Iowa Downtown Resource Newsletter

March 1, 2021

Downtowns Learning by Example ... Not a One Size Fits All The Iowa Downtown Resource Center provides technical assistance to all Iowa downtowns that accept help. Sometimes that simply means getting communities to talk to each other and learn from success stories and challenges. Read More.
Sumner – Downtown Difference Makers Sometimes it takes a small, dedicated group to help a community start down the path to revitalizing their community. People who grew up in the community, previous business owners or young entrepreneurs who have a vision for what their community can become. They join forces and start the ball rolling to change the trajectory of the place they call home. Read More.
Downtown Gems – Lansing’s Horsfalls is One Amazing Place! Iowans love to spend some time along a road less traveled and as the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions are eased, many of us are looking for a great day trip to explore those unique spots across Iowa that make our state really unique. Read More.
Streetscape Survival, Best Outcomes and Helpful Hints A streetscape project is costly for a community, stressful for leaders and scary for businesses caught in the middle. While labeled as progress, it can be a challenging time for many. Yet, in the long run, a streetscape project can be a winning situation. Let’s find out how the cities of Nevada, Ottumwa and West Des Moines tackled and survived efforts to improve streets in their downtowns. Read More.
2021 Iowa Downtown Conference The Iowa Downtown Conference is the premier statewide conference for downtown revitalization professionals and volunteers from Iowa and neighboring states. Scheduled for August 3-4 in downtown Iowa City, professionals and volunteers will gather for the 2021 Iowa Downtown Conference to network and learn how a strong downtown can be a major stimulator for economic activity. Read More.
Center for Rural Revitalization and Empower Rural Iowa The Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Initiative was created in July 2018 to create concrete solutions for the unique challenges of rural Iowa in order to maintain its vibrancy and sustainability in the future. Read More.
Where Shop Iowa Started 2020 took a toll on Iowa businesses. As retail stores in Iowa were forced to close their shops due to the rising pandemic, Executive Director Debi Durham of the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) considered ways to support Iowa's retailers when their physical doors were shut. The concept of a one-stop online marketplace to shop from Iowa's retailers was born as a way to help them stay open, albeit virtually. Read More.
Embracing and Engaging Diverse Perspectives It has often been said that our greatest strengths lie within our differences. The growing social and cultural diversity of Iowa, our communities and our leaders reflect opportunities to build inclusive communities that not only embrace, but also engage its different perspectives. Iowa communities don’t exist in a vacuum. Read More.
#NEWTONSTRONG As the old saying goes, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going!” There may be no better example of that adage than the staff and volunteers at Newton Main Street, who faced down numerous challenges in 2020 and found ways to survive and thrive with creativity, collaboration and chutzpah. Read More.
Community Resource Examples Files available through SharePoint. [Launch Folder in New Window]