www.iowagreatplaces.gov

Program encourages placemaking and for public spaces

The Great Places program is reminding Iowa Great Places from designated in 2008, 2009 and 2010 that a deadline for submitting Iowa Great Places infrastructure grants is September 19, 2011.

The Request for Applications (RFA) went out August 3, 2011. The Great Places grant program is only open to Iowa cites, towns and counties that have signed an agreement with the State of Iowa and the Department of Cultural Affairs and have been designated an Iowa Great Place. Each of the twelve designated places have a vision for making their places a better place to live, work and play in Iowa.

The Iowa Great Places grant applications must be received by Monday, 4:30pm September 19, 2011, at the State Historical Building, 600 East Locust Street, Des Moines, Iowa, 50309. Applications postmarked on or before September 19, 2011, will also be accepted by Great Places.

Each Iowa Great Places can submit a grant application for a project that has been designated in their Memorandum of Understanding between their place and the State of Iowa.

Iowa Great Places was created in 2005 to promote bold thought, innovation and entrepreneurship to cultivate the unique and authentic qualities that make places in Iowa special. The initiative turns state government into a new kind of partner with Iowans- making it easier for “places” to access, coordinate and leverage state government resources. Designated Iowa Great Places from 2008, 2009 and 2010 are eligible to apply for the $1 million in grant funds, which can be used for infrastructure projects.

Eligible Iowa Great Places are encouraged to visit www.iowagreatplaces.gov or contact Francis Boggus 515-281-6911 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.

In 2008 a team from Arkansas State University made a special trip to three Iowa Great Places, Clinton, Dubuque and Fairfield, to study the Great Places Initiative’s impact on their economic health. The team was made up of elected officials, community volunteers, planning and economic development staff from regional and state offices.

The team also visited Perryville, Missouri. Their report can be read in full on the link posted below. Their conclusions are that place based planning is essential for communities to grow and thrive in the 21st Century. They strongly recommended that Arkansas develop legislation that creates a program in Arkansas modeled on the Iowa Great Places initiative. The legislation is pending in the Arkansas Legislature this session.

Quality of Place and Economic Development a Case Study of Iowa Great Places Program