Iowa
Mobile Home Parks as Gentrification Flashpoints
The Iowa State Supreme Court recently sided with a resident of a mobile home park over the city of Des Moines, which had worked to shut the entire mobile home park down.
The 'Missing Middle' Fills a Gap in Cedar Rapids
Developers are adding an unprecedented level of new multi-family residential construction. Most of the projects are examples of missing middle housing typologies.
Des Moines Mega-Development Likened to a 'City Within a City'
New details of an ambitious infill project in Des Moines were released at the end of 2017.
Legislation to Ban Traffic Cameras Creates Odd Political Alliances
Republicans and the American Civil Liberties Union back bills to ban red light and speed cameras in Iowa, while Democrats and law enforcement want to allow cities and counties to retain automated traffic-enforcement tools.
Ambitious Plan Could Completely Remake the Streets of Downtown Des Moines
A $33 million plan would make downtown Des Moines home to a dense grid of bike lanes and a safer place for pedestrians, among other changes.
Iowa Cities Will No Longer Enforce Rental Occupancy Limits
Iowa City's Mayor, Jim Throgmorton, opposes changes to the state's rental occupancy limits, arguing that these limits protect the state's elderly. The amendment's supporters say it's giving Iowans the freedom to live the way they want to.
Des Moines Has a Plan to 'Connect Downtown'
Des Moines is considering an ambitious complete streets makeover of its downtown streets.
The Dakota Access Pipeline Now Pumping Oil
Adding insult to injury in a bad week for environmental causes, the Dakota Access pipeline began shipping oil this week.
Federal Reserve Banks Look for Small Town Lessons in Growth
What do Rochester, Cedar Rapids, Grand Rapids, and Chattanooga have to do with each other? According to Federal Reserve Banks, they are all examples of cities doing growth right.
Des Moines' Latest Redevelopment Plan Includes Vertical Faming and More
A proposal by the Greater Des Moines Partnership is the latest bid redevelopment idea transforming downtown Des Moines.
Downtown Des Moines Hopes Boom Will Continue Into 2017
Des Moines' Downtown Chamber of Commerce expects the city's 2016 development boom to continue into the new year.
Wouldn't It be Nice if Legislators Were Rewarded for Voting to Increase the Gas Tax?
Surprisingly, legislators are rewarded for supporting new gas taxes: they get reelected, according to a new analysis by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association. What's more, they overwhelmingly hail from red states.
Midwest Cities Preparing for the Water Management Challenges of Climate Change
Climate researchers are hoping to coordinate the efforts of Midwest cities toward creating plans and working toward more holistic approaches to climate change.
The Tough Legal Path to ADA Compliance
Next City examines the fruits of a Department of Justice effort to force cities to bring their sidewalks and other public spaces into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Only Three Cities Pass the 'Trilemma' Test
Good jobs, affordable housing, and quality of life rarely come in a total package. In fact, according to new analysis from the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis, only three cities in the United States combine all three.
Welcome to a Changed Climate: It Even Floods When it's Sunny
A new report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration documents the increasing frequency of nuisance floods and "clear-sky flooding."
When a 3-Foot Clearance for Passing a Cyclist Is Not Enough
Sharrows and 3-foot passing laws are meant to make biking safer in streets in the absence of bike lanes. Bike activists in Iowa want to take safety a step further by requiring motorists to move to another lane, just as they would if passing a car.
Reinventing Des Moines
Fairly or unfairly, Des Moines has a solid reputation as one of the nation's least interesting cities. But unbeknownst to the rest of us, this quiet working town might become the Midwest's answer to Austin, Texas.
Iowa Caucus Results: Cruz wins, Ethanol Mandate Loses
The only major candidate, Democrat or Republican, to call for an end to the contentious ethanol mandate won the Republican caucus, clearly beating Donald Trump. That could doom what many even in Iowa, among even some farmers, call a boondoggle.
What's Wrong With the Ethanol Mandate?
A former EPA official makes the case in a New York Times op-ed that the ethanol mandate, a major issue in Monday's presidential caucus in Iowa, the nation's top corn producer, is implemented so poorly that it is not benefiting the environment.
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.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
