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Downtown Resources & Networking
Downtown Resource Center
Community Resource Examples
The Iowa Downtown Resource Center has gathered a wide variety of community resource examples to help further your local revitalization initiatives. Click here to review examples ranging from promotional activities, fundraising, market analysis, downtown housing, public spaces, etc. Do you have excellent examples that you would like to share? If yes, please send them to downtown@iowaeda.com.
Downtown Forums & the Iowa Downtown Conference
The IDRC hosts a series of Downtown Forums annually in four locations across the state. The forums give downtown and community leaders communities the opportunity to talk to each other about their downtown ideas, successes and challenges. Downtown Resource Center staff facilitate discussions relating to downtown revitalization and available grant programs and other resources.
The Iowa Downtown Conference is the premier statewide annual conference for professionals and volunteers involved with downtown revitalization in Iowa and neighboring states.
Creative Placemaking & Downtown
Ottumwa Better Block Project
Dubuque Better Block Project
In partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, Better Block and the Iowa Arts Council, the Iowa Downtown Resource Center is supporting downtown creative placemaking through trainings, educational opportunities and technical resources.
- Creative Placemaking Manual
- Creative Placemaking & the Arts
- Creative Placemaking Manual Worksheet
- Creative Placemaking Community Survey Example
- Creative Placemaking Concept Board Example
- Creative Placemaking Concept Plan Example
Community Reports
Sustainability Case Studies
The Iowa Economic Development Authority has provided technical and financial assistance to communities to encourage sustainable community practices.
Tip Sheets
- Energy Efficiency Basics
- Energy Grants, Loans & Tax Incentives
- Utility Incentives
- Energy Audits & Assessment Tools
- Creating Fiscally Efficient & Sustainable Cities
- Energy Solutions for Food Businesses
- Renewable Energy for Historic Commercial Buildings
Guidebooks & Case Studies
Additional Resources
Self-Supported Municipal Improvement Districts
A partnership with the University of Iowa, this toolkit encompasses the process of SSMID creation from boundary and budget planning, to methods and process for community outreach, and how to evaluate the success of a SSMID program.