NOTEBOOK: Tomorrow Plan Year Three

NOTEBOOK: Tomorrow Plan Year Three

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CHRIS CONETZKEY | May 27, 2016 | 3:47 pm |

<1 min read time

I sat in on the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization's Year Three kickoff event and review of the Tomorrow Plan initiative, a voluntary plan for the sustainable development of the region for the next 40 years. Leadership for the project, including MPO Executive Director Todd Ashby, MPO Communications Director Gunnar Olson, Polk County Supervisor Angela Connolly and Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie, spent time reviewing the successes of the past year and outlining a few of the goals ahead for the next year. You can learn about those here. During the event I found myself reflecting on when the plan was in the initial stages before the official launch and wondering if the plan was too pie-in-the-sky to actually implement. Years later much has been implemented, and what I think has been interesting, is how the plan has helped provide a steady drumbeat on issues such as walkability, water trails, bike lanes and one-way streets, that three to five years ago weren't part of the community's collective consciousness. The ideas were out there, certainly, but I think what the plan has done effectively is raise the profile of these goals. That, in turn, helped create a common language base that has. in my opinion. allowed for better discussion and debate about projects. That's a success to applaud.

I sat in on the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Year Three kickoff event and review of the Tomorrow Plan initiative, a voluntary plan for the sustainable development of the region for the next 40 years. Leadership for the project, including MPO Executive Director Todd Ashby, MPO Communications Director Gunnar Olson, Polk County Supervisor Angela Connolly and Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie, spent time reviewing the successes of the past year and outlining a few of the goals ahead for the next year. You can learn about those here. During the event I found myself reflecting on when the plan was in the initial stages before the official launch and wondering if the plan was too pie-in-the-sky to actually implement. Years later much has been implemented, and what I think has been interesting, is how the plan has helped provide a steady drumbeat on issues such as walkability, water trails, bike lanes and one-way streets, that three to five years ago weren’t part of the community’s collective consciousness. The ideas were out there, certainly, but I think what the plan has done effectively is raise the profile of these goals. That, in turn, helped create a common language base that has. in my opinion. allowed for better discussion and debate about projects. That’s a success to applaud.

CHRIS CONETZKEY

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