

Review of Stakeholder Analysis 

 
Our engagement plan proposes strategies for advancing social justice by engaging youth in the 
Rethinking I-94 process. Therefore, it is critical to make concerted efforts to identify the different 
stakeholders in the project. Without a true understanding of stakeholders’ interests and concerns, 
MnDOT may easily address the wrong problems, thus perpetuating inequities and mistrust that 
have persisted over the years.  
 
To conduct this stakeholder analysis, we reviewed a map of the businesses and institutions in the 
Rondo neighborhood and included those we believed to likely have significant interaction with 
youth. See the full stakeholder anal​ysis in Appendix A.  
 
The majority of the stakeholders in the analysis represent residents themselves, community 
organizations, and educational institutions. Other stakeholders include MnDOT officials, business 
owners, Minnesota Board of Education, elected city officials, and the design community (who may be 
and ideally would be, connected personally to Rondo). The biggest rationale for including several 
community and educational organizations is to prioritize partnerships from the very beginning. To 
successfully increase the interest and engagement of Rondo youth, we recommend that MnDOT 
leverage existing relationships in the community by building partnerships and empowering those 
community partners. 
 
One of the major findings from this stakeholder analysis is that the project’s primary target 
audience, the youth in Rondo, will initially have low interest in participating in planning processes. 
Thus, we recommend that MnDOT leverage groups and individuals who have both high interest and 
influence over youth. This underscores the utmost importance of building trusting partnerships and 
empowering those partners to reach out to their communities as they see fit. Access points to youth 

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may include parents, schools, places of worship, the YWCA, Rondo Library, and other community 
organizations. In addition, MnDOT can incentivize the participation of youth with payment or school 
credit. Schools may present a powerful way to connect with youth if teachers or administrator 
partners are willing to create a required class project. Paying interns or youth ambassadors to help 
organize can also be a powerful way to increase participation, in large part because the people in 
those positions will have more social influence and a higher level of trust. 
 
Because one goal of this project focuses on education, another recommendation that emerged from 
this analysis is the importance of intergenerational engagement. Adults who lived through the I-94 
construction are the people who can most authentically share that part of history with their 
grandchildren and other youth. To gain their participation, community partnerships will again be 
critical. Organizations such as the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center and places of worship can be 
instrumental in gathering families for an event. 
 
This analysis also shows some of the difficulties in building those critical partnerships. Even if a 
community group has access to youth, they may not be able or willing to lend MnDOT their cultural 
capital. First, especially for nonprofits or small businesses, staff capacity to dedicate time to this 
project will be limited. Similarly, some organizations may have defined criteria for deciding to 
establish a partnership. Finally, because MnDOT has made past decisions that have led to significant 
pain and racial inequities, groups and individuals may not be quick to begin a trusting partnership. 
 
A final recommendation that emerged from the stakeholder analysis is that MnDOT be aware of 
who wields decision-making power during each phase of the project. The vast majority of 
stakeholders who we recommend as potential partners, as well as the youth themselves, have not 
been traditionally afforded much power when working with government agencies. Planners should 
be transparent with stakeholders regarding how their input will be used. In addition, planners 
working directly with stakeholders should be cognizant of how power manifests, such as who sets 
the ground rules for discussions, who gets paid to participate, who has veto power, who has access 
to resources (Arnstein, 1969). 
 
 

Conflict Assessment 
 
In designing the proposed engagement process for Phase 2 of Rethinking I-94, we developed a 
conflict assessment with the goal of identifying potential sources of conflict that may arise as a result 
of our proposed engagement strategy, so that these sources may be addressed prior to their 
becoming a detriment to the efforts of MnDOT and other key stakeholders. The main conflicts 
identified in terms of the stakeholders’ interactions with one another as well as their involvement in 
the engagement process overall are:  
 
1. Outreach & Access​: This conflict stems from the likelihood that it will be difficult for MnDOT 
and its community partners to reach and recruit youth in the Rondo community. While some 
may live in the community, others may be away at colleges or universities outside of St. Paul 
or Minnesota. Furthermore, the age groups we are targeting might be difficult to engage 
outside of their frequented institutions - schools, community centers, libraries, etc. It will 

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thus be essential for MnDOT to utilize existing partnerships within the Rondo neighborhood 
to effectively reach and engage youth in the area. 
 
2. Language & Cultural Barriers​: The Rondo community is incredibly diverse in terms of 
cultures and the languages that different racial/ethnic groups speak - even more than many 
other neighborhoods both in the Twin Cities and along the I-94 corridor. At the same time, 
MnDOT, much like other governmental organizations, is made up of primarily White 
American citizens. This natural difference between MnDOT and the communities whom they 
are attempting to engage could provide major cause for conflict if MnDOT does not employ 
culturally-sensitive engagement strategies. For example, it is important to provide public 
information in languages other than English to serve limited English populations in Rondo. 
Otherwise, the process will be incomplete and invalid. 
 
3. Educational Curriculum/Academic Standards​: St. Paul, and the state of Minnesota more 
broadly, have significant sway over the permitted curriculum in public schools. As part of our 
engagement proposal, we are suggesting that there be opportunities within school curricula 
for high school students to explore the history of the neighborhood, provide input into what 
living in the neighborhood in the present consists of, and propose future solutions. However, 
the curriculum must be framed in a way that creates tangible learning objectives for 
students, otherwise, it is unlikely to be accepted and implemented by governing educational 
bodies.  
 
4. Stakeholder Capacity​: The issue of capacity largely stems from the idea that our 
engagement proposal requires a great deal of stakeholder cooperation, especially in terms 
of community organizations that currently operate within the Rondo neighborhood and 
have a vested interest in the success of the project. At the same time, these organizations 
are already doing significant and important work for their own stakeholders, and will not be 
able to put aside their other tasks and participate solely in this process for an 18-month 
period. MnDOT must, therefore, devote significant staff time (through their Engagement 
Office) and financial resources to this process to tangibly demonstrate the importance of 
Rethinking I-94 to community stakeholders, but also to signify their commitment to 
respecting the time and efforts of those who participate. 
 
5. Governmental Mistrust​: The potential mistrust of any governmental action is a major 
source of conflict in our proposed Rethinking I-94 engagement process. As was discussed in 
more detail through the Historical Perspective section above, MnDOT’s inherently racist 
policies in the mid-1900s directly necessitated the Rethinking I-94 project. MnDOT must work 
to rewrite the narrative of their organization in the Rondo community (and in other similarly 
affected communities along the corridor), otherwise, the engagement efforts will be for 
naught.  
 
Appendix C lays out the broadly identified potential sources of conflict, as well as how they apply to 
each stakeholder in this engagement process. In crafting our proposal, we considered how each 
group may respond to the potential sources of conflict and identified possible negative outcomes 
that could result from an inability on MnDOT’s part to create authentic, meaningful engagement 
processes (see Potential Outcomes section). MnDOT must take the lead on ensuring these conflicts 
do not create a poor end result, but rather that they inform and improve the process as a whole.  

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Engagement Timeline and Tools of Engagement 

 
To effectively engage, educate, and empower the youth of the Rondo community, this engagement 
plan proposes utilizing a multi-phase strategy. To fit an 18-month timeline, we propose four phases, 
each with a key purpose. As seen in Figure 1, it is crucial that these phases overlap in order to allow 
for project flexibility and various preparatory needs. During each of these phases, process 
evaluations will be conducted to assess whether the goals of each phase are being met (see 
Evaluation Plan below for process evaluation criteria). 
 

 
Figure 1: 18-Month Timeline of Engagement Plan 
 
 
 
As noted above, each phase serves as a key component of the proposed engagement plan. As seen 
in Figure 2, we named phases 0, 1, 2, and 3 as prep, past, present, and future, respectively based on 
the main focus of and purpose for each phase. For Phase 3, we propose three alternatives to offer 
variability in engagement strategies which can be selected based on the outcomes of Phase 2. The 
purpose of each phase and the tools used during each stage are discussed in depth in the following 
section. Example prompts and questions for engagement events in each phase can be found in 
Appendix D. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Figure 2: Key Components of Engagement Plan Represented as Phases 

 
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Phase 0: Prep (2-3 months) 

Phase 0 serves as a preparatory phase for the engagement plan. During this phase, we recommend 
that MnDOT secure partnerships and identify specific roles for each partner. Some potential roles 
would include but are not limited to, facilitating discussions with youth, community elders, other 
Rondo community members, and other stakeholders as well as organizing walking tours, providing 
meeting spaces, and conducting outreach for youth. Different roles will be needed at different 
stages throughout the engagement plan as each phase utilizes various engagement strategies.  
 
This phase also dedicates time for youth recruitment, whether that be through paid or unpaid 
internships, volunteer opportunities, and/or coursework that could be implemented into high school 
or college curricula. This is a critical phase as it lays sufficient groundwork for Phases 1, 2, and 3. 

Phase 1: Past (4-5 months) 

The purpose of this phase is to educate youth about the Rondo neighborhood’s history, legacy, and 
identity. This is an important first step that the engagement plan must take for youth to gain a better 
understanding of the Rondo’s vibrant history and preserve its story. To do this, we propose creating 
a story map with photos and narratives from the Rondo neighborhood before the highway was 
constructed. The Hallie Q. Brown Community Center Archive Project will be a valuable resource for 
obtaining photos and narratives from the past so that they can be digitized and used to create an 
online story map that can be shared with broader audiences.  
 
The goal of the GIS Story Map is to create a platform that spatially represents where key locations in 
the community were before the construction of I-94. In placing a key community location or 
destination from the past we would like the youth and others to see not only how vibrant Rondo was 
but also understand how destructive the I-94 was in removing and dividing key neighborhood 
assets. The tool can also be used to document and identify people in photos taken at locations on 
the map or exchange memories through a comment option on each location.  
 
The GIS Story Map can be displayed on large movable touch-enabled screens. We do not 
recommend any formal presentation of the map to the entire group. Instead, we propose small 
group discussions where youth themselves will interact with the story map through clicking to 
expand information about the photos linked to different points in the map, as shown in an example 
point on the map in Appendix E. Leaders of the engagement event can observe how youth interact 
with the maps and take notes on their comments or reactions. This engagement phase with the GIS 
Story Map can occur at the community organizations or schools identified in Phase 0 where youth 
have the most connections and easy access. The hope is to take the engagement tool to where 
youth are instead of asking youth to come to MnDOT. 
 
Intergenerational participation is also critical during this phase. Adults who lived through the I-94 
construction have many memories to offer and can make the story map come alive for their 
grandchildren and other youth in a way that stimulates an engaging discussion. The link to the GIS 
Story Map could easily be made available to the public. MnDOT can also encourage those 
participating in the engagement events in Phase 1 to take the discussions they have had with them 
home and further the conversation with their families and colleagues.  

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Phase 2: Present (8-9 months) 

 
This phase solely focuses on the youth and their current experiences in the Rondo neighborhood. 
The goals of this phase are to identify the current assets and issues within the community from the 
perspective of youth. As seen in Figure 1, this is the longest phase in the engagement process due to 
the anticipated amount of youth-led data collection that will occur.  
 
As in Phase 1, MnDOT would choose locations that have strong connections with youth for 
engagement sessions. This phase focuses on the experiences youth have today in the Rondo 
neighborhood. The use of 360-degree cameras can help capture neighborhood assets and issues 
from the point of view of youth. An example photo taken with the 360 camera is included in 
Appendix F. The first step of the process would include community partners organizing walking 
tours for youth so that they can take photos of places/characteristics they consider are assets in 
their neighborhood and issues and barriers related to getting around in the neighborhood. For 
example, youth may document their walk to work or school and identify unsafe pedestrian crossings 
near a playground that they frequent.  
 
Once the photos are taken, the images can be printed out for annotation, as depicted in Appendix G. 
Some information the youth would document may be why they chose the location, what are the 
amenities and disamenities, and what changes they would propose to address their needs. 
Thoughtful prompts would be prepared beforehand to guide discussion and feedback. With Phase 2, 
MnDOT has the opportunity to show youth that they value youth perspectives. 

Phase 3: Future (3-4 months) 

In this phase, youth can begin to envision what the future of the neighborhood might look like based 
on their findings from Phase 2. In this phase, we propose three different engagement strategies that 
can be selected based on the outcomes of Phase 2. The three engagement strategies may be used in 
combination or separate from each other. They each focus on bringing out different feedback from 
the youth from various perspectives of the person that interprets and collects the responses. The 
basis of response from the youth is a collection of the 360-degree photos taken in Phase 2. Sharing 
of the images in the interactive Google Tours platform enables youth to pan around and zoom on 
the photos mimicking in-person viewing. Additionally, viewing the images in this format is more 
realistic than the printed photos because the images captured on the camera benefit from online 
programs that can reformat the image into an interactive viewing experience.  
 
The first option for Phase 3 is to have a community-led feedback session on a selection of the 360 
photos. MnDOT may seek out stakeholders through youth that have been actively interested in the 
project, community leaders, or elders. Through this strategy, MnDOT would be getting the most 
accurate and authentic interpretations of the youth perspective of what they envision the future of 
Rondo to include. 
 
The second way to gather perspectives is through the collection of narratives by a designer. The 
designer would take the discussion and prompt youth to discuss tangible physical structures or 
design goals such as changing the streetscape on the 360-degree photo. The designer would use 
their knowledge of potential improvements to engage with the youth and bring about a 
conversation about implementation related to their field. For example, if an individual states cars 

10 
 

drive fast on the street their home is on, the designer may suggest bump outs or other traffic 
calming elements and discuss how and where they could be installed. The designer would then 
draw/sketch what the youth identify would be the ideal design. 
 
The final option to engage with the community in Phase 3 is to hire local artists to interpret 
responses to the 360-degree images. The artists’ reflection of the feedback would be more 
interpretive but would embody the broader goals highlighted in the conversation. There may be 
multiple artists that express the same conversation or point but create a different representation 
with various mediums. In summary, this phase may take multiple forms and is dependent on how 
the other phases progress. In the previous phases, MNDoT should be observant in the interests of 
the youth throughout the process so that they may prepare for the final phase.  
 

Evaluation Plan 
 
Evaluating this project should focus heavily on the process itself. By ensuring that the process is 
engaging, MnDOT can more likely succeed in empowering the community to contribute to the 
overall Rethinking I-94 project. In Appendix E we describe example evaluation questions for each 
phase of the process. They can be distributed via email, mail, or distributed at engagement events. 
Below are high-level evaluation criteria for each phase.  
 
Table 1​: Process Evaluation Criteria Used Throughout Engagement Plan 
Project Phase  Process Evaluation Criteria 

Phase 0  Partnership secured and roles identified 

Diversity among recruited youth 
A large number of youth reached through outreach 

Phase 1  Participation of diverse youth groups 

Accuracy and acceptance of story map 
Continued engagement and dialogue by youth and other participants 

Phase 2  Participation of diverse youth groups 

Youth feel respected and valued by stakeholders and the process 
Continued engagement and dialogue by youth and other participants 

Phase 3  Partners report shared responsibility 

Participation of diverse youth groups 
Accuracy and acceptance of products developed 
Youth feel respected and valued by stakeholders and the process 

 
Potential Outcomes 
 
In designing the 18-month engagement process, there are certain outcomes that we hope will come 
to fruition as a result of the process. From Phase 1, the GIS Story Map will share Rondo’s history and 
community narratives with youth and broader audiences. It will create a one-stop-shop for all the 
spatial information on the Rondo neighborhood’s history. The tool will also create a way for the 

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audience of the engagement process to be from all around the world. The engagement tool has the 
ability to connect to people that cannot physically be in the neighborhood.  
 
Additionally, youth experiences will help identify transportation needs in the corridor that will inform 
the environmental document. Youth will identify assets in their communities through their 
perspective and show what they experience to their peers and MnDOT. Through the transition 
between phases, youth may understand the past to make informed decisions about the future.  
 
Further, the engagement process will show that the present story of the youth is just as important as 
the past. The engagement plan begins with the history and stories of elders to have precedence that 
it is important to tell your story whether past or present. The engagement process will also 
empower youth giving providing them a platform to increase their influence and power in the future 
of their neighborhood to where they will hopefully remain in for the years to come. 
 
However, the engagement process may result in negative outcomes, primarily if the process is 
inauthentic. If MnDOT fails to engage with youth and other community members effectively and be 
transparent about the goals and outcomes of the process, the lack of trust in MNDoT may continue 
and may cause conflict and unanticipated delays in the process. This mistrust may have a negative 
impact on the relationships that have been built between the state agency and community members 
as well as with community partners and other stakeholders.   
 

Potential Challenges 
 
We want to encourage discourse as well as create an opportunity for youth in the community to 
facilitate these discussions outside of specific engagement events. However, we also recognize that 
MnDOT planners may not be part of the community and that they must be aware of how they 
interpret community feedback with the lens of their own expertise.  
 
This model assumes that youth will stay engaged with these issues through the duration of an 
18-month period. By breaking the engagement plan into phases and using a variety of engagement 
tools, we hope to diversify the area of focus, thus keeping the work engaging at a variety of points. 
This plan also assumes that there currently are strong relationships within the community between 
different stakeholders and that at least some community organizations are willing to partner with 
MnDOT for this project. The relationship between the Rondo community was fractured for a long 
period of time and it is important to not forget that this process is only at the beginning stages of 
rebuilding relationships and trust. 
 
A potential barrier could arise out of Phase 0 due to the time and effort it may take to implement 
certain coursework into high school and college curricula. When recruiting youth, it is important to 
ensure that students’ curriculum needs will be met. We also acknowledge that some of the 
technology resources that we introduced may be costly, specifically the 360-degree cameras. This 
could be seen as an investment, however, in resources which may be utilized in future engagement 
efforts.  
 
 
 

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References 

 
Arnstein, S. A. (1969). A Ladder Of Citizen Participation. ​Journal of the American Institute 
of Planners 35​(4), 216-224.  
 
Minnesota Compass, (n.d.) Summit-University Neighborhood. Retrieved from 
https://www.mncompass.org/profiles/neighborhoods/st-paul/summit-university  
 
Minnesota Department of Transportation. (2018a). R ​ ethinking I-94: Phase 1 Executive  
Summary. ​Retrieved from 
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/I-94minneapolis-stpaul/pdf/vision/executive-summary.pdf  
 
Minnesota Department of Transportation. (2018b). ​Title VI Program: Environmental Justice 
FAQs. R​ etrieved from 
https://www.dot.state.mn.us/civilrights/titlevi-environmental-justice-faqs.html  
 
Minnesota Department of Transportation. (2017). ​Rethinking I-94: Zone Profiles​. Retrieved 
from h​ ttps://www.dot.state.mn.us/I-94minneapolis-stpaul/pdf/rethinking-i94-zoneprofiles.pdf  
 
St. Paul Dispatch-Pioneer Press. (9 June 1960). Booker T. Cafe & Tavern [Digital image]. Retrieved 
from http://collections.mnhs.org/cms/largerimage?irn=10300553&catirn=10708303&return= 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Appendix A: Stakeholder Analysis 

Stakeholder  How stakeholder may relate, or why stakeholder  Potential Issues 

may be interested in this project 

19-25 year-old  This group is a primary target of engagement for this  May be enrolled in 
residents  project. This group may expect on-demand and  college, and not 
mobile-friendly communication. Beyond high school,  necessarily living in 
they are likely commuting to work or school, or both.  the neighborhood. 
The ability of this group to get to work and remain 
Assume most of these 
employed is critical to establishing a positive economic 
outlook into the future. Many young people in this  individuals will be in 
group are unafraid to put racial equity at the center of  the area during winter 
these discussions, and may be critical or distrusting if  or summer break. 
they do not see representatives of their race or 
ethnicity at meetings. Some may be motivated to 
participate by earning volunteer hours needed for 
school, or by money if provided, for example as a 
part-time job over summer or winter break. 

14-18 year-old  This group is a primary target of engagement for this  Potentially 
residents  project. This group may expect on-demand and  unmotivated. Possible 
mobile-friendly communication. Some may need to  to reach this group via 
commute to jobs, and many are drawn to shopping  parents or older 
areas and other hang-out spots, but many are not 
siblings who may be 
drivers, and thus would be interested in prioritizing 
alternative modes of transportation. Some may walk to  more involved in the 
school. Many young people in this group are unafraid  community. 
to put racial equity at the center of these discussions, 
and may be critical or distrusting if they do not see    
representatives of their race or ethnicity at meetings. 
Some may be motivated to participate by adding   
volunteer hours or civic participation on a college 
application. There is a possibility to require 
engagement through their class (social studies, etc.). 
 

Parents of  This stakeholder group is important because they are   

young adults  an access point to young adults, particularly minors. 
Many young adults live with their parents even after 
graduating high school and parents have considerable 
influence over their decisions. Parents may be more 
motivated than their children to get involved, and are 
more likely to drive and influence feedback regarding 
freeway usage. 
 
 
 
 

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Stakeholder  How stakeholder may relate, or why  Potential Issues 

stakeholder may be interested in this project 

Young adults  In addition to the interests mentioned above for  Language and cultural 
with  residents ages 14–22, these stakeholders may have  barriers require 
immigrant  additional needs for interpretation and translation of  preparation (research 
parents  all communication from MnDOT. Because of cultural  into cultural norms, 
differences, they may be highly interested in seeing 
consultation with 
representatives of their culture at meetings. 
cultural liaisons, the 
hiring of interpreters/ 
translators). 

Board of  This group of officials will be interested in ensuring that  Academic standards 
Education  any in-school engagement of students is aligned with  must be considered if 
K-12 academic standards.  this project attempts 
to give students credit 
for participation, or if 
teachers require 
student participation. 
It may be time- 
consuming to get 
approval for events at 
the school or for 
students to get 
approval for credit. 

High schools  School officials want the space around their buildings  All are located on the 
to be safe, and to encourage activities that allow  eastern side of Rondo. 
students to get involved in their community.  Three out of four are 
  located north of I-94. 
Central HS: ​Located on the eastern side of Rondo on 
Need to align with the 
Lexington Parkway. Friends and alumni of Central 
recently funded some development of their front lawn  curriculum. They may 
and entranceway.  have many 
  partnerships and they 
Gordon Parks HS: T ​ echnically​ ​just outside Rondo’s  must be presented 
eastern limit, located on University Ave., just west of  with how this project 
Lexington Pkwy.  fits their criteria to get 
  involved. 
AGAPE: L​ ocated on the eastern side of Rondo on 
University Ave. This is a St. Paul Public School 
specifically for pregnant teens. 
 
High School for the Recording Arts​: Located just outside 
Rondo’s eastern limit, adjacent to Gordon Park HS. 
 

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Stakeholder  How stakeholder may relate, or why  Potential Issues 

stakeholder may be interested in this project 

Colleges  This group of stakeholders is interested in ensuring  Both colleges are 

Rondo young adults have easy access to their college. It  located south of I-94. 
should be noted that many of their students commute  These are larger 
from outside Rondo.  institutions and it may 
They appreciate providing local volunteer or job 
be time-consuming to 
opportunities to students, specifically real-world 
projects. There may be particular interest among  establish a 
specific undergraduate student groups looking to gain  partnership. 
experience, professional development or a deeper 
connection to their community. 
 
St. Paul College: ​The college is located on the western 
side of Rondo, adjacent to downtown St. Paul. Offering 
many 2-year degree programs, this is an affordable 
college option for students who are limited 
economically. 
 
Concordia University​: Located a few blocks from Central 
HS on Marshall Ave., and is technically just outside 
Rondo. They have a partnership with Central and are 
interested in ensuring the walking commute is safe. 
 

Community  This group of stakeholders is interested in bringing  The capacity of staff 

Centers  neighbors together and building a stronger sense of  may be limited. 
community. They are interested in ensuring that 
community members are engaged as co-creators of 
any development. They will be more motivated to 
collaborate if there is a focus on the education of the 
community's history. 
 
Hallie Q. Brown Community Center​ – located centrally in 
Rondo, south of I-94. They have a strong interest in 
including education in any development plan, and 
having the community’s history told. 
 
Oxford Community Center​ – located in the western side 
of Rondo, south of I-94, across Lexington Parkway from 
Central HS. 
 
Neighborhood Development Center​ – located centrally in 
Rondo and is the only community center north of I-94. 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Stakeholder  How stakeholder may relate, or why  Potential Issues 

stakeholder may be interested in this project 

Residents  This group of older Rondo residents may be interested  Mistrust is likely high 
who lived  in sharing their stories with young adults, so as not to  and requesting their 
through I-94  let history be forgotten, and especially not to repeat  participation may not 
construction  the trauma of the past. Because sharing traumatic  be as effective as 
stories can be painful, this group may be more likely to 
leveraging 
participate in partnership with another stakeholder 
group they trust. Some may be motivated by the  partnerships, such as 
opportunity to share their stories specifically with the  through community 
young people in their community.  centers. 

Business  This group may have entry-level employment needs  Their capacity to give 
owners  that can be filled by young adults, and thus access to  their time is limited. 
qualified young people may be one key to their  Some business 
solvency. Their employees must have reliable  owners may live 
transportation to work, which may often be modes 
outside the area. 
other than driving a car. There are many restaurant 
businesses are located on University Ave. Many 
business owners interact with many community 
members daily and thus present a unique base of 
knowledge. 

Hubbs Center  This group of stakeholders is dedicated to preparing  Staff capacity to 
immigrants with the skills needed to prosper, and so  participate may be 
are interested in seeing immigrants included in this  limited. 
engagement plan. Located on the eastern side of 
Rondo on University Ave., they are interested in    
visibility and accessibility to their building via bus, light 
rail and walking. They may be motivated to participate 
if there is an opportunity for new community 
partnerships, and if they are recognized, thus 
increasing their visibility, 

Places of  These stakeholders are important because they pose  Their priority is to 
worship  potential gathering places for families, including young  serve their neighbors 
adults. Their interest in any development is to increase  who maybe 
the vitality of the neighborhood, and a sense of  mistrusting of a 
belonging among their worshippers. Locations with 
government agency. 
particularly low visibility or accessibility may be 
interested in improving that. Some places of worship  Without an authentic 
include:  request, and 
  demonstrated 
- ​Pilgrim Baptist Church  partnerships with 
- ​First Trinity Church of God  other organizations, 
- ​Mt. Olivet Baptist Church  they may hesitate to 
- Cathedral of St. Paul  commit. 
- Towhid Islamic Center 
- Islamic Dawah Center 
- Faith Temple 

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Stakeholder  How stakeholder may relate, or why  Potential Issues 

stakeholder may be interested in this project 

Rondo Library  This is an important stakeholder because its location,  Staff capacity may be 
Dale and University Ave., has been experiencing  limited. The library has 
development and can be a local engine for economic  many partnerships 
activity. The library is interested in increasing the  and they must be 
number of young adults both using its services and as 
presented with how 
volunteers, and will want visibility and accessibility to 
their building. The Dale bridge over I-94 is also of  this project fits their 
interest to them as that may be the route for many to  criteria to get involved. 
arrive. 

Design  Local artists are an important stakeholder group in that  It may prove difficult 
community,  they are able to connect with residents in creative and  to find individuals in 
including  authentic ways. Through the different medium, they  the design community 
artists  hold the potential to help residents co-create a vision  whose artistic and 
for the future of the neighborhood. Independent 
professional interests 
artists and established groups alike may be motivated 
to participate, if the project brings visibility to their  align with this project. 
work.  Skilled artists are 
  unlikely to participate 
- ​Penumbra Theater: L ​ ocated within Hallie Q. Brown  unless there is 
Center. They can use performance art to tell  payment. 
community stories or interact with audiences. Their 
programs specifically focus on the African American 
experience and so they can particularly connect with 
residents who identify with that. 
 
- ​Project Cheer​: Located within Hallie Q. Brown Center. 
They provide free music lessons to young people and 
may be interested in empowering their students to 
express themselves. 

YWCA of St.  This stakeholder group is interested in bringing  Staff capacity may be 
Paul  discussions of racial equity into any conversations  limited. They may 
about development. They may present a partnership  have many 
opportunity to present authenticity during engagement 
partnerships and they 
activities. They are interested in increasing the number 
must be presented 
of young adults who are either members, volunteers, 
or otherwise involved with the YWCA. The visibility of  with how this project 
their building is low and so they may be interested in  fits their criteria to get 
increasing that.  involved. 

MnDOT  The interest of MnDOT officials involved in this project  Planners who work 
officials  is to manage resources efficiently, create deliverables  face to face with 
on time and within budget, effectively balance diverse  community members 
interests, build relationships with communities who  may not have been 
have been traditionally excluded from planning 
trained in cultural 
processes. 
sensitivity, 
unconscious bias or 
other areas. 

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Stakeholder  How stakeholder may relate, or why  Potential Issues 

stakeholder may be interested in this project 

City and  This stakeholder group is interested in answering their  These official first 
county  constituencies’ needs.  serve their 
elected  constituents and will 
officials  Russ Stark (Ward 4) 
measure how their 
Toni Carter (District 4) 
Councilmember Dai Thao  participation will be 
Mayor Melvin Carter III  received. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Appendix B: Key Demographics 
 
​ Rondo/Summit-University Neighborhood Target Area  
 
   
Population  12391 

  Asian  10.1% 
 
  Black  47.5% 
 
Race  Native American  1.3% 

Other  1.7% 

Two or More Races  5.9% 

White  33.6% 

   
Poverty  33.6% 

  African Language  894 

 
Language  Hmong  569 

Vietnamese  131 

Spanish  128 

  Somalia  852 
 
  Ethiopia  534 
 
Place of Birth  Laos  349 

Thailand  283 

Vietnam  174 
 
Source: Rondo/Summit-University Neighborhood key demographics, R
​ ethinking I-94 Zone Profiles​, 
2017 (2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates) 
 
 
 

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Appendix C: Conflict Assessment Matrix  

 
Stakeholder  1. Access  2. Language  3. Educational  4.  5. Mistrust 
& Cultural  Curriculum/Acade Capacity 
Barriers  mic Standards 

19-25 year old  X     X  X    

residents 

14-18 year old  X     X  X    

residents 

Parents of young  X           X 
adults 

Young adults with  X  X        X 

immigrant parents 

High schools  X     X  X    

Colleges  X     X  X    

Community Centers  X        X  X 

Residents who lived  X        X  X 

through I-94 
construction 

Business owners  X        X    

Hubbs Center           X    

Places of worship     X     X  X 

Design community  X             

Rondo Library  X        X    

YWCA of St. Paul  X        X  X 

MnDOT officials     X        X 

City & County           X    

elected officials 

Board of Education        X       

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Appendix D: Example Prompts and Questions for Engagement Events 

 
During Phase 1 (Past): Education through shared narratives 
Note the importance of having older adults present who lived through the I-94 construction.  
 
1. What have you heard about this place/business? 
2. What do you remember about this place/business? 
3. What do you want your grandchildren to know?  
4. What is missing from this map?  
5. What surprises you about what you’ve heard or seen here?  
6. What else do you want to know about these places?  
 
During Phase 2 (Present): Identifying youth experiences through walking tours 
 
1. Point out anything that prompts a memory you have.  
2. Do you like walking around here? Why or why not?  
3. Where would walk from here if you were with your best friend? Why is that place special? 
4. What or how does this place make you feel?  
 
During Phase 3 (Future): Identifying community needs through shared youth experiences 
 
1. Talk about the feelings you experienced on the walking tour, as they relate to the space 
around you.  
2. What makes a place happy? Safe? (Offer design suggestions and let people respond) 
3. What makes you afraid or sad when you walk around? What can make these places happier 
or safer? (Offer design suggestions and let people respond) 
4. What is missing from these sketches/designs? What doesn’t seem to fit? ​Why? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Appendix E: Sample GIS Story Map Point 

 
Image Source: St. Paul Dispatch, Pioneer Press, 1960 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Appendix F: Example Image from the 360-degree Camera  

 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Appendix G: Sample Annotated 360-degree Photo 

 

   

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Appendix H: Evaluation Questions for Phase 0-3 

 
Phase 0  
For community partners: Please answer the following using a scale of 1-5 (where 1 = strongly 
disagree, 5 = strongly agree).  
● My organization equally shares responsibility with MnDOT for bringing community members 
to participate in this project.  
● MnDOT has been transparent with me (or my organization) about this project’s goals and its 
process.  
● MnDOT officials have treated me with respect throughout the process so far.  
● MnDOT is on the right track to achieve the project’s goals.  
● Optional: Please comment on why and how you answered the questions above.  
 
Phase 1  
For participants: Please answer the following using a scale of 1-5 (where 1 = strongly disagree, 5 = 
strongly agree).  
● The stories I heard during the discussion were accurate.  
● The participants represented the diversity of my community.  
● I feel respected by the people organizing this project.  
● I think this project is important to my community.  
● For young adults: I would like to continue to be involved in this project by going on a walking 
tour of a nearby neighborhood with other young people.  
 
Phase 2 
For young adults who participated on walking tours: Please answer the following using a scale of 1-5 
(where 1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree).  
● The people involved in this project represent the diversity of my community.  
● I felt respected by the people organizing this project.  
● My ideas were valued and documented.  
● I think this project is important to my community.  
● I would like to continue to be involved in this project by discussing how to improve my 
community with a group of community members.  
● Optional: Please comment on why and how you answered the questions above.  
 
Phase 3 
For community partners: Please answer the following using a scale of 1-5 (where 1 = strongly 
disagree, 5 = strongly agree).  
● My organization equally shares responsibility with MnDOT for bringing community members 
to participate in this project.  
● MnDOT has been transparent with me (or my organization) about this project’s goals and its 
process.  
● MnDOT officials have treated me with respect throughout the process so far.  
● MnDOT is on the right track to achieve the project’s goals.  
● Optional: Please comment on why and how you answered the questions above.  
 

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For participants and community partners: Please answer the following using a scale of 1-5 (where 1 
= strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree).  
 
● The people involved in this project represent the diversity of the Rondo community.  
● I felt respected by the people organizing this project. 
● My ideas were valued and documented.  
● I think this project is important to the Rondo community.  
● I believe MnDOT will use the ideas produced by community members to improve the Rondo 
community.  
● Optional: Please comment on why and how you answered the questions above. 

 
 

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