Community Visioning - Sidney, IA

JBC Landscape Architects guided Sidney through a focused community visioning process aimed at enhancing transportation corridors, strengthening community identity, and informing long-term improvements. Working with a local steering committee, the team facilitated goal-setting sessions, visual quality assessments, and a detailed inventory of natural resources, circulation patterns, and key community assets. These findings were synthesized into a cohesive concept plan with actionable strategies tailored to the town’s priorities.

The steering committee identified several priority areas: establishing an Outdoor Classroom, connecting pedestrian routes through a Safe Routes to School program, creating a new Pocket Park adjacent to the post office, and enhancing the streetscapes of Fillmore Street, Illinois Street, and Old Highway 275. The design team evaluated traffic patterns, daily activity flows, and recreational use to ensure the concept plan reflected the community’s lived experience. Attention to accessibility, pedestrian safety, and visual improvements were central to the proposed enhancements.

The final report presents coordinated recommendations across the community, including development of the Outdoor Classroom for educational programming, implementation of safe pedestrian connections to the high school, streetscape improvements with signage, lighting, and landscaping, and activation of the Pocket Park as a flexible community space. Presentation boards documented each recommendation, providing Sidney with a clear, actionable vision to guide investment, preserve local character, and support long-term community and corridor enhancements.