Iowa Great Places

    Hoff Center & Harvester Artist Lofts

    Iowa Great Places seeks to cultivate the local character and authentic qualities of Iowa neighborhoods, districts, communities and regions. At its core, the program embraces ‘creative placemaking’, or the approach of building upon local creative and cultural assets to build more livable communities and vibrant public places.

    For guidance on community visioning or to find resources from other state agencies, view the corresponding resources. 

    The Iowa Great Places program provides a ten-year designation as an Iowa Great Place, professional development and technical assistance resources, and competitive funding opportunities for new and existing infrastructure projects included in a vision plan and supported by a mix of partners and strategies.

    • Who: Nonprofits, Communities
    • What: Designation, professional development and funding eligibility
    • When: 2022 Designation and Re-designation cycle opens January 5, 2022
      • Application deadline for Re-Designation: February 24, 2022
      • Application deadline for New Designation: May 2, 2022
      • Funding cycle for eligible Iowa Great Places opens August 8, 2022.

    How to Apply

    Example Applications

    Take a look at examples of previously submitted applications. Example applications are for reference only. Programs change from year to year so applicants should ensure they are responding to current application requirements.

    Manage Your Designation

    Download the handbook to learn how to manage your designation, including Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) compliance and publicity. View the State Department Resources web pages for additional guidance.

    Iowa Great Places Promotion

    Please use the most recent versions of Iowa Great Places and Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs logos on materials promoting your Iowa Great Place. Find information on how to acknowledge the department's support in the handbook.

    Annual Report

    As a designee, you must complete the annual report form at the end of each calendar year and share the impact of the designation on arts and culture in Iowa.

    Iowa Great Places and Projects

    Interactive Iowa Great Places Map

    2022 Endorsed Iowa Great Places Projects
    The Iowa Great Places Citizen Advisory Board annually reviews and endorses projects taking place as part of an Iowa Great Place community’s vision. Endorsed projects may also receive additional state agency consideration. Interested applicants to other State of Iowa programs should review this list to see if their project qualifies for Iowa Great Places scoring increases.

    Iowa Creative Places Profiles and Videos
    View short profiles of Iowa Great Places and Iowa Cultural and Entertainment Districts. 

    Grant Award History

    Displaying 1 - 20 of 42
    Searches project title, applicant name, city, county, and fiscal year
    Project Title Applicant City County Fiscal Yearsort descending Grant Amount
    Roundhouse Renovations and 13th Street District Revitalization City of Marshalltown Marshalltown Marshall 2014 $350,000.00
    Jen Jensen Park Danish Villages Elk Horn Shelby 2014 $650,000.00
    3 Stars Plaza Sound System, Wayfinding Signage System, Parking Lot Enhancements and Landscaping, and Surf marquee improvements Surf District Clear Lake Cerro Gordo 2014 $101,000.00
    John Wayne Birthplace Museum Exhibits and John Wayne Birthplace Trail Madison County Winterset Madison 2014 $97,500.00
    Amazing Space Linn County Cedar Rapids Linn 2015 $475,000.00
    Sixth Avenue Corridor Streetscaping and Public Art City of Des Moines Des Moines Polk 2015 $250,000.00
    Central Park Improvements and Downtown Entrance Enhancements City of Grinnell Grinnell Poweshiek 2015 $200,000.00
    Raccoon River Valley Trail Public Art & Cultural Corridor Initiative Raccoon River Valley Trail Waukee Dallas 2015 $295,000.00
    Trails, Public Art, Milwaukee Trestle Park City of Manning Manning Carroll 2015 $165,000.00
    Fort Dodge Historic Downtown Gateway Features Hamilton-Webster Counties Fort Dodge Hamilton, Webster 2015 $125,000.00
    Gateway to Chichaqua City of Bondurant Bondurant Polk 2017 $220,200.00
    Steeple Square Community Revitalization Washington Street and North End Neighborhoods Dubuque Dubuque 2017 $399,665.00
    Expanding Arts & Opportunities City of Forest City Forest City Winnebago 2017 $157,000.00
    Streetscaping and Public Art Transformation City of Malvern Malvern Mills 2017 $292,900.00
    Main Street Pedestrian Enhancements City of Maquoketa Maquoketa Jackson 2017 $400,000.00
    Trestle Park Expansion and Trail City of Manning Manning Carroll 2017 $167,900.00
    John Wayne Birthplace Museum and Trail Madison County Winterset Madison 2017 $41,500.00
    Harvester II Arts & Culture Center Pottawattamie Arts, Culture & Entertainment Council Bluffs Pottawattamie 2018 $400,000.00
    Wapsipinicon River Scenic Overlook - Pinicon Ridge County Park Linn County Conservation Board Toddville Linn 2018 $400,000.00
    Trail Expansion - Elgin to Gilbertson Park Turkey River Recreational Corridor Elgin Fayette 2018 $216,000.00

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