4. is
involved?
greater
des moines
Who?
Everyone who lives, works &
residenTs
plays in Greater Des Moines.
This is your project–your participation and input are critical to shape The
Tomorrow Plan. feedback from everyone who is a part of greater des moines
today needs to be heard as we plan for the future. we invite you to join us
for future public meetings and to stay in touch in the meanwhile at www.
RESIDENTS
thetomorrowplan.com.
The Tomorrow Team
Planning forTOMORROW TEAM and broad expertise. The des
THE a region requires clear direction
moines area metropolitan Planning organization (mPo) is coordinating this
effort. The Tomorrow Plan’s steering committee provides guidance and oversight
Steering Committee Des Moines Area MPO
to the team of mPo staff and consultants who are taking the lead on day-to-day
Technical Committee Consultant Team
planning tasks. Together, this group makes up The Tomorrow Team.
Partners Committee
5. why now?
What?
sUPPorT for sUsTainable Planning
Greater Des moines was one of 45 regions around
the country to receive funding from the inaugural
Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant
Program. This $2 million grant for regional planning
efforts and long-term sustainability has been matched by
about $1.1 million in local funds, indicating strong national
and local support for sustainable planning.
45 sustainable communities
regional Planning Grants were
awarded in 2010
The state of iowa has also
demonstrated its increased
commitment to planning
by adopting the iowa smart
Planning act in april 2010.
The ParTnershiP for sUsTainable commUniTies
6. what is
regional
planning?
Regional planning is about
collaboration and coordination.
It is an approach to planning and
governance that aligns economic,
social, and environmental issues
in order to guide investments and
provide for the long-term health of
the region.
7. what is
sustainability?
A sustainable process or way of life can
be carried out over and over without
damaging effects or imposing unfairly
high costs on anyone.
8. where?
polk city
35
ankeny
bondurant
grimes
johnston
mitchellville
altoona
urbandale
6
windsor
waukee clive heights
pleasant
235
hill
west
des moines des moines
80
65
carlisle
35
cumming
69
norwalk
9. When?
The Tomorrow Plan is a 20-month process that began
in July 2011 and encompasses five phases of work.
1 2 3 4 5
July 2011 - Sept 2011 project start
July 2011 - Dec 2011 where we are, where we’re going
Dec 2011 - July 2012 possible futures
June 2012 - Nov 2012 preferred future
Sept 2012 - Feb 2013 let’s make it happen
10. cUmming
warren
Why? 35
The past 20 years have seen a patchwork of
growth in greater des moines. new development
has been located according to the needs of each
municipality rather than the region as a whole.
The Tomorrow Plan presents an opportunity to
coordinate anticipated change in the region.
By 2035 the population of Greater Des Moines
is expected to grow to 650,000 people—an
increase of 35%.
11. why here?
growTh and change in greaTer des moines
Regional Expansion, 1992 - 2011
study area
Regional Urbanization
1992 - 2011 limits
city 35
sTUdy area
major roads
ciTy limiTs
railroad
major roads
railroad
urbanized since 2006 [13,957 acres]
Urbanized since 2006 [13,957 acres]
Urbanized 2001 - 2006 [21,327 acres] PolK ciTy
urbanized 2001 - 2006 [21,327 acres]
Urbanized 1992 - 2001 [13,174 acres]
Urbanized Prior 1992 [114,453 acres]
urbanized 1992 - 2001 [13,174 acres]
sources: analysIs PerformeD By
GeoaDaPTIve, Inc BaseD on usGs
urbanized prior 1992 [114,453 acres]
naTIonal lanD cover 2006 DaTa from
lanDsaT saTellITes anD counTy Parcels
DaTa anKeny
grimes
johnsTon
bondUranT
Polk
alToona
miTchellville
Urbandale
6
windsor
waUKee clive heighTs
235 PleasanT
hill
Dallas
wesT
80 des moines des moines
65
carlisle
norwalK
maDIson 69
cUmming
warren
35
miles
0 1 2 4 6
Rev. 9.7.2011
12. Land Use Change
hickman road
merle hay road
franklin avenue
1938 - before Des Moines
13. SMAll lot SubDiviSion
Merle Haye Boulevard
hickman road
merle hay road
franklin avenue
2009 - after Traditional Lots – In older neighborhoods of Des Moines, developers built 5-7
homes per acre, creating space for 2,000 or more families per square mile.
15. lArGer lot SubDiviSion
i-35
ashworth road
2009 - after In recent decades larger lots became the norm, allowing just
2.5-3 families per acre. To house the same number of families
as on traditional lots, perhaps twice as much land is needed.
17. exurbAn DevelopMent
county highway r22
ad
e ro
ill
ev
on
bo
2009 - after To preserve their rural character, some communities require homes to be built on 1-acre lots
or larger. Exurban development is considered very troublesome by wildlife biologists, because
housing 2,000 families consumes up to seven times the land of a traditional neighborhood.
18. ne 94th avenue
ne 46th street
ne 56th street
1938 - before bondurant
19. rurAl lAnD uSe intenSificAtion
ne 94th avenue
ne 46th street
ne 56th street
2009 - after The pastures and hay meadows visible in the 1938 air photo are gone
by 2009, in a process of land use intensification that affected the entire Midwest.
Streams, wildlife and wetlands have dramatically changed.
23. Elements of Sustainability
built environment social equity
LAND USE
Land use PLACEMAKING
Placemaking
INFRASTRUCTURE
Infrastructure COMMUNITY
Community
TRANSPORTATION
Transportation GOVERNANCE
Governance
AIR QUALITY
Air quality HOUSING
Housing
WATER QUALITY
Water quality economic revitalization
PUBLIC HEALTH
Public health ECONOMIC
Economic development
DEVELOPMENT
GOVERNMENT
Government spending
natural environment
SPENDING
EDUCATION
High-quality education
HYDROLOGY
Hydrology
Landscape + ecology
resource flows
LANDSCAPE
& ECOLOGY
Energy use
CLIMATE &
CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate + climate change ENERGY USE
MATERIALS
& WASTE
Waste
Food* * Added in response to sugges-
FOOD
tions made at Project Launch
24. Systems Thinking
“Systems thinking” is a way of looking at
the interconnectedness of the world. In the
context of regional planning, systems
thinking means looking for ways for
government, businesses, and
individuals to see the
ECONOMIC
larger systems in REVITALIZATION
which we all
operate.
NATURAL
ENVIRONMENT
BUILT
ENVIRONMENT
RESOURCE
FLOWS
SOCIAL
EQUITY
25. LIvInG REGIOnALLy
GOAL: Demonstrate range of Where would you
existing regional networks go for a picnic?
Where do you
go to school?
Where does your best friend live?
Where is your favorite
locate your home “special occasion”
restaurant?
Where would you be
on a sunday?
Where did you last
buy a pair of shoes?
try it! www.thetomorrowplan.com/get-involved/
26. “the ability to love a region is what makes life a joy.
it’s what makes people want to live here. nature is
central to this love of place.”
land use: “critical to future growth,
development, and smart planning.”
27. community: “this underlies
everything... it’s what we’re for.”
“community resilience in the face of rising
energy costs and a changing climate is my main
concern for the spaces and places i call home.”
governance: “more integrated
planning for the greatest good of all
and more efficient use of resources.”
28. housing: “affordability,
homelessness, cheap housing
for the elderly.”
economic development: “our future viability
and quality of life hinge on our ability to compete
for the most talented professionals and best jobs.”
29. A common refrain was that driving
is very easy and very convenient
throughout the region. Many
discussed how they valued their
short commutes because of the time
it provided for quality family life.
One gentleman described how he
was concerned about how regional
growth might transform his 8-minute
commute into a 12-minute commute.
30. A native of Alabama who had just
completed her masters degree, she
described how she selected Des
Moines as the place where she wanted
to put down roots after a nation-
wide consideration of cities. The
opportunities for a good quality of
life convinced her to move to Iowa
(the second step was convincing her
friends to come join her).
31. “tomorrow i want to see…clean, vital culturally-
astounding city/region with beautiful markers as
a sense of place where we have licked poverty, job
displacement, hunger & poor public health.”
“allow for individuality within a regional
plan. many iowans don’t like zoning limits
or other constraints on their choices.”
32. PROJECT LAUnCh QUESTIOnnAIRE
GOALS: Generate quantitative understanding of
key issues and attitudes towards sustainability.
try it! www.thetomorrowplan.com/get-involved/
33. EMERGInG ThEMES
access to
livable
natural
communities
environment
quality
of life
resilient
economy
34. “ at the core, i also believe
that iowans are folks with
a lot of common sense, and
common sense rules when
”
it comes to sustainability.
—Questionnaire Response
38. 1
what is most distinctive
and enjoyable about your
area within the greater
des moines region? what
is most troublesome about
your area?
what about the region as a
whole?
39. 2
The year is 2040. You have
not aged. Greater Des
Moines is a national leader
in sustainable communities.
How are you living, working
and playing differently than
you are today?
What has changed for the better?
Has anything changed for the worse?
40. 3
what do we need to do now
to make a more sustainable
greater des moines?
what sustainability efforts
are currently underway?
