The International Downtown Association has presented merit awards to Art Route DSM and Connect Downtown. The art route, with its green dots leading to public art, was recognized as an outstanding capital improvement that enhanced downtown. Art Route DSM, led by the Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation,  leads walkers to 87 pieces of public art along a six-mile trail. Connect Downtown, an initiative led by the city of Des Moines, Urban Land Institute Iowa and the Greater Des Moines Partnership, is looking for ways to make downtown safer, and included the experimental reconfiguration of traffic lanes along East Grand Avenue. The project was recognized for outstanding planning. The Partnership is a member of the International Downtown Association.