Partnership for Sustainable Communities
Brownfields Pilots - Iowa City, Iowa
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Department
of Transportation (DOT) are working together under the Partnership for Sustainable Communities to ensure that federal
investments, policies and actions support development that is more efficient and sustainable. This partnership is based
on "liability principles" that guide inter-agency collaboration and support the integration of: safe, reliable and economical
transportation; affordable, energy-efficient housing; and sustainable reuse of idle or underutilized land. Pilot communities
were selected by EPA's Brownfields Program with input from HUD and DOT. Pilots receive technical assistance and support
from EPA, HUD and DOT. The three agencies are working with the Pilot communities to build on past investments, as well as
identify opportunities to link housing, transit and brownfields, and coordinate sustainability resources.
Project History
In June 2008, Iowa City, along with many other
communities in eastern Iowa, experienced unprecedented
flooding. The federal government declared parts of Iowa
City a federal disaster area and the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) took steps to address the
recovery including development of a long-term community
recovery plan. In 2009, EPA entered into an agreement
with FEMA to provide technical assistance to Iowa City to
assist with the application of smart growth redevelopment
planning principles and techniques in the area south of
downtown which is now known as the Riverfront Crossings
District—a District consisting of a mix of student housing,
auto-oriented commercial businesses and industrial
uses. This assistance resulted in three reports focusing
on real estate market analysis, development policy and
transportation policy.
Through the Partnership for Sustainable Communities,
EPA and its partners are focusing on an approximately
10-square-block area in the southwest portion of the
Riverfront Crossings District with a number of industrial
and commercial properties, including brownfields.
Change in the District is being pursued for and driven by
a number of factors including flood plain management,
market demand, growth management, and transportation
needs. A large portion of the site resides within the 100
year flood plain and was seriously impacted by flooding
in 2008; this required an in depth look at and change in
land uses within the plain. With a growing population at the
University of Iowa (i.e., largest enrollment class in history
in 2010), Iowa City is exploring ways to accommodate
growth in a sustainable manner that serves a population
with increasingly diverse needs. Part of this includes
establishing Amtrak service in the District as well as
future plans for light rail service. The Riverfront Crossings
Pilot Technical Assistance Activities
Provide expertise in brownfields redevelopment issues
Offer guidance in planning for transit oriented
development, including integration of bicycles, walking
and other forms of transportation into an urban setting
Provide guidance in the integration of mixed-use
development and appropriate densities
Offer guidance on integration of amenities such as
community parks
Provide expertise in the application of green
infrastructure/low impact development strategies and
techniques
Offer guidance on floodplain management principles,
including identification of measures to minimize the
impacts of flooding and the restoration of natural
floodplains
Facilitate focused three-day design workshop with Iowa
City staff and other stakeholders
District is within blocks of downtown Iowa City and is seen
to have the potential to accommodate anticipated growth
and act as both an extension of downtown and a District
with an identity all its own. Strong market demand for
downtown Iowa City housing and commercial space further
underscores this District's potential and opportunities for
focused assistance through this initiative.
Pilot Activities
The technical assistance team supporting this Pilot is
working closely with local and state partners to help
advance Iowa City's plan to revitalize and transform the
Riverfront Crossings District. The team is developing a
conceptual design framework, recommendations for zoning
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code and design guidelines, and a brownfield revitalization
strategy for the District. Plans for the revitalized District
include walkable urban neighborhoods with a mix of
sustainably built affordable and market rate housing,
ground floor retail and office space, pedestrian-oriented
streetscapes, entertainment and recreation facilities, public
open space, an improved transportation plan, trails and
other open space amenities along the Iowa River. Specific
technical assistance activities being conducted under this
Pilot include: facilitating design workshops to capture Iowa
City development and design priorities; providing expert
guidance on how to redevelop the area, sustainably reuse
brownfields, and avoid damage from future flooding events;
and facilitating a public forum presenting the conceptual
design framework to the public.
Outcomes
The expected outcomes from this Pilot include:
• Developing a conceptual design framework with
recommendations and guidance on how the city can
redevelop the targeted area and minimize damage
from future floods.
• Offering recommendations about zoning regulations
and design guidelines as tools to realize development
envisioned in the framework.
• Creating a brownfield strategy to address potential
brownfield sites within the targeted area—including an
inventory of known sites, a framework for identifying
additional sites, and a strategy for acquiring resources
for assessment, cleanup and technical assistance.
• Providing a focused design workshop with local
planning department and housing department staff,
local transportation planning officials associated with
the local council of governments, and any other local
partners such as area property owners and potential
developers.
• Presenting the final conceptual framework and
recommendations in a public open house.
The expected completion date for work under the Iowa
City Pilot is February 2011. For more information on this
Pilot, please contact David Doyle with EPA Region 7 at
(913) 551-7667 or doyle.david@epa.gov.
Train tracks in the Riverfront Crossings District, just west of Clinton Street
Major Technical Assistance Partners
Environmental Protection Agency
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of Transportation
Federal Transit Administration
Federal Highway Administration
Iowa City
Johnson County
University of Iowa
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
United State;
Environmenti
i Agency
Partnership for Sustainable Communities Fact Sheet - Iowa City, Iowa • January 2011 • EPA-560-F-11-015
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