Chapter Awards
Nomination Process
The nomination period will open in late spring for 2026.
Planning Student Poster Contest
The submission period is open. Read the Rules and Information packet to learn more.
2025 Awards
Award: Daniel Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan
Awardees: City of Mason City, City of Clear Lake, Cerro Gordo County, North Iowa Corridor Economic Development Corporation, and RDG Planning & Design
Plan: North Iowa Corridor Joint Comprehensive Plan
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Award: Daniel Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan
Awardees: City of Bondurant, Confluence, Leland Consulting Group, and Kirkham Michael
Plan: Building Bondurant Comprehensive Plan
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Award: Implementation Award
Awardees: City of Bondurant, and RDG Planning & Design
Plan: City Park Master Plan Implementation
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Award: Best Practice Award
Awardees: City of Bondurant, Group Creatives, and Confluence
Plan: Art, Culture, & Wayfinding Plan
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Award: Best Practice Award
Awardees: City of Pleasant Hill
Plan: 2024 Tornado Recovery and Hazard Mitigation Planning
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Award: Resilience & Sustainability Award
Awardees: City of Dyersville, and Eocene Environmental Group
Plan: Rooted in Resilience: Dyersville's Nature-Based Approach to Flood Mitigation
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Award: Grassroots Initiative Award
Awardees: Eocene Environmental Group, Arts Court Visual and Performance, and Jones County Economic Development
Plan: Site Revisioning Plan: 107 North Garnavillo Street, Anamosa, Iowa
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Award: Urban Design Award
Awardees: City of Waukee, SVPA, and Confluence
Plan: Waukee Civic Campus Master Plan
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Award: Urban Design Award
Awardees: City of Bondurant, and ISG Inc.
Plan: Silo Commons Concept Plan
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Award: Economic Development Planning Award
Awardees: City of Clear Lake, Surf Ballroom & Museum NICCM, and RDG Planning & Design
Plan: Surf District Plan
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Award: Transportation Award
Awardees: Des Moines Area MPO, Toole Design, Confluence, HR Green, and HDR
Plan: Des Moines Area MPO Comprehensive Safety Action Plan
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Award: Exemplary Student Project Award – Planning Process
Awardees: City of Center Point, and ISU Community Planning Studio Fall 2022
Plan: City of Center Point Comprehensive Plan and Capital Improvement Plan
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Award: Exemplary Student Project Award – Planning Process
Awardees: City of Urbandale, and ISU Department of Urban Planning & Development
Plan: Sustainable Urbandale Action Plan
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Award: Exemplary Student Project Award – Applied Research
Awardees: City of West Burlington, City of Burlington, and University of Iowa's Initiative for Sustainable Communities
Plan: West Burlington and Burlington Transportation Opportunity Plan
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Award: Exemplary Student Project Award – Contemporary Issues
Awardees: City of West Burlington, City of Burlington, and University of Iowa's Initiative for Sustainable Communities
Plan: West Burlington and Burlington Arts and Culture Plan
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Award: Exemplary Student Project Award – Contemporary Issues
Awardees: City of Oskaloosa, University of Iowa's Initiative for Sustainable Communities, and Pathfinders RC&D
Plan: Oskaloosa Downtown Master Plan
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Award: Planning Advocate Award
Awardee: Brent Hinson, ICMA-CM
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Award: Distinguished Leadership Award
Awardee: Liesl Seabert, CEcD, AICP
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Award: Student Poster Contest 1st Place
Awardees: Sam Postma & Hirad Dabbagh - Iowa State University
Poster: Designing an Idyllic Suburb: Grimes Corridor Beautification Guide
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Award: Student Poster Contest 2nd Place
Awardees: Karan Kianfar & Claire Hamilton - Iowa State University
Poster: Longitudinal Transportation Equity & Socio-Economic Vulnerability in the DSM MPO, 2013-2023
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Award: Student Poster Contest 3rdPlace
Awardee: Shariha Boshra Diya - Iowa State University
Poster: Understanding the Relationship of Parent-Taught Driver Education (PTDE) Participation and Socio-Economic Variables in Iowa
2024 Awards
Award: Daniel Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan
Awardees: City of Ames, RDG Planning & Design, and HDR, Inc.
Plan: Ames Plan 2040
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Award: Economic Development Planning
Awardees: City of Bondurant, ISG, and The 101 LLC
Plan: Grain District Downtown Redevelopment Plan
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Award: Economic Development Planning
Awardees: City of Le Mars and ISG
Plan: Le Mars Community Development Plan
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Award: Implementation Award
Awardees: Invest DSM and City of Des Moines
Plan: Invest DSM: Des Moines' Middle Market Revitalization Strategy
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Award: Resilience & Sustainability
Awardees: City of Cedar Rapids, New Venture Advisors, and Wheat Design Group
Plan: Community Gardens in Parks Plan
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Award: Opportunity & Empowerment
Awardees: City of Des Moines Neighborhood Services Department and Invest DSM
Plan: Improving Our Neighborhoods and Block Challenge Grant
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Award: Exemplary Student Project
Awardee: City of Bondurant and University of Iowa's Initiative for Sustainable Communities
Plan: Parks, Trails & Greenways Master Plan
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Award: Advancing Diversity & Social Change in Honor of Paul Davidoff
Awardee: V Fixmer-Oraiz, AICP
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Award: Planning Advocate
Awardee: Doug Elrod, Mayor of the City of Bondurant
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Award: Distinguished Planner
Awardee: Gary Taylor, J.D., AICP
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Award: Student Poster Contest 1st Place
Awardees: Ethan Wherry & Hannah Lyons - University of Iowa
Poster: Dubuque Affordable Housing Action Plan: A Local Strategy for a National Crisis
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Award: Student Poster Contest 2nd Place
Awardee: Farnaz Fatahi - University of Iowa
Poster: Bondurant Parks, Trails & Greenways
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Award: Student Poster Contest 3rd Place
Awardee: Keerthana Kishore Kumar - Iowa State University
Poster: Examining Affordable Housing & Public Transit in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
2023 Awards
Award: Daniel Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan
Plan: Plan Osky Comprehensive Plan
Awardees: City of Oskaloosa, RDG Planning & Design
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Award: Best Practice Award
Plan: City of Waverly Multi-Community Plan Updates & Collaborative Engagement
Awardees: City of Waverly, Councilman-Hunsaker, Toole Design, MSA Professional Services, Inc.
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Award: Resilience and Sustainability Award
Winner: Central District Stormwater Improvements Master Plan
Awardees: City of Bondurant, SmithGroup, Veenstra & Kimm
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Award: Urban Design Award
Winner: Civic Campus Master Plan
Awardees: City of Bondurant, SVPA Architects, Confluence, Kirkham Michael
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Award: Economic Development Planning Award
Winner: Downtown Des Moines: Future Forward Vision & Action Plan
Awardees: City of Des Moines, Greater Des Moines Partnership, Polk County, RDG Planning & Design
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Award: Exemplary Student Project Award
Winner: Liberty Square Master Plan
Awardees: University of Iowa School of Planning & Public Affairs
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Award: 1st Place: Student Poster Contest
Winner: Liberty Square Master Plan
Awardees: Farnaz Fatahi, University of Iowa, Sepehr Yadollahi, University of Iowa
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Award: 2nd Place: Student Poster Contest
Winner: Reimagining Campus Mobility
Awardees: Lighton Nakidde, Iowa State University
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Award: 3rd Place: Student Poster Contest
Winner: The Town Square
Awardees: Hirad Dabbagh, Iowa State University, Tyler Whittaker, Iowa State University
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Award: Distinguished Service Awards
Winners: Liesl Seabert, AICP, Zach Young, AICP, Bill Micheel, AICP, Lucie Laurian, Alexsis Fleener, AICP, Haley Boyd, Keegan Haines, Andre Lafontant
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Award: Distinguished Leader Award
Winner: David Wilwerding, AICP