This dissertation examines the contested implementation of two interrelated institutional reforms in Minneapolis - the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan, which aimed to increase residential density by allowing triplexes in historically single-family neighborhoods, and Neighborhoods 2020, which restructured the funding and role of neighborhood associations. Despite meeting conditions recommended by planning scholars of liberalizing land use regulations and restricting exclusionary participatory politics through these twin reforms, the plans failed to alter the density distribution in Minneapolis substantially.

The life cycle of Minneapolis 2040 reflects broader socio-political dynamics in the city, including legal challenges to development and the state government's role in local planning. The research provides insights into the complex politics of land use reform aimed at producing more equitable urban spaces. To do so, it employs a grounded theory approach, using participant observations, interviews, archives, and public datasets to explore the role of land use regulations and local institutions in shaping density distribution and spatial equity.

This dissertation draws from social movement scholarship to demonstrate the role of privileged residents and their uneven civic capacities. Operating in a multi-jurisdictional field that had accrued significant advantages through a path-dependent institutional system of land use regulations and public participation, these residents play a pivotal role in shaping density-related local, place-based collective action.

The key findings from this research show how density is strategically used as a tool to safeguard the interests of these privileged residents, who engage in a multi-scalar movement and countermovement. These movement spaces are an inter-elite battle where the voices of those most marginalized are notably absent, underscoring the complexity of the political landscape.