The Iowa Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) named the City of Hiawatha and MSA Professional Services the recipient of the 2017 Daniel Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan for helping the City of Hiawatha, Iowa, update its community vision of future growth.
The award, named after one of the nation’s most renowned urban planners, is presented annually to a plan that advances planning, the work of building and enriching communities.
A combined effort of city planners, engineers and community involvement, the Hiawatha plan emphasized 10 priority areas on which the City should focus its future efforts, including transportation, public infrastructure and utilities, community facilities and quality of life. Per MSA’s recommendations, traditional neighborhood design now incorporates a mix of housing types, well-connected streets, and public spaces.
“The results of our innovative plan truly exemplify MSA’s mission to better serve its communities,” MSA Vice President and Iowa Program Manager Jason Miller said. “Our staff enjoyed the cooperative effort with Hiawatha officials, and we are excited to see the City prosper.”
MSA Client Service Manager and Planner Shawn O’Shea, AICP, led the 10-month project. He and his team, along with Kim Downs, City Administrator and Kelly Kornegor, City Clerk from the City of Hiawatha were honored at the Upper Midwest APA Conference Thursday, Oct. 5 in Dubuque, Iowa.