A series of visioning workshops for Heartland 2050 begin October 7 in Council Bluffs.
The Heartland 2050 initiative looks to address sustainable growth and development in the eight-county region over the next four decades. Greg Youell, executive director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Agency, says the public input gathered at the workshops will be critical to the planning process.
"It’s really an interactive workshop that people can come to to participate in interactive activities, and help us as we look as an eight county area and look at the big picture of our future growth and development. We’re anticipating our area to grow from about 850,000 in the 2010 Census to at least one and a quarter to one and a half million people, potentially, in our metropolitan area."
Youell says that growth will mean more diversity, as well as an aging population. He says knowing those challenges and characteristics will help move Heartland 2050 from a project stage to an action one.
More information on Heartland 2050, and a community values survey, is available at www.heartland2050.org.