About Us
Momentum Des Moines is a grass-roots, volunteer run organization focused on advocating for a better urban environment the Des Moines metropolitan area. Our primary focus areas are on land-use reform, improved public transportation, and safe street design.
We believe that communities designed for everyone, and not exclusively for those who own personal vehicles, are more livable, sustainable and accessible to everyone ...not to mention just better places to live.
Our advocacy work informs and supports those who have the power to make decisions in Des Moines and Central Iowa, with the intent of creating a better urban fabric and a more connected community.
Jeff Speck. Walkable City
We can be a place not just for driving through, but for arriving at.
Issues
Prioritizing Sustainable Safe Streets Infrastructure
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· Supporting safe street design principles that protects all users and promotes active and public transportation modes
· Advocating for low car and car free areas that allow for more equitable access, better placemaking, and healthier communities with less pollution
· Demanding funding and prioritization of initiatives in these spaces such as Vision Zero and neighborhood traffic calming measures
Creating a robust public transportation network
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· Advocating for developing a sustainable funding model for DART and identifying a path to increase funding for public transportation in Central Iowa.
· Increasing support and funding of public transportation on long term planning and development (dedicated right of ways, exploration of fixed infrastructure for public transportation such as BRT or light rail)
· Supporting reforming land use along transportation corridors and incentivizing transit oriented development
Reforming zoning and land use to encourage affordable and sustainable development, and reducing barriers to housing construction
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· Ending the widespread use of exclusionary zoning practices and allowing for higher density residential development in much of the metro
· Supporting planning and zoning policies that promote a diversity of housing types and affordability levels in all neighborhoods
· Eliminating all parking minimum requirements that subsidize convenience of drivers by non-car owning population
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Investing in our public spaces
· Creating accessible public spaces in all neighborhoods
· Investing in public spaces and infrastructure such as restrooms, pools, libraries and more