City Profiles / Large Cities / St. Paul, MN

St. Paul, Minnesota

Green Space

The City of St. Paul recently reclaimed and restored a 27-acre post-industrial site along the Mississippi River and transformed it into the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary. Walking distance from downtown St. Paul, the site has trails along unique sandstone bluffs and natural springs that have spurred talk of plans for recreating a wetland area. The site also serves as a habitat for migratory birds and will include interpretation of the site’s transformation from an industrial site to a riverfront habitat.

Recycling

St. Paul is the largest city in the U.S. with a nonprofit recycling service, Eureka Recycling, and it is one of the largest cities that offers curbside pickup from all of its apartment buildings. Eureka Recycling initiated the Twin Cities Free Market, which is an Internet forum that connects people getting rid of reusable items with those who want free goods; the program has diverted nearly 2,000 tons of waste from landfills and incinerators.