Monday, August 5, 2013
3:30 – 5 p.m.
Des Moines Area MPO, 420 Watson Powell Jr. Way, Suite 200
Downtown Des Moines

What role does walkability play in the vibrancy of a community?
Why is it important to invest in walkable communities? What are the characteristics of walkability, and how can we get started? Join the Greater Des Moines Partnership and Des Moines Area MPO this afternoon, Monday, August, 5, 2013, for a workshop and discussion on concepts outlined within Capital Crossroads and The Tomorrow Plan.

Jeff Speck is an author and city planner who leads a design practice based in Washington, D.C.  His presentation will reveal the invisible workings of the city, how simple decisions can have cascading effects, and how streets may actually matter more than the buildings along them. Speck advocates for smart growth and sustainable design.  He coauthored influential texts including the Smart Growth Manual and Suburban Nation.  As the former director of design at the National Endowment for the Arts, he oversaw the Mayors’ Institute on City Design, where he worked with dozens of American mayors on their most pressing city planning challenges.

There is no cost to attend the workshop.  The public is welcome.  For more information, visit http://www.dsmmetromembers.com/events, or contact the Greater Des Moines Partnership at (515) 280-4950.  Media inquiries should be directed to Susan Ramsey at (515) 286-4954 or sramsey@desmoinesmetro.com.

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The MPO provides a regional forum to ensure coordination between the public and local, state, and federal agencies in regard to planning issues and to prepare transportation plans and programs. The MPO develops both long- and short-range multimodal transportation plans, selects and approves projects for federal funding based upon regional priorities, and develops methods to reduce traffic congestion.

The Greater Des Moines Partnership is the economic and community development organization serving Central Iowa. Together with 20 Affiliate Chambers of Commerce and 4,700 business members which employ a workforce of more than 150,000, the Partnership works to grow opportunity, create jobs, and promote the best place to build a business, a career and a future.