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Downtowns play a significant role in economic and community development across the Quad Cities region, and vibrant downtowns are crucial to attracting and retaining talent. The Downtown Davenport Partnership (DDP), in conjunction with the City of Davenport is looking to build on the last two decades of accomplishments with a new Downtown Master Plan.
This project will help create a bold vision for how we want to see our downtown grow over the next ten years, specifically focused on economic development, placemaking, how to drive more investment and ultimately win over the next generation.
Davenport 2030: A Resilient City is a visionary roadmap for shaping a more sustainable, active, and inclusive downtown. The plan, which was commissioned by the Downtown Davenport Partnership (“DDP”), was produced by New York-based planning and urban design firm WXY Studio with SB Friedman Development Advisors and Sam Schwartz Engineering, embraces a strategy for future growth grounded in the activation and enrichment of the public realm. Building on ongoing planning efforts to make Downtown streets safer and its riverfront more resilient, this bold plan explores how to better connect Downtown to its surrounding neighborhoods and the region as whole. These activations — through arts, culture, entertainment, and economic development — celebrate Davenport’s diversity while promoting a more livable, welcoming, and inclusive environment for all Quad Citizens.
The plan is guided by six key themes, which provide a framework for downtown’s growth over the next decade. As the most populous city in the largest metropolitan center between Minneapolis and St. Louis, Davenport has the potential to grow into a vertical, mixed-use center with walkable streets, a world-class waterfront, and a unique identity. To be successful, Davenport will not only need to strategize creatively about how to make Downtown more resilient, but also more inclusive and regional in its economic outlook. The plan’s underlying framework is designed as a guide for the activation and development of the downtown, rather than a rigid vision of what the Downtown will become. It was developed with the input of Quad Citizens, city policymakers, developers, community advocates, and businesses, during a period of recovery and uncertainty. Ultimately, the plan strives to set the table for a collaborative and community-driven process of change, and one that recognizes and reflects the changing dynamics of the city and the region.
Downtown Davenport has grown in economic and cultural vitality despite significant challenges faced by the city and the region. A changing climate has increased the frequency and severity of floods. In May 2019, Davenport experienced record-high flood waters reaching almost 23 feet, causing economic devastation for countless downtown business owners. 2020 has brought an entirely new set of challenges. The COVID-19 global health crisis has caused an economic recession and the highest reported unemployment in U.S. history. Across the country, civil unrest stemming from systemic injustice has forced millions to confront decades of racist policies and entrenched segregation. This trifecta of issues – the environment, the economy, and equity – elevates the importance of this moment as an inflection point for Downtown Davenport and the forces that shape it. Local leaders must move with confidence and intentionality as their decision-making is critical to the well-being of all Davenport residents. Davenport 2030: A Resilient City, focuses on the downtown because the health of Davenport’s downtown reflects the social and economic health of the city.
The success of the Davenport 2030 hinges on the development and implementation of a clear vision that is community-driven and rooted in the realities of the Davenport market. DDP commissioned a multi-disciplinary team to craft a flexible and creative vision for Downtown’s future. The planning process was led by WXY Studio, which provided planning and urban design expertise; SB Friedman, who focused on market analysis and economic incentives; and Sam Schwartz Engineering, who focused on mobility. During the study, the City hired an engineering firm to conduct a flood mitigation study, with the goal of supporting Davenport’s long-term resiliency. The team worked closely with the DDP to develop a comprehensive, participatory stakeholder engagement process. The process engaged diverse stakeholders and the team conducted over 25 interviews, 3 virtual focus groups, 3 Steering Committee meetings, and an online perception survey that received over 500 responses. While the environment has been challenging, the time to create a new downtown master plan could not be better to ensure a swift recovery and the continued growth of Davenport.
The vision for the future inclusive growth of downtown Davenport will be informed by extensive stakeholder engagement. The team utilized several engagement tools to ensure engagement of a diversity of Davenport residents and visitors to inform the development of the process and final plan including interviews, focus groups, a steering committee, an online survey and a public engagement event.
Steering Committee Members
On behalf of the Downtown Davenport Partnership, our project team would like to thank all of the Davenport community members who contributed to the shaping of this downtown Davenport master plan, Davenport 2030: A Resilient City. It is important that as stewards of the plan, we remain agile as it is a living document where our action items will continue to be revised and edited in response to the most salient social, environmental, and economic issues of the time. Most importantly, DDP is committed to staying responsive and accountable to the Davenport community, and so, welcome your continued input and feedback on the execution of the plan.
Publication Date: January 2021
