Des Moines Downtown policy and planning

Downtown Des Moines has been the recipient of unprecedented investment in the past decade with more than 3 billion dollars earmarked for civic, commercial, infrastructure, recreational and residential projects since the turn of the millennium.  All have transformed downtown into a “city within a city” that seeks to strengthen the connections that allow people to enjoy the area. In 2008, celebrated architect, urbanist and Princeton professor Mario Gandelsonas along with the Downtown Community Alliance, City of Des Moines and Polk County worked together to develop a master plan to position Des Moines as one of the prime medium-sized cities in America.

Focusing on establishing a framework to unify downtown’s amenities, the newest strategies that have evolved into a blueprint for Downtown’s future include:

Upgrading the skywalk system
Transforming the transit system
Celebrating the rivers
Downtown sustainability

Click here to view the Downtown Plan in its entirety.