Category Archives: Resource

Resources

Resource

Resources

This page compiles completed projects, strategic plans, research papers, and proposed policies into a searchable database of local sustainability resources.  Have something to add?  Use the Submit Project form to submit a new Resource.  Want to start something new?  Check here first to see what’s already been done.

City of Northfield Composting Survey Results

A community-wide survey was conducted to gauge the interest in various next steps for the City of Northfield to achieve their organic waste reduction goals set forth in the City of Northfield’s adopted 2019 Climate Action Plan.
Monday, June 1, 2020
 – Friday, November 6, 2020

Affordable and Sustainable Housing in Northfield: The Next 20 Years

This paper was written by Carleton student Erin Dyke for Kim Smith’s 2021 Environmental Law & Policy seminar. It lays out a 20-year plan for increasing affordable sustainable housing in Northfield.
Monday, January 4, 2021
 – Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Affordable, Sustainable Housing in Northfield: A 20 Year Plan

This paper was written by Carleton student Anna Hori for Kim Smith’s 2021 Environmental Law & Policy seminar. It lays out a 20-year plan for increasing affordable sustainable housing in Northfield.
Monday, January 4, 2021
 – Wednesday, March 10, 2021

The Future of Affordable Sustainable Housing in Northfield

This paper was written by Carleton student Sam Goity for Kim Smith’s 2021 Environmental Law & Policy seminar. It lays out a 20-year plan for increasing affordable sustainable housing in Northfield.
Monday, January 4, 2021
 – Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Parking for Progress

This paper was written by Carleton student Anderson Murphy for Kim Smith’s 2021 Environmental Law & Policy seminar. It lays out a 20-year plan for reforming parking policy in Northfield.
Monday, January 4, 2021
 – Wednesday, March 10, 2021

The Future of Downtown Parking in Northfield

This paper was written by Carleton student Libby Nachreiner for Kim Smith’s 2021 Environmental Law & Policy seminar. It lays out a 20-year plan for reforming parking policy in Northfield.
Monday, January 4, 2021
 – Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Waste Management in Northfield

This paper was written by Carleton student Irene Stoutland for Kim Smith’s 2021 Environmental Law & Policy seminar. It lays out a 20-year plan for improving waste management in Northfield.
Monday, January 4, 2021
 – Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Fixing the Food System: A Twenty-Year Plan for Food Waste Management in Northfield

This paper was written by Carleton student Riley Pohlman for Kim Smith’s 2021 Environmental Law & Policy seminar. It lays out a 20-year plan for improving waste management in Northfield.
Monday, January 4, 2021
 – Wednesday, March 10, 2021

A Framework for Northfield Minnesota to Combat Invasive Plants

This paper was written by Carleton student Allison Palmbach for Kim Smith’s 2021 Environmental Law & Policy seminar. It lays out a 20-year plan for developing a policy to control invasive plants in Northfield.
Monday, January 4, 2021
 – Wednesday, March 10, 2021

The Future of Invasive Plants in Northfield

This paper was written by Carleton student Reed Ebbinghaus for Kim Smith’s 2021 Environmental Law & Policy seminar. It lays out a 20-year plan for developing a policy to control invasive plants in Northfield.
Monday, January 4, 2021
 – Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Proactive Invasive Plant Management in Northfield

This paper was written by Carleton student Zak Sather for Kim Smith’s 2021 Environmental Law & Policy seminar. It lays out a 20-year plan for developing a policy to control invasive plants in Northfield.
Monday, January 4, 2021
 – Wednesday, March 10, 2021

The Future of Invasive Plants in Northfield

This paper was written by Carleton student Sarah Shapiro for Kim Smith’s 2021 Environmental Law & Policy seminar. It lays out a 20-year plan for developing a policy to control invasive plants in Northfield.
Monday, January 4, 2021
 – Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Resolution Urge the City to amend the Dark Sky ordinance

A draft policy resolution urging the City of Northfield to amend the Dark Sky ordinance.
Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Recommendations for eliminating single-use plastics in Northfield

Policy recommendations for eliminating single-use plastics in Northfield.
Monday, June 1, 2020

Cultivating Carbon in your Home Garden

Suggestions for enhancing carbon sequestration in home gardens
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
 – Friday, May 15, 2020

Carbon Sequestration for Church Communities

Slides on how church communities can enhance carbon sequestration through landscaping.
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
 – Friday, May 15, 2020

Native Planting Suggestions for Northfield

List of native plants recommended for Northfield gardeners
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
 – Friday, May 15, 2020

Looking Back to Look Ahead: Providing Temporal Context for the Spare or Share Debate Using Land Use

Study of local land use change and bird populations
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
 – Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Spare and Share as Applied to Land Management Practices of Farmers in the Rice County Area

Senior Project on Local Farmers’ Attitudes to Land Conservation
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
 – Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Do Architects Build More Than Homes?

Paper on effects of light pollution
Friday, February 1, 2019
 – Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Blinded by the Light

Paper on effects of light pollution
Friday, February 1, 2019
 – Wednesday, May 15, 2019

From Bats to Obesity

Paper on effects of light pollution
Friday, February 1, 2019
 – Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Effects of Altered Circadian Rhythms

Paper on effects of light pollution
Friday, February 1, 2019
 – Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Lights Harming Natural Lands

Paper on effects of light pollution
Friday, February 1, 2019
 – Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Effects of Artificial Light on Sleep Patterns

Paper on effects of light pollution
Friday, February 1, 2019
 – Wednesday, May 15, 2019

An Amphibious Attraction

Paper on effects of light pollution
Friday, February 1, 2019
 – Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Troublesome Night Lights

Paper addressing effects of light pollution
Friday, February 1, 2019
 – Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Tapping Into Sustainability

A study of how local craft breweries foster an ethic of sustainability through community building and development of place-based identity.
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
 – Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Light Pollution in Northfield video

Short video explaining the issue of light pollution as it affects Northfield.
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
 – Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Level 2 Report: A Closer Look at Community-Wide Climate Action Plans (CAPs)

The Level 2 Report delves a bit deeper into the practices of the ten cities outlined in the initial report, Community-wide Climate Action Plans: An initial summary of best practices from cities similar to Northfield, MN, with the addition of Carleton College’s climate action plan (CAP). An interesting aspect of the Level 2 Report is …
Thursday, February 1, 2018
 – Tuesday, May 1, 2018

City of Northfield Composting Survey Results

Focus: Food, Focus: Waste, Resource

To assist in achieving these waste reduction goals, the CAP recommends a zero-waste policy that sets a goal to “eliminate 100% of organic materials from the waste stream by 2025 through a robust composting program.” Wanting to understand the receptiveness of such a program, all 6,340 Northfield households had the opportunity to complete a survey. The survey asked what they know about and what is their interest is in recycling, specifically household organic waste.

Affordable, Sustainable Housing in Northfield: A 20 Year Plan

Focus: Energy, Focus: Land, Resource

This paper, written by Carleton student Anna Hori for Kim Smith’s 2021 Environmental Law & Policy seminar, adopts a 20-year timeframe of policy recommendations and steps for local officials to take to increase affordable sustainable housing in Northfield. It recommends that the city focus on five goals for the next 20 years: (1) Prioritize mixed-use, higher-density housing developments; (2) incentivize energy-conscious building practices; (3) formalize private-public partnerships; (4) center the needs of low-income residents; and (5) raise public awareness about affordable, sustainable housing.

The Future of Affordable Sustainable Housing in Northfield

Focus: Energy, Focus: Land, Resource

This paper, written by Carleton student Sam Goity for Kim Smith’s 2021 Environmental Law & Policy seminar, adopts a 20-year timeframe of policy recommendations and steps for local officials to take to increase affordable sustainable housing in Northfield. It sets out a plan involving sustainability-oriented renovation of existing affordable housing, the development of new sustainable, affordable housing, and a network where parties involved in the aforementioned processes can collaborate more efficiently, share resources, and learn from one another.

Parking for Progress

Focus: Transportation, Resource

This paper, written by Carleton student Anderson Murphy for Kim Smith’s 2021 Environmental Law & Policy seminar, recommends introducing market based pricing for parking in Northfield’s downtown as well as elimination of minimum parking requirements throughout the City of Northfield. The paper evaluates the various benefits of paid parking by exploring the relevant academic literature, analyzing the implementation of paid parking and elimination of minimum parking requirements in Northfield, while highlighting the various benefits sound parking policy will bestow upon citizens.

The Future of Downtown Parking in Northfield

Focus: Transportation, Resource

This paper, written by Carleton student Libby Nachreiner for Kim Smith’s 2021 Environmental Law & Policy seminar, outlines a 20-year plan to build toward a better, more sustainable transportation system that works for all by enhancing the existing transportation options, adopting market-based pricing for downtown parking, and being intentional about the allocation of generated revenue, maintenance, and assessment of new transportation policies and programs.

Waste Management in Northfield

Focus: Waste, Resource

This paper, written by Carleton student Irene Stoutland for Kim Smith’s 2021 Environmental Law & Policy seminar, builds on work done by the Waste Working Group to implement the Climate Action Plan waste management goals. This paper focuses on measurement of waste prevention, community-based recycling, and the need for state and national legislation.

A Framework for Northfield Minnesota to Combat Invasive Plants

Focus: Land, Resource

This paper, written by Carleton student Allison Palmbach for Kim Smith’s 2021 Environmental Law & Policy seminar, recommends Northfield pursue an ambitious invasive species management initiative that includes prevention, early detection, organized responses, and prioritization of protecting high quality natural lands in the Northfield City jurisdiction. The proposal builds on a variety of invasive species management plans from other cities, as well as existing scholarship, to provide Northfield with a framework and proposal that combines many of the best practices from various other organizations, cities, states, etc, and adapts those practices and recommendations to Northfield’s needs.