Iowa’s Living Roadways Celebration

How it’s Made: Recipes for Project Success

is the theme of the 2023 Iowa’s Living Roadways Celebration on November 2 in Ames. We chose this theme because of the enormous work it takes to bring together all the pieces (ingredients) for project success (final dish). For 27 years the Community Visioning Program has been churning out recipes (concept boards) and completing cookbooks in the form of feasibility reports for communities ranging in size from 23 to almost 10,000 residents.

Description of the Day

Think of your favorite dish. From purchasing the food to preparing the ingredients into a finished dish, it all starts with reading the recipe to understand what you will need for ingredients and how you will prepare them for your masterpiece. The same concept applies to communities large and small. It all starts with a recipe, or a plan, that guides the community toward its desired goal. Community Visioning provides that plan, or recipe, with input from residents, design professionals, and others.

Panel and Roundtable Discussion

Hear success stories from volunteers and city officials from three former visioning communities. Then spend some time with others at your table talking about local success.

Tour of Community Boards

Get inspiration from 2023 Community Visioning towns’ recipes for success!

Luncheon, Keynote, and Partner Recognition

It’s lunchtime! While you enjoy lunch, professional landscape architect and keynote speaker Meg Flenker will take us through the steps of making a concept plan into a built project.

Exhibitor Fair

Meet businesses with the knowledge and expertise to help you complete your community project, whether you need design services, signage, lighting, or other amenities.

Afternoon Mini-Workshops

We have a great lineup of presenters talking about green infrastructure, community identity, site furnishings, and more!

Grant Writing 101

Learn tips and tricks for whipping up and effective grant application from ISU specialists. (limit 50 participants)

New Community Orientation

The 2024 Community Visioning towns will dive into the process by learning about what “ingredients” make up the local transportation system and by applying their local knowledge through a mapping exercise focused on their community.