On Sept. 9, the Business Record hosted a Power Breakfast titled Disruption-Proofing Des Moines’ Economy. The coronavirus pandemic has drastically shifted the economy, and with it views of how communities and states should shift regional plans for the future. Business Insider named Des Moines one of the top 20 cities to live in after the pandemic. What planning needs to happen to ensure that the region will come out strong, but also incorporate lessons learned for future economic downturns? This discussion focused on how regional planning will move forward in regard to transportation, sustainability, community development, downtown density, public health and more. Rewatch the event

Among the questions we tackled:
How do we continue to plan as a region when we’ve had such a major disruption that will require long-term recovery?
What lessons has the region learned from the pandemic that will be part of community development going forward?
What things can the region do to be even better prepared for economic turmoil in the future whether or not it’s related to a pandemic?
The pandemic has magnified inequities that exist in our communities — how can we position ourselves to do more for those with the least?

Panelists:

David Feehan – president, Civitas Consultants LLC

Jay Byers – president and CEO, Greater Des Moines Partnership

Suzanne Mineck – president and CEO, Mid Iowa Health Foundation

Deidre DeJear – owner, Caleo Enterprises

Jake Christensen – president, Christensen Development