Iowa
New Republican Midwest Govs Not Of Same Mind On Rail Investments
While new Wisconsin and Ohio Republican governors are not supportive of high speed rail and my try to steer their state's high speed rail awards for road purposes, the new Republican governors of Iowa and Michigan appear to be Amtrak supporters.
The State of Iowa: Looking Good
Aaron M. Renn says that Iowa has weathered the recession well, and migration patterns have boosted cities and agribusiness.
Road Diet Crash Reduction Variations Studied By DOT
This 4-page summary report (PDF) is a summary of a technical paper attempting to show differences in the reduction in road crashes that result from road diets.
Public Space Creation in Three Midwestern Cities
This piece from The Architect's Newspaper takes a look at three midwestern cities that have recently benefited from outside investments in their urban centers.
Speedy and Successful Downtown Resurgence in Des Moines
Des Moines, Iowa, is undergoing a rapid and thorough urban revival -- at least when compared to other cities. By Des Moines standards, the city's pace is par for the course.
Getting Smart About Sewage
This post from IBM's A Smarter Planet blog looks at how advanced monitoring techniques and analytics are helping to improve the management of sewage and wastewater in cities like Sacramento and Dubuque.
Sculptures Rise in Iowa, Distract From City's Woes
A Des Moines venture capitalist and his wife have donated a reported $40 million worth of large public sculptures for a sculpture park, part of a significant redevelopment effort by the city.
An Inside Look at the Decline of America's Rural Communities
Rural areas have been losing population for decades, creating what some are calling a "rural brain drain". According to this article, the hollowing out of these rural areas will have negative impacts beyond the borders of those small towns.
Des Moines, Iowa Moves Forward with "Complete Streets" Policy
Despite opposition from businesses and neighborhood groups, the city of Des Moines, Iowa is intent on implementing a program to make local streets friendly to non-drivers.
Midwest Governors Coordinate to Seek High Speed Rail Funding
At the Midwest High Speed Rail Summit today in Chicago, an agreement was struck between eight states to work cooperatively to achieve Recovery Act funding to develop the Chicago Hub High Speed Rail Corridor - also called the Midwest corridor.
Tiny Town Tries to Recover From Immigration Bust
When an immigration raid brought down the dominant employer in tiny Postville, Iowa, last year, nearly half of the town's population were either deported or lost their jobs. As the town struggles to regain its feet, its learned some tough lessons.
Downtown Bar Culture to Blame for Beatings?
Iowa City's planning commission says yes, and is considering mandating that future bars and liquor stores be more spread out to stop a recent rash of violence in the area.
Des Moines Sees Home Prices Rise
Des Moines, IA is one of 28 metropolitan areas that have seen home prices go up in the third quarter, according to the National Association of Realtors.
Levees in Danger as Midwest Flooding Continues
Flood waters along the Mississippi River continue to rise, leaving many Midwest towns deep under water. The Army Corps of Engineers has just identified 27 levees that may not be high enough to handle the rising waters.
Opportunities in Tornadoes
Parkersburg, IA, reeling from a recent tornado that devastated the town, could look to nearby Charles City for a silver lining.
Pay As You Drive (PAYD) System Test Gets Go Ahead
In six states, test runs will assess public attitudes and acceptance of road taxation systems that ditch gas taxes and charge drivers based on how many miles they drive.
Six States To Study Replacing Fuel Excise Taxes With Mileage Fees
An ambitious study to charge motorists by the mile, which hopes to address decreasing gas tax revenue for both states and the federal government, will begin in North Carolina's Research Triangle.
Census Figures Show Rural Exodus Across Country
New census figures are showing an increasing trend of rural population decline, as more and more people are moving to urban metropolitan areas. These are just two stories of waning population in some of the nation's rural areas.
Measuring The Impact Of Universities
Describing the impact of universities can be challenging for both higher education and Technology-Based Economic Development (TBED). Two new reports demonstrate the importance of higher education institutions to a local economy.
Beautifying Iowa, One Vision At A Time
The Living Roadways Community Visioning Program has enabled over 100 small towns in Iowa to improve themselves visually through small urban design improvements that can make a big difference.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
