Smart Growth Along the Riverfront Helps Manage Stormwater in Iowa City, Iowa

The EPA, FEMA, and Rebuild Iowa partnered to plan economic growth and redevelopment of the Iowa City riverfront following the devastation of the 2008 Iowa floods. The primarily goal of the partnership was to add green infrastructure and add open space along the riverfront to reduce future flooding. The Riverfront Crossings Master Plan relocates vulnerable properties away from the floodplain and guides future development away from vulnerable areas. It also promotes green infrastructure, vegetated buffer zones, and the creation of public spaces along rivers and streams to reduce flooding, runoff, and erosion.