Civic Engagement

1000 Friends of Iowa educates citizens about how to get involved in promoting responsible land use and shaping the future of their community. 1000 Friends was created with the notion that one person can make a difference and that public involvement in land use planning is a vital component of a sustainable community.

In our work across Iowa, we find that most Iowans are concerned with where development goes, how it is designed and how it relates to everything around it.

Many times our job is simply to help people articulate their concerns and hopes to decision makers about what kind of community they want to live in. Other times, we help citizens find common ground with neighbors or others in their community that have similar concerns or goals. We teach citizens about smart growth principles and model practices that can inform decision-makers about how to build better communities. Our work would be quite difficult without the help of engaged citizens across the state.

If citizens are left out of the planning process, or their input is completely disregarded as decisions arise, then policymakers often lose a valuable connection with constituents and future growth policies will lead to unhealthy, unsustainable communities.

If growth reflects a community’s own sense of how and where it wants to grow, citizens are likely to feel a stronger sense of community pride and be more involved with forming innovating strategies for sustainable development.