1-1 Chapter 1: Community Profile

City of Golden Valley 2040 Comprehensive Plan

Chapter 1: Community Profile 1-2

Chapter 1
Community Profile
• Introduction
• Community Profile

City of Golden Valley 2040 Comprehensive Plan

1-3 Chapter 1: Community Profile

City of Golden Valley 2040 Comprehensive Plan

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Contents
1. Introduction
What Is A Comprehensive Plan?............................................................................................................1-6
Why Does Golden Valley Need One?..................................................................................................1-7
What Goals Were Included In Past Plans?.........................................................................................1-7

2. Community Profile
Who Are We?.................................................................................................................................................1-10
What Do We Want To Be?.........................................................................................................................1-16

Appendix 1A. Engagement: Kick-Off And Online..................................................................................1-20

Appendix 1B. Engagement: Comp Plan In A Box..................................................................................1-22
Appendix 1C. Engagement: Chapter Drafts, Commission And
City Council Comments And Responses................................................................................................1-24
Appendix 1D. Engagement: Draft Plan, Public Comments And Responses...............................1-26

City of Golden Valley 2040 Comprehensive Plan

1-5 Chapter 1: Community Profile

Welcome Statement
The City of Golden Valley believes in and stands for the values
of social equity, inclusion, and justice.

We embrace diversity and recognize the rights of individuals to

live their lives with dignity, free of discrimination, fear, violence,
and hate.

We welcome individuals to Golden Valley regardless of

race, color, creed, religion, national origin, immigration
status, gender, gender identity, marital status, age, disability,
economic status, sexual orientation, familial status, or cultural
background.

We strive to provide fair and unbiased services and programs,

giving opportunities for all.

We are dedicated to being a supportive and united community,

strengthened by the diversity of our residents and visitors.

Vision Statement
Through the implementation of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan,
Golden Valley will continue to be a vibrant and dynamic first-
ring suburb that evolves to adapt to community preferences
and shifting market forces in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
It will maintain a healthy balance of residential neighborhoods,
open spaces, commercial nodes, and office and industrial parks,
and it will provide a full range of housing choices that meet the
needs of people of all life stages and economic means.

The City will create a multi-modal transportation system

that supports those who walk, bike, drive, or take transit, will
celebrate and protect its natural resources, and will promote
sustainability in its infrastructure in order to remain resilient in
the face of climate change.

City of Golden Valley 2040 Comprehensive Plan

 Chapter 1: Community Profile
Section 1: Introduction
What Is A Comprehensive Plan?
A Comprehensive Plan reflects a community’s vision for the fu-
ture. It guides decision-makers over time by providing a series of
goals, objectives, and implementation actions to ensure a logical
and cohesive pattern of development and investment in the city.
Minnesota State Statute requires that all government units in the
seven-county metro area have a Comprehensive Plan in place to
ensure that growth and redevelopment is consistent with regional
plans and systems. Before adopting its Comprehensive Plan, a
City Council is required to take input from the public, surround-
ing cities, and relevant agencies. All Comprehensive Plans are
ultimately reviewed and approved by the Metropolitan Council.
City of Golden Valley
1-6
PHOTO BY ANDREW FITZSIMMONS, 2014 VIEWS OF THE VALLEY
Once adopted by a City Council, the Comprehensive Plan
becomes the basis for enacting land use decisions that shape de-
velopment and redevelopment. In addition to providing direction
regarding possible growth, the Comprehensive Plan also guides
officials in regulating and administrating a number of other com-
munity elements, such as housing, local transportation systems,
parks and open spaces, water and sanitary sewer infrastructure,
and more.
As demographics and trends change over time, the Compre-
hensive Plan must be reviewed and revised to ensure it remains
relevant to the conditions and the community vision. This typically
occurs every 10 years. Because the Comprehensive Plan affects
each resident and business in Golden Valley, public participation
is necessary with every update.
2040 Comprehensive Plan
 1-7
Residents shared their ideas for Golden Valley’s future at a 2040 Comp Plan Open House.
Why Does Golden Valley Need One?
Comprehensive Plans generally conceive of a vision 20 to 30
years in the future. Golden Valley implemented its first Com-
prehensive Plan in 1959. Since then, the plan has been updated
several times, with the last revision taking place in 2009. Through
careful planning and with community participation, the City
initiated redevelopment of a downtown hub at the crossroads of
Winnetka Ave and Golden Valley Rd, facilitated reconstruction of
roads and highways, and completed many parks and infrastruc-
ture projects that make Golden Valley a desirable place to live.
The Comprehensive Plan helps ensure Golden Valley remains a
dynamic city that offers a wide range of amenities and services
while implementing goals and objectives that work to preserve
and upgrade infrastructure. It helps support the sustainability of
the region by encouraging reinvestment in targeted areas while
simultaneously protecting the environment through regulation
and preservation.
What Goals Were
Included In Past Plans?
The Comprehensive Plan the City adopted in 1977, which planned
through 1990, focused on coordinating land uses and new devel-
City of Golden Valley
Chapter 1: Community Profile
PHOTO BY CITY OF GOLDEN VALLEY
opment with transportation improvements and community facili-
ties to ensure anticipated growth could be accommodated. Many
of the goals included in that document remain relevant today and
are listed below.
• Develop a transportation system in which highways are
designed to facilitate rapid movement while local streets
accommodate slower moving traffic.
• Provide a safe and convenient means to reach all areas
by foot, bicycle, or public transportation.
• Set aside a large proportion of land for wildlife and main-
tain high air, noise, and water quality.
• Provide a recreation facility convenient to each neigh-
borhood resident.
• Develop an attractive community focal point that pro-
vides an optimum mix of shopping and community facili-
ties (between Bassett Creek, the Golden Valley Golf
Course, and Hwy 55).
• Provide housing opportunities for residents of all income
and age levels.
The Comprehensive Plan adopted in 1982, while maintaining many
of the same goals for 2000, acknowledged that Golden Valley was
2040 Comprehensive Plan
 Chapter 1: Community Profile
approaching full development and that it lacked sufficient afford-
able housing. In addition, it stated that overseeing the sanitary
sewer system was becoming a matter of preservation and revital-
ization rather than expansion.
A plan adopted in 1999 was meant to anticipate land use needs
through 2030, while other chapters developed goals for 2020.
The language of that document centered on finding the proper
balance between different uses, between quality and diversity,
between development and redevelopment, between nature and
humans, and between local and regional interests.
Beginning in 2002, Golden Valley went above and beyond the
usual community participation involved in revising a Comprehen-
sive Plan by preceding the formal process with a wide-spread and
inclusive community-led visioning exercise called Envision Golden
Valley. Through this multi-year engagement process, more than
600 people weighed in to provide their thoughts on the city’s
future. The two core ideas that emerged were Creatively Con-
necting People and Places and Inspiring Care for Community
Though developed 15 years ago, these ideas continue to guide
much of the approach to civic life in Golden Valley today, and the
basic themes are woven throughout the goals and objectives of
the 2040 Comprehensive Plan.
City of Golden Valley
1-8
Creatively Connecting
People And Places
Golden Valley’s location at the axis of urban density and
suburban tranquility makes us acutely aware of our connec-
tions to a greater whole. We enjoy the access afforded by the
highway system that intersects our community but want to
reduce its impact on our neighborhoods and natural spaces.
“Connecting” isn’t just about getting from place to place. It’s
also about bringing people together—by fostering inviting
public spaces, vital businesses, and community institutions
where people work and play, encounter their fellow citizens,
and discover common interests.
Inspiring Care For The Community
True community is defined not by borders, but by its com-
mon ground. As individuals, families, neighborhoods, and
organizations, our actions protect and enhance the public
assets for which we share responsibility:
• air, water, wildlife, and landscape
• playgrounds, parks, streets, and pathways
• good government, education, and public services
• safety and welfare of our fellow citizens
2040 Comprehensive Plan
1-9 Chapter 1: Community Profile

City of Golden Valley 2040 Comprehensive Plan

 Chapter 1: Community Profile 1-10

PHOTO BY STAN WALDHAUSER

The annual Ice Cream Social and Concert In The Park is one of Golden Valley’s most popular community events.

Section 2: Community Profile

Who Are We? expansion in the 1950s and 1960s brought significant growth in
single-family neighborhoods.
Places
Golden Valley is an inner-ring suburb located just four miles to
By the 1970s, the City began to explore ways to encourage
the west of downtown Minneapolis. Its 10.5 square miles encom-
redevelopment of tired and underused properties. A Housing
pass large areas of single-family neighborhoods, concentrations
and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) was created to acquire and
of commercial and industrial activities, scattered educational and
prepare land for redevelopment. These significant undertakings
religious facilities, and generous swaths of open space in the form
paved the way for establishment of the current downtown at Win-
of parks, golf courses, and other natural areas. The city is bisected
netka Ave and Golden Valley Rd and the business district north of
by two major transportation corridors while two others sit on the
the new I-394 at Xenia Ave.
western and southern borders.

By the late 1980s, most of the vacant land in the city had been
Originally settled as farmland in the mid-1800s, Golden Valley
developed. The last large residential project, the Hidden Lakes
was established as a village in 1886. Pockets of commerce sprang
development, was approved and constructed in the late 1990s
up along the railroads that crossed the area, and local highways
and early 2000s.
became the backbone for new residential growth. Post-war

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 1-11 Chapter 1: Community Profile

Golden Valley is fortunate to have more than 1,100 acres of parks,
wetlands, and other protected natural areas spread throughout
the city. In addition, Sweeney, Twin, and Wirth Lakes, as well as
Bassett Creek and numerous ponds, provide attractive and eco-
logically important water features. There are three golf courses
(two public and one private) within the city limits. Brookview
offers a gathering place for residents and visitors as well as a fo-
cal point for senior activities. Two school districts—Hopkins and
Robbinsdale—split the city north and south (see Figure 1.1), and
other public and private elementary and high schools are spread
throughout the area. Religious institutions and other non-profits
offer opportunities for fellowship and social services.

Figure 1.1: School Districts

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 Chapter 1: Community Profile 1-12

A number of international corporations call Golden Valley home,
including General Mills and Tennant Company. Other businesses
that have a significant presence in the city are Honeywell, Allianz
Life, Mortenson Construction, and Courage Kenny Rehabilitation
Institute.
Commercial nodes in the downtown, along Hwy 55, at the inter-
section of Hwy 100 and Duluth St, and north of I-394, provide
space for restaurants, shopping, auto sales and auto-oriented
services, and other retail destinations. Three industrial areas con-
tinue to support manufacturing and warehousing enterprises that
contribute to the city’s tax base.
Areas Of Cultural Significance
As an older first-ring suburb, Golden Valley contains many
buildings, neighborhoods, landscapes, and archaeological sites
of cultural significance. Due to considerable development in
the 1950s and 1960s, there are many examples of mid-century
modern architecture throughout the city. The design of the new
Brookview Community Center celebrates this identity. The City
recognizes these resources and the role they play in grounding
the community in its history.
People
Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, the city’s population
hovered at just over 20,000, dipping in 2000 due to decreasing
household sizes and a stagnation in the housing market. Pent up
demand caused by the Great Recession resulted in a number of
new apartments being approved in the 2010s and a correspond-
ing surge in population.
Because of this relatively sudden increase in units, the Metropoli-
tan Council now predicts a population of 24,800 by 2020 and
26,700 by 2040 (see Figure 1.2). This increase is consistent with
the larger demographic trends in the Twin Cities, which anticipate
a 27 percent increase in population between 2010 and 2040.
On average, Golden Valley’s population is aging. The 2010 Census
showed a significant segment of residents reaching their 60s. This
trend will require necessary shifts in thinking by the City to pro-

Figure 1.2: Golden Valley Population, 1990–2040

28,000
26,700
25,800
26,000
24,800

24,000

22,000 21,571
20,971
20,281 20,510 20,371
20,000

18,000

16,000

14,000

12,000
1990 Census 2000 2005 Met 2010 Census 2015 Met 2020 Met 2030 Met 2040 Met
Census Council Council Council Council Council
Estimate Estimate Forecast Forecast Forecast

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 1-13 Chapter 1: Community Profile

Figure 1.3: Population By Race

Population And
by Race Ethnicity,
and Ethnicity1990–2015
Golden Valley Residents, 1990-2015
100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%
94.0%
89.9%
84.0% 81.7%
40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
1990 Census 2000 Census 2010 Census 2011-2015 ACS

White alone Two or more races

Some other race alone Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone
Hispanic or Latino Black or African American alone
Asian alone American Indian and Alaska Native alone

vide the services and meet the needs of a growing senior popula-
tion. However, 2015 census data hinted at a sizable segment of
residents in their late 20s and early 30s, suggesting a wave of
younger families may be on the horizon.
Overall, the population of Golden Valley is less diverse, more
highly educated, and has lower levels of poverty than other inner-
ring suburbs in the metro area. Consistent with regional trends
that show a significant increase in the percentage of persons of
color by 2040, recent local trends show that diversity is increas-
ing, with a shift from 6 percent non-white in 1990 to 18 percent in
2015 (see Figure1.3). Education levels remain high (Figure 1.4), but
the percentage of the population living below the poverty line has
almost doubled from 4.3 percent in 1990 to 8.2 percent in 2015.
Golden Valley residents have consistently demonstrated a high
level of civic and social engagement. Voter turnout, as measured
by the percentage of eligible voters who participate in a given
election, is typically among the highest in the state. In 2016, turn-
out was measured at 87 percent, while the state total was only 75
percent. Residents have historically been very active in participat-
ing in planning processes for significant City investments, such as
the new Brookview or the proposed METRO Blue Line Extension.
Golden Valley has many well-attended social events throughout
the year, ranging from Run The Valley in the spring to the Arts
& Music Festival in the fall. A farmer’s market occupies the City
Hall campus parking lot every Sunday over the summer, while
the Golden Valley Pride Festival takes place in Brookview Park in

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 Chapter 1: Community Profile 1-14

Figure 1.4: Educational Attainment, 1990–2010

100%

15% 17%
90% 20%

80%

70% 27%
30%
34%
60%
7%
50% 7%
6%
40% 21%
23%
30% 18%

20% 23%
18% 18%
10%

7% 6% 4%
0%
1990 Census 2000 Census 2010 Census
Did Not Graduate High School High School Graduate Some College or No Degree
Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Graduate/Professional Degree

June. Other popular events include the Fire Relief Association
Street Dance, the Public Safety Open House, and the Kelly Drive
Pumpkin Festival.
Housing
Over recent decades, Golden Valley has shown steady though
incremental housing growth. The approval of several new multi-
family projects in the 2010s resulted in a sudden sharp rise in
new households, with more anticipated in coming years. Due to
the number of multi-family projects in the pipeline and additional
opportunities for redevelopment in the future, the Metropolitan
Council forecasts a household count of 11,800 by 2040 (Figure
1.5).
The combination of rising housing costs and a flattening of
income has resulted in a significant increase in the percentage
of Golden Valley households facing a high cost burden, defined
as paying more than 30 percent of a household budget for
housing. There has been a slight shift from home ownership to
rental living (Figure 1.6), and this is expected to continue with the
construction of new apartments. Vacancy rates are low and con-
tribute to high housing prices. This trend is consistent with data
from across the metro area, and housing affordability continues
to be an issue that must be addressed regionally, not just locally.
Jobs
Employment in Golden Valley—the number of jobs located in the
city—has consistently increased throughout the 1990s and early

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1-15 Chapter 1: Community Profile

- Figure 1.5: Golden Valley Households, 1990–2040

12,500

11,800
11,400
11,500

10,800

10,500

9,500 9,171
8,905 8,816
8,449
8,500 8,273

7,500

6,500
1990 Census 2000 Census 2005 Met 2010 Census 2015 Met 2020 Met 2030 Met 2040 Met
Council Council Council Council Council
Estimate Estimate Forecast Forecast Forecast

Figure 1.6: Housing Tenure And Vacancy, 1990–2015

100% 3.04% 1.63% 5.70% 4.40%

90% 18.21%
18.68%
20.95% 22.05%
80%

70%

60%

50%

40% 78.28% 80.16%

73.34% 73.55%

30%

20%

10%

0%
1990 CENSUS 2000 CENSUS 2010 CENSUS 2011-2015 ACS

Owner occupied Renter occupied Vacant

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 Chapter 1: Community Profile 1-16

Figure 1.7: Employment Within Golden Valley, 1990–2040

40,000

38,000 37,000
36,000
36,000 35,000
33,885
34,000 33,194
32,908

32,000
30,142
30,000
28,589
28,000

26,000

24,000

22,000

20,000
1990 Met 2000 DEED 2005 DEED 2010 DEED 2015 DEED 2020 Met 2030 Met 2040 Met
Council Estimate Estimate Estimate Estimate Council Council Council
Estimate Forecast Forecast Forecast

2000s (Figure 1.7). Recent trends for office and retail uses and a
greater demand for housing than for other types of redevelop-
ment suggest growth of around 3,000 additional jobs by 2040.
Although Golden Valley boasts the greatest per capita job num-
bers in the metro area due to the large inflow of employees each
work day, only around 3 percent of employees who live in the city
also work here. This results in added congestion of the transpor-
tation system. Eighty percent of Golden Valley workers drive to
work alone—a number that has remained unchanged in 25 years
(Figure 1.8). With very little ability to increase roadway capacity,
the City will be looking for opportunities to increase transit ser-
vice (both bus and light rail) as well as to support new bicycle and
pedestrian options in the future.
What Do We Want To Be?
To help inform the goals and objectives of the 2040 Comprehen-
sive Plan, the City gathered feedback from the community and
incorporated it into the theme of the document. A community
survey, conducted in summer 2016, provided information about
numerous aspects of City services as well as various systems,
including transportation, housing, parks, economic development,
and environmental issues. This statistically valid random sample
survey showed an overall satisfaction with City services and the
perceived value received for the level of taxes paid, concerns re-
garding aging infrastructure, and continued interest in expanding
opportunities for outdoor activities such as community gardens,
off-leash dog areas, and off-street trails. While 88 percent of
respondents felt the city is moving in the right direction, a handful
of characteristics were identified as seeming to be somewhat

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 1-17 Chapter 1: Community Profile

Figure 1.8: Means Of Transportation To Work, 1990–2015

100%
5% 1% 6%
1%
90%

4% 1% 4%
80% 2%

70%

60%

50% 80%
80%

40%

30%

20%

10%

9% 7%
0%

1990 Census 2011-2015 ACS

Carpooled Drove alone Other means Public transportation Walked Worked at home

lacking, including sufficient affordable single-family housing,
starter homes, housing for seniors, and entertainment establish-
ments.
Through an open house held in September 2016 and via an online
questionnaire posted on the City’s website, the City collected
additional comments and ideas from residents. Participants were
asked to provide words that described what they value about
Golden Valley today and how they would like Golden Valley to be
described in 10 or 20 years. The results were organized into two
word clouds, with the size of the text proportional to the frequen-
cy with which the words were used (Figures 1.9 and 1.10).
A quick comparison of the two images reveals that while many
of the impressions of Golden Valley today carry over to an
envisioned Golden Valley of the future (Safe, Quiet, Green,
Parks, Friendly), other new ideas and priorities for 2040 begin
to emerge. Phrases such as Diversity, Transit Friendly, Light Rail,
Vibrant Downtown, and Targeted Density—in addition to the
prominent presence of a Bicycle and Pedestrian Network—rise to
the top of the list. While this exercise lacks the statistical weight
of the community survey, it does help demonstrate the ideas of
those who are actively thinking about the city’s priorities and who
were engaged enough to attend the open house or participate in
the online questionnaire.

City of Golden Valley 2040 Comprehensive Plan

 Chapter 1: Community Profile 1-18

City staff also developed a mobile tool to prompt us- Figure 1.9: Word Cloud—Golden Valley Now
ers to consider a range of topics and to record their
responses. This Comp Plan In A Box was shared with
interested groups and those who were unable to at-
tend the open house.

The results of each of these outreach efforts—the com-

munity survey, the open house, the web page, and the
Comp Plan In A Box feedback—along with input from
the City Council and other City Commissions, gener-
ated a short list of aspirational statements. Taken to-
gether, these statements help provide common threads
that run throughout each of the chapters of the 2040
Comprehensive Plan.

Golden Valley Should:

• support a dynamic town center
• showcase the city as a “green” community by:
• preserving parks and nature areas
• embracing sustainability
• emphasize all aspects of a multi-modal trans-
portation system
• ensure policies, procedures, and decisions
are inclusive by:
Figure 1.10: Word Cloud—Golden Valley Future
• supporting racial, cultural, and economic
diversity
• accommodating the needs of an aging
population
• make important investments in infrastructure

As inner-ring suburbs such as Golden Valley age, many

reach a time in their lifecycle that can be identified as
a critical tipping point in determining a path forward.
For communities that developed as post-war bedroom
suburbs, undeveloped land is likely rare. Some buildings
and much of the original infrastructure (streets, water
and sewer lines, etc) are close to reaching the end of
their expected lifespan, if they have not been rebuilt.

As population growth from the urban core moves

outwards, the inner-ring suburbs also begin to lose the
homogeneity they once had, creating a new demograph-
ic mix. Finally, newer communities at the developing
edge now hold some of the attraction that once solely

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 1-19 Chapter 1: Community Profile

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(continued onighborhoo ewalk and
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neighb r enc orhourood
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den in
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• Protect and imp•act Ide ntifcha
s of y andngerem. ove • Enc ourage and
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menta
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• Minimize conflicts ofandsubdivisio roans dsand such theassize new hom • (co
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• etEdu swe ng inlicfall
e pub
catepi abo toutimp envrov e wat
trol standards
for air, water, and
ber update sidewalkProvide more frequent stre bant ck)
pol . on con
luti
2040 PL AN • Lim it the num • Co ntin ue to
Act (AD •
A). of • (co
Exc
floo nti
eed
din nu gov
g in theed ernon me
com mu nity
ey bee keeping. nts.
SIVE With Disabi litie s imp act l hon ina
COMPREHEN
ntia local air contam
• Reduce risk and • Promote small, resideby preven (coting nued
ntigen eraon tionba ofck)
2040 EN SI VE PL AN • e air quality sum ption.
COMPREH
Enh anc l wat er con
2040 and commercia
SIVE PL AN • Reduce residential
COMPREHEN 2040 PL AN
SI VE
COMPREHEN 2040 SIVE PL AN
COMPREHEN 2040 SIVE PL AN
belonged to the inner-ring suburbs, including large, affordable, hoods, abundant COMPREHEN open space, 40 and SI high resident satisfaction—in
20 VE PL AN
COMPREHEN
residential lots and access to new job centers. order to remain strong and to continue to flourish over the com-
ing decades.
For those cities that are caught unprepared or lack the resolve to
compete in this new reality, these changes can lead to a down- Given these challenges and the priorities identified by those
ward spiral of flight and disinvestment. Those that are able to participating in the comprehensive planning process, what specifi-
capitalize on their assets, reinvest in their infrastructure, and rein- cally can Golden Valley do to ensure it remains on a carefully
vent themselves as appealing alternatives to both the urban core considered and advantageous path forward? The City’s 2040
and the developing edge can evolve into suburbs that remain at- Comprehensive Plan attempts to provide answers by using the
tractive and relevant and provide a high quality of life to residents theme of Suburban Evolution—described as the willingness and
and the business community. ability of a community to adapt to conditions common to aging
suburbs—to evaluate issues and advance implementation actions
Golden Valley is well-positioned to capitalize on its advantages— within each of the chapters that follow.
desirable location, ease of access, robust single-family neighbor-

City of Golden Valley 2040 Comprehensive Plan