RESTORATIVE UTILITY DESIGN FOR INNOVATION DISTRICT | MINNEAPOLIS

Schematic design of a site-specific Integrated Utility System

CLIENT | Prospect North Partnership

SITE | Towerside Innovation District, Twin Cities, MN (370 acres, spanning Minneapolis & St. Paul)

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THE CHALLENGE.

Towerside—the Twin Cities’ only designated Innovation District—is envisioned as a replicable model for 21st-century urban living. The 370-acre transit-oriented site builds upon the earlier “Prospect North” plan, which projected 2,500 residences, two million square feet of mixed-use development, and up to 10,000 new jobs in its 80-acre core.

With multiple stakeholders across government, business, higher education, and community organizations, the district required a unifying infrastructure vision that could deliver not just sustainability, but true regenerative performance.

OUR ROLE.

Regensia’s Joshua Foss was contracted by the Prospect North Partnership to design a restorative infrastructure framework for the 80-acre Prospect North site. Work included:

  • Designing a customized Integrated Utility System (IUS) to localize energy, water, and waste services in closed-loop systems
  • Producing a site-based schematic design of the IUS
  • Developing a financial pro forma, financing strategies, and pathways for ownership and implementation
  • Analyzing opportunities, benefits, and barriers specific to Twin Cities stakeholders
  • Positioning the IUS as a competitive advantage for attracting businesses, residents, and investment

INNOVATION & DESIGN

The proposed Integrated Utility System illustrated how urban districts can:

  • Achieve resource security and resilience
  • Generate cost efficiencies through closed-loop, circular design
  • Enhance environmental performance beyond “green” toward net positive outcomes
  • Serve as a replicable model for other urban innovation districts nationwide

RESULTS & IMPACT.  

  • Shifted the vision of Towerside from incremental green development toward restorative, net positive performance goals.
  • Provided a clear, actionable plan for district-scale utility integration, aligning infrastructure with long-term sustainability and resilience.
  • Elevated Towerside as a nationally relevant case study for regenerative district infrastructure.