Open house to gather input on Sioux City green spaces
On March 5, residents will get a chance to sound off on the future of its downtown Sioux City green spaces.
For months, a committee of downtown leaders, students and citizens have been studying the city center’s green density, public spaces and more, and is now taking input from the community in an open house. The event is being held from Noon-3 p.m. March 5, at the Sioux City Public Museum, and is open to the public.
The reason it’s important: Improved green spaces downtown create a more beautiful, sustainable, and recreational environment for all residents, employees, local, and non-local visitors. It can help reduce local flood risk, water pollution, and air pollution. And finally, it increases the quality of life for everyone.
“We are very excited for the public to view the work that’s being done on green spaces in downtown,” said Downtown Partners Executive Director Ragen Cote. “Any parks, gardens, or green spaces in urban areas can greatly improve the walkability and quality of life of those people living, working and visiting.”
Currently there are limited spaces for residents and visitors to experience much beyond concrete in the downtown corridor. The map below shows where there is the greatest need for green spaces, and the above photo shows a rendering of what a possible downtown green space could look like.
This project aims to show what the future will look like with a greater number of eco-friendly outdoors spaces within the downtown area. Ben, Katie, Parker, and Varsha are Urban and Regional Planning students at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. Throughout the course of this school year they have been working in partnership with the City of Sioux City, the Sioux City Downtown Partners Association, and the Siouxland Interstate Metropolitan Planning Council, to create a greenspace plan for downtown Sioux City.
“The students have done a wonderful job analyzing what we have, so we are looking forward to their recommendations on where green spaces could be placed to positively impact downtown Sioux City,” Cote said.
What’s planned at the open house:
- You will get chance to vote on your favorite green space amenities for downtown Sioux City, and suggest additional amenities;
- Kids and adults will get to design and draw their own parks and greenspaces;
- You will learn about the purpose, goals, and vision for the Greenspace Plan currently being developed for downtown Sioux City;
- You will be able to communicate your ideas for downtown greenspace to the authors of greenspace plan;
- You will learn about green space plans completed in other cities;
- You will learn how a wide variety of green space components, amenities, and designs can contribute to the social, economic, and environmental improvement of the downtown Sioux City urban environment;
- Ragen Cote, the Executive Director of Downtown Partners, will show active design plans and gather public input for an upcoming parklet project for Pierce and Nebraska Streets in downtown Sioux City. This project would reduce three lanes of one-way traffic to two lanes to allow for diagonal parking along the right hand side of the street and green spaces (parklets) on each corner. There would be 16 parklets and 104 additional parking spaces added for visitors on Pierce Street (3rd – 8th Streets) and on Nebraska Street (3rd – 6th Streets).
- Enjoy refreshments and network with others who are working toward creating a more vibrat downtown.
This project is made possible by a number of local and state organizations, including the Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities, Sioux City Downtown Partners, Siouxland Interstate Metropolitan Planning Organization, the City of Sioux City, and a team of Urban and Regional Planning students from The University of Iowa.
Want to take a bigger role? Click here for a template to draw your greenspace. Please email your greenspace artwork and any questions, concerns, policy suggestions, or greenspace plan ideas to greenspacesc [at] gmail.com. And find more information online at https://greenspacesc.wordpress.com.
About the Author
Thomas Ritchie I love food, cycling, family, music, social media and especially Sioux City. Got an idea for a story - shoot me a note at siouxcitynow1@gmail.com.
Related Posts
Five reasons to rent a cabin in the off-season →
Noah’s Hope Featured Pets: Still Available for Adoption →
Week Ahead: Tacos, Parades and a Metal Night →
