Consultant outlines yearlong update to Iowa City comprehensive plan; public workshops running June 2–July 8

Christopher Shires, principal with Confluence, told the commission that Confluence and partner WSP have been hired by the city to update Iowa City’s comprehensive plan and expect a year‑long process that will extend into next May. He said public engagement is underway and that the project team has scheduled a series of public visioning workshops running June 2 through July 8 and additional outreach including a mapping survey and a statistically valid mailed survey conducted by ETC.

Shires said the plan update will follow five phases: analysis (complete), public engagement (underway), formulation of big ideas, drafting and then finalization for adoption by the planning commission and city council. He described the comprehensive plan as a nonbinding long‑range guidance document that typically has a roughly 10‑year shelf life and is used to help prioritize capital improvements, land‑use direction and other city investments.

In a summary of preliminary analysis, Shires said Iowa City has seen steady population growth and presented a mid‑range scenario that projects about 20,000 additional residents in roughly 25 years. Based on those assumptions and typical vacancy rates, the consultants estimated roughly 364 new housing units would be needed per year on average to meet projected demand — “about a new unit a day,” he said. Shires cautioned the estimate is one of several scenarios and depends on many factors.

Shires described Iowa City’s demographic profile as younger than the statewide average and highly educated: “about 96–97%” of adults have a high‑school diploma and “about 61%” have an advanced degree, he said. He also noted a wide income distribution driven in part by students and seniors. Employment data presented showed health care and social assistance and educational services among the largest employment sectors; the consultants estimated roughly 56,000 jobs in the city, about 38,000 people commuting in each workday, about 18,000 residents who both live and work in the city and roughly 14,000 who commute out.

Shires and staff reviewed housing‑type categories the plan will analyze — single‑family detached; single‑family attached or “missing middle” housing; and multifamily — and said early analysis suggests Iowa City may need more attached and multifamily product to serve growth and affordability needs. Several commissioners noted the city remains below the housing starts needed to meet demand and asked staff for recent building‑permit and residential development data; Anne Russet, senior planner, said the city recently published a 2024 residential development analysis and offered to share it with commissioners.

Commissioners and attendees raised a range of issues for the plan to consider, including preservation and proactive management of natural areas and tree canopy, climate resiliency, electrification and local energy generation, inclusive design and accessibility, walkability and “15‑minute city” concepts, and the need to align the plan with regional housing studies and neighboring jurisdictions. Shires said the team is drawing on multiple data sources (federal data and purchased datasets where required), will make background data and calculation spreadsheets available to the city, and intends the plan to be flexible so it can adapt to changes in state policy and funding tools.

Shires closed by pointing commissioners to the project website (linked in meeting materials), the mapping and standard surveys on the site, and the upcoming engagement events. He invited commissioners to send follow‑up questions and said two Confluence planners, Emily Rizvik and Corinne Sidebottom, will attend many engagement events.