A blueprint has been drawn for Iowa, but who will build it?

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The American Institute of Architects’ Iowa chapter recently co-sponsored two days of facing harsh facts about Iowa and developing ideas to improve the state. The annual spring meeting, called “Imagine Iowa, Designing Iowa’s Future,” was hosted in partnership with Iowans for a Better Future, the group tracking the Iowa 2010 goals established by a statewide non-partisan group, the Governor’s Strategic Planning Council. AIA Iowa members wanted to add their voices to the discussion of Iowa’s potential for Iowa and to use their skills in planning and development on making the state a better place to live, using the 2010 goals as a framework. We want to be change agents in our respective communities.

For architects, the concept of “context” is common. To us, it means that the design of every building is influenced by its surroundings: adjacent structures, site-specific geography, roads and sidewalks, and the building’s position in the community. AIA Iowa members understand that the “context” for our profession and our practice is the landscape of Iowa, which is affected by all the problems and opportunities that face the entire state. AIA Iowa and IBF wanted to educate the meeting participants on these issues and to raise their awareness of the 2010 goals and the urgency of stepping up progress. We also wanted to use the charrette design process, common in the architectural profession, to brainstorm creative, yet realistic solutions that would move the state forward.

At the meeting, more than 150 architects, landscape architects, community leaders, government officials, planners, educators and others who care about the future of Iowa listened as experts on crucial issues spoke about how the state is faring. They covered agriculture, education, quality of life, transportation, energy and the environment, economics and government.

Some of the hardest-hitting facts include:

o Iowa is second to last in the United States in growth. (North Dakota is last.)

o Iowa is the only state that did not increase its population by 50 percent or more between 1900 and 2000.

o Iowa ranks third among the states in the longevity of our residents, but 49th in retaining young people. By 2025, we could have 40 counties with more people over 65 than under 17.

o Since 1980, Iowa’s highest-growth industries (based on output and value of production) are in non-traditional sectors: amusement and recreation, including casinos; security/commodity brokers; instruments/related (i.e., scientific measuring devices and equipment); transportation by air (including express air delivery, regional airports); social services; insurance carriers;and motor vehicles/equipment (including heavy equipment components).

o Iowa now ranks 10th in the nation on average ACT composite scores.

We are seeing “the changing face of Iowa”: an aging workforce, more minorities, different industries, diversity of thought, creative ideas, arts and culture, recreation, sustainable land, renewable energy, biotechnology and lifelong learning. We are finding that young people choose a place to live first, and then their career.

The 2010 goals are a good, clear blueprint for building the state of Iowa. We know the framework must include education, life sciences, technology, a sustainable environment and livable communities — according to young people. For the most part, Iowans agree on the vision of what we want to become. It seems where Iowa gets hung up is in finding enough people who will maintain the focus on that goal and work together on the steps that will get us there. Perhaps we need a fast-track timeline, for we will pay a penalty for missing the deadline — fewer people, fewer jobs and fewer tax dollars.

AIA Iowa members facilitated the charrette groups, where participants discussed ideas and developed visual concepts to make Iowa communities more competitive. AIA Iowa and IBF will soon be sharing a compilation of these ideas with their communities and the general public. Several specific suggestions came out of our charrettes:

o Create and maintain a highly educated workforce, which means supporting education and training from early childhood all the way through community colleges and universities, reversing the “brain drain.” This includes buildings designed with sustainability at their core.

o Much of the growth we do have comes from minorities and those over age 65. They are still an untapped resource for our workforce as well as for new markets. We can make our communities more welcoming to minorities and young people by providing housing and entertainment alternatives and involving them in our planning processes.

o All four corners of the state have seen amazing riverfront development along our boundary rivers, contributing to our No. 1 growth industry, hospitality and recreation. Several new destination attractions were helped by the Vision Iowa and Community Attraction and Tourism programs. These enhancements need to continue.

o Make our transportation system conducive to regional centers of growth and establish corridors to attract business and encourage commerce. Connect what is now unconnected and streamline government services.

o Make Iowa the model for responsible land use, not urban sprawl. Help reduce dependence on foreign oil through wind energy, ethanol and biodiesel fuel. Make Iowa part of the solution for the world’s food supply, cures for disease and renewable energy through advanced biotechnology.

Iowans for a Better Future and AIA Iowa are working on projects and changes that will have a positive impact and help reach the 2010 goals. We are excited about the momentum generated at the spring meeting and hope it is contagious. We hope groups and other interested individuals will step up locally, which is where real change happens. We can help shape the future of Iowa, but we need to do it fast and we need to do it together.

If you are not sure what you can do to help, look at the Iowa 2010 goals (www.iowa.2010.state.ia.us) and choose one you can work on in a small way in your own community. You will also want to attend the events and participate in the interactive radio shows on the “Imagine Iowa’s Future” Tour: Iowa 2010. You can find the schedule at www.imagineiowa.com.

Steve Knierim was chairman of the AIA Iowa 2004 spring meeting and is president-elect of AIA Iowa Chapter. He is with OPN Architects in Cedar Rapids. Geoffrey Grimes is president of AIA Iowa Chapter and is with StruXture Architects in Waterloo.