Purpose of Study
The City of Burnsville is updating the Heart of the City (HOC) Design Framework, originally established in 1999. For over 20 years the Design Framework has guided private development and public realm design in the District toward the community’s vision of an attractive, vibrant, and pedestrian-friendly district.
With new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) stations under construction and redevelopment happening on key sites in the District, the City has recognized this unique opportunity to update the HOC Design Framework’s principles, standards, and guidelines.The Framework Update will build on this momentum and incorporate new best practices in mobility planning, stormwater management, and placemaking.
Updating the HOC Design Framework offers an opportunity to reengage with community stakeholders, evaluate existing conditions and policies in the District, and update the vision, policies, and guidelines to better reflect community values and support goals of the City’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan.


2040 Comp Plan
A Comprehensive Plan carries out the City’s vision for the future, looking out the next 20 years.
The plan looks comprehensively at the City’s systems, including land use and development, housing, transportation, municipal utilities (water supply, sanitary sewer, stormwater), and economic development
Original Heart of the City Design Framework - 1999
In the spring of 1995, residents and business owners located along the Burnsville Parkway and Nicollet Avenue got together to begin a three year process to identify ways to revitalize the neighborhood and create a design framework plan for the Heart of the City