This past weekend marked the kick-off of the City of Dubuque’s Comprehensive Plan, entitled “Imagine Dubuque”. To jump-start outreach and public engagement, an “Imagine Dubuque Idea Booth” was stationed at Friday night’s “Dubuque… And All That Jazz” event and at Saturday morning’s Farmers Market. Boards showcasing an array of empty chat-bubbles beckoned folks to come share ideas on how to improve Dubuque. In addition to sharing ideas via written chat-bubble, booth-goers also noted comments via “My Idea Is…” Chalkboard-Cameos (scroll down to view full photo gallery) and conversations with project consultants.
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The focus of “Imagine Dubuque” is broad and comprehensive in nature and as such, so were the ideas heard! From arts and culture, health, jobs, and diversity… to the types of dining options, destinations, public transit, hours of service, and sustainability.
So what did you say, what did we hear?
Ideas streamed in from a multitude of folks – local Dubuque residents, new and tenured; those who had moved away, those who had moved back and those who were considering moving back; students, business owners, visitors from surrounding communities and those from out-of-state, parents, kids and seniors.
As noted above and showcased via the photo mosaic at the bottom of this article, ideas were wide-ranging. When each comment board was completed, a new one was posted for filling in with the completed board displayed for everyone to see and comment upon. Where individual ideas were liked by others, a blue sticker was placed next to it. Some of the initial ideas and themes heard during the 2-day idea fest include the following:
- Dubuque has so much going for it already, let’s not undermine all the greatness to date!
- Enhance bike-ability, make on-street biking safer and expand the trail network (and how about some mountain biking given the great terrain)
- More family-friendly dining options
- Attract and support diverse populations; understand the barriers they face and create solutions that speak to / address such (language, childcare, transit, wages, community integration)
- Extend transit hours at night
- More entertainment options for kids and teens (water park, splash pad, trampoline park, skate park, arcade, indoor sports facility)
- Reduce crime
- Further existing eco-friendliness via city-wide composting, more community gardens
- Help underserved residents regain stability via incentives and support
What’s your vision? Share your ideas today!
Project outreach, feedback, idea generation, sharing and refinement has just begun! Continue to stay engaged and share ideas:
- Visit the Idea Page
- Download the project app
- Follow via Email: Take the check-work out of staying engaged! Enter your email via the “Follow” button in the website footer to receive project updates and notifications straight to your inbox.
Photo Mosaic of Outreach Events
[…] focus groups with high school students and senior citizens, to idea sharing booths at events including the Farmers Market and Dubuque… And All That Jazz!, to discussion sessions with […]