City Profiles / Small Cities / Burnsville, MN

Burnsville, Minnesota

The Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge borders the city of Burnsville, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Because of the nearby natural resources—including the Minnesota River, a trout stream and a type of wetland called "calcareous fen"—protecting the groundwater and surface water quality is one of the city's top priorities. With water resources and natural resources master plans and a sustainability guide plan, Burnsville promotes low-impact development, water conservation measures and infiltration of stormwater through the use of rainwater gardens.

These gardens, with plants, curb cuts and retaining walls, help absorb rainwater into the ground rather than let it run off and pollute waterways. With the help of local homeowners, a team of contractors set up 17 demonstration gardens on Rushmore Drive, preventing 90 percent of stormwater runoff and excess phosphorus from entering nearby Crystal Lake. The success of the project indicated that existing neighborhoods can be retrofitted with effective, low-maintenance, aesthetically appealing stormwater management gardens.

What began as a bedroom community of typical suburban sprawl is now a fully built city with an active downtown—the Heart of the City—that serves as the community center with pedestrian areas, mixed-use development, and a performing arts center, which opened in January 2009. Former gas stations and drive-thru services have been replaced with architecture reminiscent of Minnesota Main Street style. Better still, Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, which saw ridership increase by nearly 7 percent from 2007 to 2008, serves the Heart of the City.