Do you have a bright idea?

Provide your ideas and vote on others' to help us plan for a more sustainable Greater Des Moines.

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Share your thoughts at ideas.thetomorrowplan.com, a new community forum for The Tomorrow Plan.

Topics include:
  • What is the most pressing issue for the region?
  • What is the region's greatest strength?
  • How about its greatest challenge?
  • What is your idea for a big project to transform Greater Des Moines?

Let's Make Greater Des Moines Even Better Together

The Tomorrow Plan is a regional planning effort focused on the sustainable development of Greater Des Moines. It will involve residents and local leaders in identifying visions and aspirations for the region, exploring potential scenarios for its future, and setting a preferred direction for sustainable future development. The Project Launch Open House held in September 2011 drew over 300 people to learn about the planning process and basic elements of The Tomorrow Plan.

The Tomorrow Plan Exchange (TPX) is a community forum for discussing topics related to the plan. Every Wednesday, guest authors will introduce a train of thought related to sustainability, regionalism, or Greater Des Moines. It's up to you to take it from there!

Be Awesome – Here’s Some Inspiration

Posted Wednesday, May 9, 2012

If planning for a region is about ideas… and that region is Greater Des Moines… then the people of Greater Des Moines have to be totally awesome at two things: (1) shining a light on existing ideas, and (2) generating the new and innovative ideas, that will make us a great… dare I say, better than every other… city to live in, ever, in the universe. Continue reading →

Living with wild things…and we’re not talking about your children

Posted Thursday, May 3, 2012

“There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot.”

With these words, Aldo Leopold, the noted 20th century conservationist, threw down the gauntlet. In his book, A Sand County Almanac and Essays from Round River, he challenged a modern, consumer society to place value on things that have no value—on things that are wild, natural and free. As the father of wildlife management, he was especially interested in animals and the places they make their homes—their habitats.Continue reading →

Why I love where I work and where I live

Posted Thursday, April 26, 2012

When I think of sustainability a lot of things come to mind; stewardship of resources, health and wellness, reuse of materials, neighborhood revitalization.

When I think about neighborhood revitalization I think about Rock the Block™. Rock the Block™ is a focused housing outreach approach that provides a path for residents, organizations, volunteers and Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity to come together to assist low-income residents with needed repair, maintenance, weatherization, safety, accessibility and beautification of homes. Continue reading →

Play an active role, and have fun, planning the future for Greater Des Moines

Posted Wednesday, April 18, 2012

If it were your job to manage the Des Moines metro area at the dawn of a population boom, what would you build to get ready for the influx of people? Build houses, condos or apartments? Develop more highways or better public transit? What about sidewalks and bike trails? Would you protect the farmland? Continue reading →

Where we’ve been, where we’re going tomorrow

Posted Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Next week, discussion on the development of The Tomorrow Plan will continue at three public input sessions throughout the metro area. We want to know what you think Greater Des Moines should look like in the future, so join us to provide your perspective! Continue reading →

Policies, prairie chickens, and parking

Posted Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Sneak peek at the process of crafting a dynamic web tool for The Tomorrow Plan

Ever wonder what goes into building an interactive engagement tool for planning? The secret is that it’s really, really fun. Here’s a peek into our process of creating Design My DSM, a brand-new dynamic tool for The Tomorrow Plan. Continue reading →