Growth Management

City Development Board

Land Use Planning

Land use planning impacts many facets of our daily lives from determining whether we can walk to work, school or play; to the quality of our air, water, and personal health.  How we use our land impacts everything from the fiscal sustainability of our communities to health of our citizens.  Smart land use planning makes the most of existing infrastructure and is part of a larger regional vision of quality of life.  Land use decisions should support the following sustainable community principles from the Smart Growth Network:

• Create Range of Housing Opportunities and Choices
• Create Walkable Neighborhoods
• Encourage Community and Stakeholder Collaboration
• Foster Distinctive, Attractive Communities with a Strong Sense of Place
• Make Development Decisions Predictable, Fair and Cost Effective
• Mix Land Uses
• Preserve Open Space, Farmland, Natural Beauty and Critical Environmental Areas
• Provide a Variety of Transportation Choices
• Strengthen and Direct Development Towards Existing Communities
• Take Advantage of Compact Building Design

The City Development Board (CDB) consists of five gubernatorial appointees. The Board administers Chapter 368 of the Iowa Code, dealing with municipal boundary changes. The board's responsibilities include: reviewing cities' requests for boundary changes, approving or denying the requests, providing related information to local governments, and maintaining records on all city development actions. The CDB is also charged with addressing islands of unincorporated land and unincorporated secondary roads adjacent to city boundaries.
It is the Board's desire to facilitate intergovernmental cooperation and greater public awareness during the boundary change proceedings in order to avoid misunderstandings and provide equity for the involved governments and citizens.

Available Assistance

• Technical assistance
• Presentations regarding CDB activities
• Explanation of actions taken to land owners, local governments, and media
• Reviews boundary change proposals to ensure compliance with rules and regulations.

List of Resources for Smart Growth Principles (Examples)

For more information regarding City Development Board activities and services, please contact cdb@iowa.gov or call 515.725.3064.

The Administrative Rules Chapter 263 and Iowa Code Chapter 368 can be found on the Iowa Legislative web site.