Final Report on the
Des Moines
Metropolitan Area Smart Growth Audit
Submitted to
U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7 and 1,000 Friends of
Iowa
December 2006
In April 2006, 1,000 Friends of Iowa contracted Iowa State University Extension to perform a "Smart Growth Audit" of the zoning and subdivision codes of fifteen communities in the
Des Moines
metropolitan area.
The purpose of the study was: (1) to provide community leaders in the Des Moines metro area with information on the regulatory practices currently being promoted by smart growth advocates as "model" practices; (2) to provide these leaders some insights into how their regulations stack up against current model development practices, and (3) to present communities with a "fly-over" assessment of whether their regulations may present an obstacle to smart growth.
The audit utilized yes/no questions designed to examine the development codes for the presence or absence of regulations and standards that are currently promoted as supporting smart growth principles. The indicators, developed using smart growth audit evaluations developed by other entities across the nation, evaluate the presence of the following eight smart growth principles:
1. Mix land uses.
2. Create walkable neighborhoods.
3. Take advantage of compact building design.
4. Create a range of housing choices and opportunities.
5. Foster distinct, attractive places, with a strong sense of place.
6. Provide a variety of transportation choice.
7. Preserve open space, farmland and critical environmental areas.
8. Make development decisions fair and predictable.
Overall, the audit results were mixed. Generally, the larger communities in the metro area had a greater number of affirmative responses than the smaller communities. The results are not unexpected, and are consistent with the limited number of audits performed in other states without state-level growth management programs.
Study findings suggest one possible agenda for a "smart growth movement" in metropolitan
Des Moines
. The principles more likely to be advanced are those that municipalities can adopt independently of others; such as creating distinctive, attractive communities through greater controls on design and street layout, and providing for more mixed land uses and pedestrian-friendly environments
Perhaps the greatest value of the study will be if it acts as a catalyst for further dialogue on important questions about how we can define and implement "smart growth" in a way that makes sense for the
Des Moines
metropolitan area.
Click here to view and download the full report (requires Adobe Reader).
Updated 01/31/07-08:22 PID:1095
