Recent Developments

2013 Annual Meeting

Friday, 28 September 2012
Every year 1000 Friends of Iowa hosts an annual meeting in a different city. These meetings are small-scale conferences for our members and others who are interested in 1000 Friends of Iowa. We always hear from local people about land use issues in their community. We host a members meeting where our members elect board members, and other business as stated in our By-Laws.
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Fimmakers Offer Online Viewing of Documentary PRICELE$$

Thursday, 25 April 2013

"PRICELE$$ is a filmmaker’s personal journey across America to answer a burning question: why are some of our government’s most basic policies, like food and energy, so so out-of-date…and can anything be done about it? Sharing the suspicion of fellow-citizens, including a class of young civics students, that campaign money is involved, the filmmakers set out on a spellbinding and at times hilarious ride from rural America to the halls of Congress to find out more, because democracy is a precious resource. In fact, it's PRICELE$$."

Much of the footage in PRICELE$$ was shot in Iowa and includes many local faces 1000 Friends of Iowa members will recognize, including 1000 Friends co-founder, LaVon Griffieon.

Habitat Media has allowed Americans for Campaign Finance Reform to offer the full documentary for viewing from their website at no cost. Watch PRICELE$$ today by visiting: http://www.acrreform.org/feature/watch-the-documentary-priceless/.

Visit http://www.habitatmedia.org/ to learn more about the making of PRICELE$$ and Habitat Media.

Ask Members of Congress to Support the Office of Economic Resilience

Wednesday, 17 April 2013
Send your letters in the next two weeks! The President's proposed FY14 budget came out last week. Included in the proposed budget is moving the Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities to the Community Planning and Development section of HUD and renaming it the Office of Economic Resilience (OER). The budget included $75 million in funding for OER to give out "Integrated Planning and Investment Grants." Members of Congress have been asked to submit their programmatic requests, key programs within each department members want to get funded, to the Appropriations Committee by April 26. It is important for Members to state their preferences early so that those programs don't get axed. Within the next two weeks, please send letters to your Representatives and Senators asking them to add the new OER office to their programmatic request list and to continue to support the Smart Growth Office at EPA.
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Your Comments DO Make a Difference!

Wednesday, 17 April 2013

Metropolitan planning organizations are certified by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) every four years. The FHWA & FTA will conduct a certification review of the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (DMAMPO) from April 29 through May 1, 2013. The review evaluates the effectiveness of the DMAMPO's transportation planning process, and ensures federal guidelines are being followed. Each MPO is required to solicit and utilize citizen input in local transportation decisions. If citizen input isn't resulting in changes that reflect the unique transportation needs of the community, the public participation process must be adjusted to make certain it does.

The DMAMPO will host a Public Input Meeting to accept comments from residents about the DMAMPO's transportation planning process as part of its 2013 certification review. The meeting will begin at 6:00 pm on April 29, 2013 at the DMAMPO Office, 420 Watson Powell, Jr. Way, Suite 200, in Des Moines, to gather comments from citizens regarding the DMAMPO transportation planning process.

This is an excellent opportunity to share your thoughts about the effectiveness of the DMAMPO public input meetings and transportation planning process.

The experience of 1000 Friends of Iowa is that the FHWA & FTA not only pay attention to the comments of citizens - they use the comments and feedback - YOUR concerns become part of the final transportation planning certification review report and help shape recommendations.

You CAN make a difference by attending this meeting and making your concerns known!

A Big Picture Workshop: Integrating Watershed Management Into Land Use Planning & Redevelopment

Wednesday, 17 April 2013

Plan for growth and development. Minimize effects of flooding. Protect drinking water resources. Each of these goals has something in common – they all occur within a watershed. Yet traditional urban and community-based planning does not always take a ‘watershed approach’. The Iowa Stormwater Education Program and Iowa DNR have partnered to bring the “Watershed Planning for communities” workshops to the Iowa Cedar River Watershed. ALL with an interest in how a community grows are invited to attend. The workshops will be held May 1st, 7th and 8th. For those who register by May 1, 2013, registration is $30 for an individual, or $25 for two or more. After May 1, 2013, registration is $35 for an individual, $30 for two or more. Registration includes refreshments, lunch and all materials. Visit https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_GT_L7XgnK4MnpwVy15VnBYeDQ/edit?pli=1 for complete details and to download the registration form.

Windsor Heights Offers Sustainable Living Spring Educational Series

Wednesday, 20 February 2013
Press Release from the City of Windsor Heights Contact: Sheena Danzer, City Inspector This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it www.windsorheights.org 515.645.6826 Last year the City of Windsor Heights hosted the first ever Sustainable Living Spring educational series at the Community and Events Center in Windsor Heights’ Colby Park. Due to its success we have put together a 2013 Program with the help of a Metro Waste Authority Grant. These educational presentations will be free of charge to attend and will cover a wide variety of topics. Starting on Thursday, February 21st and continuing on the third Thursday of each month through May, we hope the information provided will assist home owners in our efforts to become a greener community.
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EPA Invites Communities to Apply for Smart Growth Assistance

Friday, 15 February 2013
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today is inviting applications from communities interested in exploring barriers to smart growth and testing innovative strategies that can create healthier, more sustainable places to live, work, and play. EPA’s Smart Growth Implementation Assistance (SGIA) program provides technical assistance to help communities grow in ways that improve the local economy, the environment, and people’s health. The program aims to help applicants develop solutions to local challenges, such as managing stormwater, increasing transit-oriented development, and adapting to climate change, and to share those solutions with other communities.
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Join Us for An Evening of Soil and Socializing Featuring "Symphony of the Soil" Documentary

Thursday, 14 February 2013

Iowa is .098% of the worlds land mass, yet according to the NRCS Iowa has between 10 and 25 percent of the world's finest soils. Join us for a viewing of the, as yet, unreleased documentary Symphony of the Soil on Friday, March 1, 2013, 7:00 p.m. at Drake University's Bulldog Theater in Aliber Hall. Admission is free and open to the public. Seats are limited to 125 and are on a first come first serve basis, so please arrive early.

Filmed on four continents, Symphony of the Soil explores the miraculous living organism that sustains life on Earth. With a skillful mix of art and science, Deborah Koons Garcia's film describes how soil forms, its life cycle, and its role in global issues like climate change, dead zones and the future of our food supply.

This event is sponsored by 1000 Friends of Iowa, Raccoon River Watershed Association, Sierra Club, Transition Des Moines, and Women's International League of Peace and Freedom.

A block of rooms is being held at the Drake Holiday Inn the evening of March 1 for anyone traveling and wanting to stay the night. The number is 515-255-4000. The cost for one night stay is $94.

The movie will also be offered on Saturday, March 2 as the culmination of a day of learning about Iowa soils. (see below) Understanding and respect for our soils are the very base for responsible land use. "Symphony of the Soil will awaken a public that now largely sees soil as dirt rather than our lifeline to the future", says Fred Kirschenmann, an expert, living in Iowa, who is featured in the film and presenting at Saturday's RRWA meeting. See you at the movies!

1000 Friends of Iowa Announces 2012 Best Development Award Winners

Tuesday, 06 November 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 6, 2012

1000 Friends of Iowa Announces 2012 Best Development Award Winners

MEDIA CONTACT:
Doug Adamson, Board Member
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
(515) 473-6373
www.1000friendsofiowa.org

DES MOINES, IA – 1000 Friends of Iowa is pleased to announce the winners of the 2012 Best Development Awards. 1000 Friends of Iowa established the Best Development Awards in 2001 to recognize development projects and programs across the state of Iowa that best reflect the principles of smart growth and sustainable development and the cities, companies, non-profit organizations and individuals that made these projects or programs possible. The winners of the Best Development Awards are models of how responsible development practices provide benefits to the community, the environment, and quality of life for future generations.

Please join 1000 Friends of Iowa in congratulating the following winners:

Leadership: Czech Village New Bohemia Main Street District, Cedar Rapids
Mixed Use: Riverworks Development, Dubuque
New Civic: Historic Millwork District Complete Streets, Dubuque
New Residential: Flood Recovery Infill, Cedar Rapids
Renovated Commercial/Civic: The IVCCD OrpheumTheater Center, Marshalltown
Renovated Residential: Riverpoint Lofts, Des Moines

1000 Friends of Iowa is a statewide, non-profit organization, which advocates for responsible development that conserves and protects our agricultural and natural resources, revitalizes our neighborhoods, towns and cities, and improves the quality of life for future generations.

The award presentation honoring the winners will be held at The Historic Park Inn Hotel in Mason City, IA during the 1000 Friends of Iowa Annual Meeting, November 10, 2012. All who are interested are welcome to attend the Best Development Awards Ceremony beginning at 1:00 p.m. in the ballroom of The Historic Park Inn Hotel. For details about the Best Development Awards, visit www.1000friendsofiowa.org.

For additional information please contact Doug Adamson by email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (515) 473-6373.

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Watershed awareness speakers to discuss Iowa river water quality

Monday, 05 November 2012

Three experts will discuss efforts to improve river water quality in Iowa at the "Have You Known Rivers?" event at Drake University. Lynette Seigley of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and artist David Williamson will discuss their work to clean up Iowa rivers, and Linda Kinman of Des Moines Water Works will talk about watershed awareness. The event will take place Nov. 5 at 3:30 p.m. in Meredith Hall, Room 101, and is free and open to the public.

Representatives from Missouri River Relief, Center on Sustainable Communities, and other environmental organizations will also be on hand. A reception will follow the presentation.

Seigley and Williamson are part of Project A.W.A.R.E., an annual watershed awareness river expedition, which involves hundreds of volunteers who learn about and help clean up Iowa's rivers. Williamson uses the collected trash to create collaborative art. A majority of the garbage consists of recyclable materials and is properly recycled after the expedition.

The Drake University Department of History and Urban Environmental History students are sponsoring the discussion. For more information, contact Amahia Mallea at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 515-271-4585.

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EPA's Office of Sustainable Communities Free Webinar: Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities

Thursday, 06 September 2012
The EPA's Office of Sustainable Communities will offer an overview of free technical assistance available to communities through EPA's Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program on Friday, September 21, 2012 from 12-1:30 p.m. Central time. Webinar Details are avaliable at http://www.epa.gov/piedpage/webinars/index.html.

National Complete Streets Coalition Releases 2011 Report and Workbook

Friday, 17 August 2012

The National Complete Streets Coalition has released the 2011 Report and Companion Workbook. The report and handbook highlight successful Complete Streets policies of communities across the United States. Communities adopted 146 Complete Streets policies in 2011, and over 350 policies are now in place across the country. The new National Complete Streets Coalition's report looks at some of the best of these policies, and serves as a resource to help community leaders bring these practices to their town or city.

"It's great to see such a surge in Complete Streets policy adoption over the past year," said National Complete Streets Coalition Director Roger Millar. "But this growth is also reflective of changing times and attitudes about transportation."

The policies are working to make streets safer, more livable and more welcoming for everyone.

Visit http://www.completestreets.org/webdocs/resources/cs-policyworkbook.pdf to download the 2011 report and companion workbook!

Best Development Awards

Saturday, 08 March 2008

About the Best Development Awards Program

We are now accepting nominations for the 2013 Best Development Awards! The Best Development Awards program recognizes quality development and redevelopment projects in Iowa and leadership that upholds our mission. The nomination process is user friendly, and is a great opportunity to reward cities, companies, and individuals implementing 1000 Friends’ ideals to make Iowa a better state. The deadline to submit nominationsis Friday, August 30, 2013.

Best Development Awards are given in seven categories:

New Residential
Renovated Residential
Renovated Commercial/Civic
New Commercial/Civic
Mixed Use
Leadership
Storm Water Management

To submit a nomination in any of the above categories, download the nomination form here and mail or email the information to 1000 Friends of Iowa, 3850 Merle Hay Road, Suite 605, Des Moines, IA 50310 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it The following is a brief overview of what to include:

Name of the development
Location
Owner and/or architect
Contact information for you and a representative of the project, and
Brief summary of how the project meets the mission of 1000 Friends of Iowa and the Smart Growth criteria (listed below) If available, pictures are encouraged as they truly are worth a thousand words.

Best Development Award Criteria

Projects will be reviewed and awards granted based upon the project fulfilling the objectives of Smart Growth as defined below. You may also read the Principles of Smart Growth by clicking here.

Smart growth is the efficient use of our resources to develop sustainable communities that provide a high quality of life.

Smart growth efficiently utilizes our tax dollars and private investments through. . .

Reinvesting in existing communities that have experienced decline. This includes rehabilitation and reuse of older buildings and in-fill development.
Focusing new development around walkable, mixed-use town centers with a balance of housing and jobs.
Coordinating the provision of utilities and public services amongst local jurisdictions in a metropolitan region.

Smart growth is sustainable because it. . .

Distributes affordable housing throughout the region to improve access to employment opportunities and avoid concentrations of poverty.
Utilizes green building practices to conserve energy.
Attracts new business and industry, which increasingly consider quality of life factors when selecting communities in which to locate or expand.
Balances urban expansion with the protection of agricultural land and natural areas.
Empowers citizens to take responsibility for their community and become actively involved in the planning process.
Recognizes the interdependence of the social, natural and built environments.
Considers the impact of development on future generations.

Smart growth provides a high quality of life by . . .

Creating a framework to build community and establish a sense of place.
Providing walkable, mixed-use community centers that include civic, commercial and residential uses.
Offering residents a variety of choices in housing options and transportation modes.
Establishing urban green spaces and protecting environmentally sensitive areas from inappropriate development.
Engaging residents in a more active, healthy lifestyle.
Reducing health threats from air and water pollution.

Recipients receive a plaque, publicity during the announcement of winners, and recognition in 1000 Friends of Iowa's education materials and website.

For information on recipients of the 2012 Best Development Awards click here .

For information on recipients of the 2011 Best Development Awards click here.

For information on recipients of the 2010 Best Development Awards click here.

For information on recipients of the 2009 Best Development Awards click here.

For information on recipients of the 2008 Best Development Awards click here.

For information on recipients of the 2007 Best Development Awards click here.

For information on recipients of the 2006 Best Development Awards click here.

For information on recipients of the 2005 Best Development Awards click here .

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National Conversation on the Future of Our Communities

Saturday, 02 June 2012

Seeking New Ideas in Community Planning, Design and Development

What's your vision for the future of your community? Join the Smart Growth Network (SGN) in the first national conversation about how neighborhoods and regions could be planned, designed, or developed to meet the needs of current and future generations. The SGN is seeking papers, blog posts, videos and photos that describe YOUR vision for the future of your community. Your ideas will help the members of the Smart Growth Network form strategies to help communities grow in ways that strengthen the economy, protect the environment, and improve the quality of life. Visit http://smartgrowth.org/nationalconversation/ for complete details and to learn more about how you can participate.

City of Des Moines Invites You to Share Your Ideas

Saturday, 02 June 2012
The City of Des Moines invites residents to share their ideas about making Des Moines neigborhoods even better places to live, work and play. Visit http://www.revitalizedesmoines.com/ and join the conversation today!

Transition Des Moines May Program

Monday, 14 May 2012

Join Transition Des Moines on May 23, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. to watch "In Transition 2.0", a movie about the worldwide Transition movement. The meeting will be in room 605 of the Merle Hay Mall Tower, 1000 Friends of Iowa office. The entrance is to the right of the Merle Hay Mall Cinema. To view the trailer visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKN3RLkEGfM or read more about it at http://www.intransitionmovie.com/ . To learn more about the Transition movement, visit www.transitionus.org.

"Priceless" Documentary Airs on PBS

Thursday, 05 April 2012

The documentary "Priceless" will be airing this week. Visit the Priceless website, http://www.pricelessmovie.org/, to learn more about the documentary and tune in to view it on PBS!

Below are the remaining air dates:

Council Bluffs KBIN-32.3 World