National thought leaders on urban design and development will be featured speakers in Greater Des Moines this year as part of The Tomorrow Plan 2015 Speakers Series.
The series touches on a wide range of topics related to creating a high quality of life in metropolitan areas, including street design, walkability, the economic effects of development policies, waterways, and housing and community development. The series is an implementation strategy of The Tomorrow Plan, a plan for the sustainable development of Greater Des Moines, as a resource to community leaders to learn best practices from some of the country’s leading thinkers.
The Tomorrow Plan 2015 Speakers Series is a collaboration of several metro organizations, including the Urban Land Institute, Capital Crossroads, the Polk County Housing Trust Fund, the Iowa Economic Development Authority, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources; and the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Speakers include:
Wednesday, March 25 – 7 to 8:30 p.m., World Food Prize Hall of Laureates, 100 Locust St. Des Moines
Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie will be joined by Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett and city planner and urban designer Jeff Speck. Cornett led his city on a diet to lose 1 million pounds and an initiative to design the city around people, not cars. Speck is the author of “Walkable City” and is an international advocate for smart growth and sustainable design. Organized by the Urban Land Institute Iowa.
Thursday, April 16 – 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Olsen Medical Education Center, Des Moines University, 3200 Grand Ave., Des Moines IA 50312
Michelle McDonough Winters, Visiting Fellow of the Urban Land Institute Terwilliger Center for Housing, and Stephanie Ettinger de Cuba, Research and Policy Director for Children’s HealthWatch. The event will also include a panel discussion with Dr. Angela Franklin, President of Des Moines University; Eugene Meyer, President of the Greater Des Moines Partnership; Tom Ahart, Superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools; and Angela Dethlefs-Trettin, Vice President of Community Investment & Initiatives for the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines. Organized by the Polk County Housing Trust Fund.
Tuesday, May 5 – 7:30 to 9 a.m., Windsor Heights Community Center, 6900 School Street, Windsor Heights
Bruce Katz of the Brookings Institute will discuss the themes of his book, “The Metropolitan Revolution: How Cities and Metros Are Fixing our Broken Politics and Fragile Economy.” Katz is the vice president and founding director of the Metropolitan Policy Program. Organized by Capital Crossroads.
Thursday, May 28 – 7:30 to 9 a.m., West Des Moines City Hall, 4200 Mills Civic Pkwy, West Des Moines
Chris Zimmerman, Vice President for Economic Development with Growth America and Director of the Governor’s Institute on Community Design, and Patrick Lynch, Research Director for Smart Growth America and Research and Development Manager with the George Washington University Center for Real Estate and Urban Analysis. Organized by Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Friday, May 29 – 7:30 to 9 a.m., Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, 909 Robert D. Ray Dr., Des Moines
Natalie Warren, canoeist, educator and co-founder of Wild River Academy who advocates for urban paddling. She and Ann Raiho were the first women to paddle the 2,250 miles from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay. Organized by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Saturday, May 30 – 1 p.m., Water Works Park, Des Moines
Mary Mattingly, a visual artist from Brooklyn, New York, who has been commissioned to install a temporary public art work in Water Works Park; and Chuck Gipp, Director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Organized by the Water Works Park Foundation and the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Tuesday, June 30 – 9:30 to 11 a.m., Windsor Heights Community Center, 6900 School Street, Windsor Heights
Charles Marohn, an engineer and author with Strong Towns, and Paul Trombino, Director of the Iowa Department of Transportation. Organized by the Urban Land Institute Iowa and the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Thursday, August 27 – 4:45 to 5:45 p.m., Iowa Downtown Summit, Valley Junction, West Des Moines
Joe Minicozzi, Principal at Urban3 LLC, a consulting firm that helps communities analyze the relationship between building design and tax production. Organized by the Iowa Economic Development Authority.
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