About Des Moines

A City Cluster is a local/regional group of cross-sector leaders who join the CEOs for Cities network together and work as a team to address the issues critical to their city. The City Cluster workshop provides the occasion and platform for clusters to meet, focus and organize their talents around next steps.

Here are some resources for helping your City Cluster make the most of our next workshop:

1. Greater Des Moines Partnership Latest Ranking (Link)
Check out the latest ranking from Forbes, Gallup, USA Today, NBC News and more on how they rank Des Moines.

2. 13 Real Estate Projects Will Shape Metro Des Moines in 2024 (Link)
Written by Joel Aschbrenner, this article explores apartments, hotels and commercial buildings that are scheduled to be built in 2024 around the metro area.

3. Iowa’s Heartland Beyond the Campaign Trail (Link)
Written by Robert Draper. With the caucuses weeks away, a road trip reaffirms that our nation, beginning with Iowa, is full of unsung surprises.

4. Do the Most Hipster Thing Possible Move to Des Moines (Video + Link)
By Matt Vasilogambros + Mauro Whitman. The National Journal visited Des Moines to see how increasingly diverse population - a majority of public-school students are now minorities-and booming economic development have changed this one-sleepy town. If the city had a war cry, it would be the sentiment heard across a downtown populated by baristas, tech start-ups founders, musicians, and nonprofits professionals a like: “It’s Des Moines against the world.” This article is part of a Next America series about the reality of 21st-century Iowa.

5. Why Des Moines is a Millennial paradise Right Now (Link)
Written by Amy X. Wang. Housing data suggest young people are flocking to the city for cheap homes and a trendy new scene. New York, D.C., San Fran-they had a good run. Next up Des Moines.

6. The New Pulse of the Heartland (Link)
Written by Jennifer Miller. Des Moines’ vibrant business environment is matched by its growing cultural cachet.

7. How America’s Dullest City Got Cool ( Link)
Written by Colin Woodard. One meeting, a visionary planner and old-fashioned Iowan cooperation reinvented Des Moines.

8. Iowa: A History as a First in the Nation State (Link)
Each caucus season Iowa receives national coverage about their state and its role in winnowing the presidential field. Caucus season provides Iowans the opportunity to showcase the unique character of their state and how seriously they take the civic activity of being first in the nation.

9. Trail to Highlight Hidden Downtown D.M. Art Gems (Link)
The ART RTE project, created by the Greater Des Moines Art Foundation, will connect 87 pieces of public art in the downtown are with a painted path and add artistic crosswalks at six key intersections. Written by: Timothy Meinch/The Register

10. 5 Cities to Watch in 2024 Presidential Election (Link)
Big cities have always had their big pull and importance in presidential races. It’s pretty simple: More people, more votes, more time spent campaigning in those big cities. The candidate who takes Chicago and Cook County will more than likely get Illinois’ 20 electoral votes. Same can be said historically for Detroit and Michigan. Or even Boise and Idaho.

Not a cluster city yet? Get started today. Contact Brittany Scheckelhoff at brittany@ceosforcities.org.