Chapter Awards
Nomination Process
The nomination period will open in late spring for 2026.
Planning Student Poster Contest
The submission period will open mid-summer, 2026.
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