Rollin' on the River in Dubuque

From PCJ Editor Wayne Senville:

I just spent a few days in the Mississippi River city of Dubuque, Iowa. I was invited to speak at the Upper Midwest American Planning Association "Rollin' on the River" Conference about some of what I heard and learned during my Route 50 trip this Summer.

But I also had the chance to explore Dubuque -- at least a bit. Visiting Dubuque brought back to me some of the thoughts I had in writing my Route 50 "wrap up" report Spreading Out; Filling In.

Instead of commercial strip development and big boxes lining U.S. 50, in Dubuque they line U.S. 20. I took this photo about three miles west of downtown.

Downtown Dubuque faces another major challenge -- one resulting from the all-too-typical 1970s urban renewal philosophy of tearing down historic neighborhoods to make way for urban freeways.

In Dubuque, U.S. 61/151 slashes between the Mississippi and the historic downtown core. And add in a freight rail line. In the photo, downtown is to the right (the West), the river is just off to the left (the East).

Yet Dubuque -- with a population of just over 57,000 -- has written off neither its downtown nor its riverfront. Instead, it has made remarkable investments in both -- despite still having this barrier to deal with (by way of an overpass -- see photo above -- and some ground-level crossings).

On the riverfront, there's a new and dramatic conference and convention center; a recently built aquarium; a large new hotel; docking space for the stately Mississippi River paddlewheelers (one of which was docked there on Thursday); and a major casino development under construction to add to the smaller casino already in operation.

The riverfront development has drawn new life and business to the city -- and has helped reconnect the city to the sweeping vistas of the Mississippi.

Here are a few views (you can click on the photos to view them at larger size). Immediately below left is the American Queen; below right is the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. Next below is a photo of construction for the Diamond Jo Casino (across from the Convention Center); and below that a photo of the Mississippi along the Dubuque waterfront the evening I arrived.

Downtown Dubuque stretches north-south between the river and the bluffs -- with the man-made barrier of the highway and railroad tracks I already mentioned.

It's a classic riverfront Main Street -- with many blocks lined with historic buildings. A spectacular courthouse also occupies a prominent site.

Right by downtown is a funky arts and crafts neighborhood, and an elevator/finicular that's still in operation.

There are plenty of cultural amenities downtown -- from the Dubuque Museum of Art to two active theaters: the Five Flags Theater, photo below left, and the Grand Opera House, below right.

As I reported during my Route 50 trip, these kind of amenities are important to communities in attracting -- and retaining -- major businesses, especially those which draw on a nationwide pool of talent.

I was told by Dubuque planners that thanks to years of efforts by Dubuque citizens and elected officials (and planners) downtown has come back in a big way. That visionary work continues, and I'll be reporting in an upcoming post on what I learned about the newest "Envision Dubuque" initiative.