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Thursday, June 17, 2010   

Architects leading the way for smart planning     
By Kevin J. Eipperle

In April, Gov. Culver signed the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund bill. Among other initiatives, the legislation makes $30 million in grants available for public construction projects relating to disaster prevention. The money is available only to communities that apply "smart planning" guidelines to development and resource management decisions.

• Smart planning encompasses such principles as:
• Increased energy efficiency
• Revitalization of established town centers and neighborhoods
• Housing diversity
• Development consistent with the character of the community
• Preservation of natural resources, cultural and historic landscapes
• Sustainable design and construction standards
• Expanded transportation options

These principles were the focus of the American Institute of Architects, Iowa Chapter spring meeting. Keynote speaker Steve Luoni, Association AIA, of the University of Arkansas, described three smart-planning projects from northwest Arkansas.

One addressed the quality of streams and rivers impacted by the densely populated University of Arkansas campus. A second introduced low-impact neighborhood development. A third advocated light rail transportation along a corridor burgeoning in population.

Architects support similar efforts in Iowa communities, where smart planning has positively impacted economic development and sustainability.

In Dubuque, the National Trust for Historic Preservation is partnering with the city in Preservation Green Lab, a program that promotes retrofitting historic buildings using smart planning principles. Dubuque is one of just three communities chosen for this project, along with Seattle and San Francisco.

Dubuque is leading Iowa through demonstration of sustainability practices including; completion of an AIA Sustainable Design Assessment Team program, hiring of a sustainability coordinator, development of a unified development code and support of Smarter Sustainable Dubuque. The city has already proven the effectiveness of rehabbing older structures.

Last year IBM opened a center in Dubuque's historic Roshek Building -- and eventually will bring 1,300 new jobs to the community.

Other examples in the state:

• In West Union, a town of 2,500, work will begin on an $8.6 million green renovation of a six-block downtown district, including porous pavement that allows water to seep into the ground and storm water-filtering elements such as bio-swales and rain gardens. The project will help keep the town economically viable.
• In West Des Moines, a demonstration home in Valley Junction has served as a "learning laboratory" on green building techniques. The project with the support of the Center on Sustainable Communities and HOME, Inc., also is the basis of a curriculum to be used in community colleges.
• In Iowa City, plans are under consideration to revitalize the Riverfront Crossings District by providing a mix of affordable housing, pedestrian-oriented streetscapes, ground-floor office and retail space and a light rail system. Iowa City was chosen as one of five sustainable community pilot projects in a partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Department of Transportation.
• In Davenport, a new police department building incorporates a "green" roof design. Rain water is diverted to sidewalk-level rain gardens and filtered back into an aquifer, reducing storm water runoff by 61 percent. The project is one reason Davenport was a finalist in the competition for a Siemens Sustainable Community Award.

In each case, plans call for reduced energy consumption, harmony with the environment and enhanced livability through greater community connectedness.

Iowa architects encourage city planners, contractors, educators and others to incorporate smart planning as a standard for building and design throughout their communities. As Iowa adopts smart planning practices, the results will make this state a better place to learn, work and live.

Eipperle, managing principal at Durrant, is a member of the American Institute of Architects. He has been with Durrant since 1986. E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it