Title : City seeks public “Good Ideas” for future City planning
Release Date & Time : Thursday, December 08, 2011 9:57:11 AM
Originating Department : Planning Department
Mailing List : Classes, Programs & Events; General City News
Contact Person : Sarah Walz
Contact Number : (319) 356-5239
Contact Email : sarah-walz@iowa-city.org
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Iowa City residents are full of great ideas and opinions — and the City wants to hear more of them.
It’s all part of a new “Good Ideas” campaign being implemented by the City of Iowa City’s Planning Department as it initiates an “Iowa City 2030″ public planning process to update the City’s Comprehensive Plan. The process encourages residents and business owners to help set a vision for growth and development of the Iowa City community over the next 10 to 20 years. The last Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 1997.
Starting immediately, Iowa City residents can log on to the City’s new “Good Ideas” web page at www.icgov.org/goodideas to answer three open-response questions about living in Iowa City, including what’s best about Iowa City and what improvements could be made. Next, they’ll be asked to share one “Good Idea” that they think would make Iowa City a stronger community and a more attractive place to live and work. Participants are encouraged to be constructive and creative in the comments they submit. Planners want to hear people’s best ideas, big or small, practical or visionary, and hope that the “Good Ideas” forum will inspire people to think creatively about the type of community they want to live in, to help build the framework for what their City will become.
The responses will help the Planning Department gauge existing community values, learn what residents want to see in the future of Iowa City, and gather input on how to direct its planning efforts over the next 10 to 20 years. Respondents may also choose to post their idea to share publicly, allowing others from the community to give their idea a thumbs-up if they like it and support it.
Many of the innovations that have strengthened Iowa City’s profile as a viable, livable community have been ideas that were either generated by participants in previous planning efforts or that gained momentum in discussions that were held as part of the planning process. Some examples include the Riverfront Crossings redevelopment, the Terry Trueblood Recreation Area, Towncrest urban renewal project, the UniverCity Neighborhood Partnership, Ebongo and WiFi connections on City buses, the Court Hill trail, bike sharrows, permit parking for scooters in downtown Iowa City, converting Washington Street downtown to two-way traffic, and installing LED energy-saving lights in City parking ramps. All were projects that were advocated for by participants in planning processes, and then implemented by the City.
The Comprehensive Planning process will kick off with two public workshops scheduled in February, where citizens, business owners, and City staff will meet to discuss issues, explore options, and set goals. Each workshop will provide a chance for people from diverse backgrounds and interests to discuss their ideas and build consensus around shared values and goals for the community. The workshops are scheduled Wednesday, February 1 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the West High School cafeteria, and Thursday, February 9 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Southeast Junior High cafeteria.
As the IC2030 project moves forward, the City’s planners emphasize that revisions to the Comprehensive Plan will not replace the existing district plans. Instead, the revised plan will build on district efforts, taking into account new opportunities such as the UNESCO City of Literature designation and redevelopment of the Riverfront Crossings District, as well as new challenges that may impact the community, such as energy and resource consumption, floods and other natural disasters, and the economy.
For more information, contact Sarah Walz, City of Iowa City Urban Planner, at 319.356.5239 or e-mail sarah-walz@iowa-city.org.
