Cedar Rapids / Iowa City Region

This region includes Cedar Rapids, Coralville, Iowa City, North Liberty, and other smaller cities 

CEDAR RAPIDS

The City of Cedar Rapids announced this December of 2007 that they are developing a "Smart Growth Scorecard" for reviewing development proposals. Smart Growth Scorecards have been used across the country to determine whether a proposal will be approved, or whether a proposal receives enough smart growth points to receive additional incentives or funding for infrastructure. Scorecards give points to projects that encourage mixed use development, utilize existing infrastructure, promote transportation choices, and other criteria. 1000 Friends commends the city for pursuing an alternative means for making decisions on development based on smart growth principles. If you have questions about the Smart Growth Scorecard, contact the city's planning department (319) 286-5047.

IOWA CITY

1000 Friends of Iowa has commended the City of Iowa City for their revisions to their zoning code to support more walkable neigbhborhoods. This ordinance helped achieve higher density for some new neighborhoods  in ways that are both visually appealing and also make more efficient use of land than low-density, auto-dependent development.

In 2005, we gave an award to the Penninsula neighborhood, a new neighborhood on Iowa City's north side that has a character similar to the historic neighborhoods in the Mississippi River Region of the upper Midwest. With narrower streets and sidewalks lined with sidewalks and street trees, the compact neighborhood is only a five-minute walk of places to shop, work, and recreate. 

However, these models of sustainable development aren't the only developments that have caught our attention. In 2005, 1000 Friends of Iowa joined a citizen lawsuit aimed at preventing the approval of a new Walmart Supercenter. This supercenter, only a short distance away from an existing Wal-mart, was opposed by local businesses, labor union members, and many others. We signed onto the lawsuit because the rezoning of the land was illegal for a number of reasons. Our values teach us that zoning decisions should reflect the common good for the community as a whole. It was evident that illegal decisions have been made for the benefit of a particular developer and we worked with citizens to contest the rezoning, and ultimately won. The Wal-mart Supercenter was not built. 

Iowa City's college town atmosphere and quaint, walkable downtown area are two pillars of its character that will shape a smart growth agenda for their future. City council member Regenia Bailey sees the big picture in terms of land use, transportation, and climate change and has promoted walkable neighborhoods and transportation choices in the city's package of local solutions to reduce greenhouse gases. Regenia was one of several city council members across Iowa that spoke at 1000 Friends of Iowa's 2006 Annual Meeting in Iowa City. 

JOHNSON COUNTY AND THE NORTH CORRIDOR

The North Corridor is a stretch of unincorporated land north of Iowa City that was designated as a growth area by the Johnson County Supervisors. Along this corridor are sensitive natural areas, hills, and land near Coralville Reservoir. Citizen involvement has led to the protection of some natural areas and the prevention of sprawling subdividions in rural areas. Many citizens have weighed in on the plans for this area over the years, and one group called Citizens for Sensible Development has a website with information on local land use issues.

http://www.citizenssensibledevelopment.org