Community Development Plans: Strengthening the Foundation for Deeper Connections

When you imagine a thriving community, what do you see contributing to its success? For many communities, that vibrancy comes from:

• Promoting a diverse business base
• Embracing arts and cultural enhancements
• Providing a variety of housing types and civic support opportunities
• Ensuring infrastructure and utilities meet current and future needs
• Plans for success by engaging the community and creating a clear pathway for development

For a community to evolve into a quality place to live, work, and explore, it starts with a vision. ISG's Planning Group helps bring visions to reality through a strategic process that results in an actionable, holistic Community Development Plan (Plan).

Your Vision

Whether your goal is to enhance public spaces, expand housing options, support economic development, or improve quality of life, a Community Development Plan can help you turn ideas into action. That is where ISG comes in. By identifying opportunities, setting priorities, and creating a shared direction, ISG can help you build momentum toward a future that reflects the community’s values, goals, and aspirations. We combine resources, partnerships, and experience from successful projects with your community’s goals to move projects forward.

The Process

The community development planning process can be broken down into three phases:

Phase 1: Visioning + Goals

During this first phase, ISG reviews past planning documents and reports, analyzes data, evaluates opportunities for improvements, and immerses them into numerous community aspects. To gain a better understanding of a community’s local landscape, existing resources, and potential partnerships, ISG uses a listen-first approach with the community and project stakeholders. From visioning charrettes to online user group meetings and surveys, ISG has expertise in leading engagement initiatives that encompass each voice in the community. Phase one is critical to laying the groundwork for the Plan—visions are aligned, opportunity sites are identified, opportunities are prioritized, goals are refined, and performance metrics are set to ultimately measure the Plan’s success.

‍Phase 2: Concepts + Opportunity Sites

ISG incorporates feedback received throughout phase one to develop preliminary concepts for opportunity sites along with supporting visualizations and materials. From water resources, sports, recreation, education, and public works professionals, collaboration between ISG’s experts optimizes opportunity site selection and concept feasibility. The Plan is reviewed and further refined with project stakeholders and community members through a variety of methods.

‍Phase 3: Community Engagement + Roadmap

During the third phase, community engagement initiatives will continue to address key components throughout the first two phases and align them with the Plan’s goals. The final Plan document includes a series of custom, high-quality visualizations of selected concepts, project phases, implementation recommendations, and cost estimates which serve as a road map to guide decision making and inspire future investments. ISG’s involvement does not end here. We maintain ongoing communication to assist with implementation or plan adoption needs.

The Results

Planning is what we do, and we do it well. ISG works with each unique community to customize actionable plans that draw on the local geography, customs, culture, and resources. This well-developed process has proven to be beneficial and a wise investment for multiple communities. Our Le Mars projects showcase ISG’s success in Community Development Planning.

Le Mars, Iowa

Since 2023, Le Mars has completed numerous projects identified in the 2023 Community Development Plan or inspired by its vision and goals across commercial and industrial development, housing, parks and recreation, tourism and downtown development, as well as childcare and education. These projects highlight both completed efforts and ongoing initiatives that reflect continued investment and progress across the community, supported by strong partnerships between the City, local organizations, businesses, and regional stakeholders working together to advance shared community goals.

The original Community Development Plan, created in 2023, was updated in 2026 to capitalize on implementation successes, identify new opportunities, and be responsive to community feedback.

During a joint workshop to kick off the 2026 Plan Update, the City Council and Le Mars Business Initiative Corporation (LBIC) developed the following vision statement to respond to community feedback and provide a framework for public and private investment in Le Mars.

Community Vision Statement: Le Mars is a thriving community to live, work, and play.

• Supporting safe, family-centric community through quality-of-life amenities
• Ensuring housing options meet community needs and support strong, connected neighborhoods
• Strengthening the community through retail opportunities that promote economic vitality
• Cultivating quality employment opportunities that support a balanced workforce
• Ensuring infrastructure has the capacity

The opportunities in Le Mars focused on housing, commercial and industrial development, and quality of place, including downtown arts, culture, and parks and recreation. Keeping the vision in mind, the community has begun implementing projects. Examples of projects in progress or recently completed include the following:

Commercial and industrial development:

• Floyd Valley Urgent Care
• Southview Industrial Park

Parks and recreation Investments:

• O’Toole Park
• Municipal Park + Willow Creek Banquet Hall
• PlyWood Trail

Continued investments downtown through:

• New and expanded businesses
• Restaurants
• Residential units

A variety of housing developments including:

• Dogwood 4th + 5th Additions
• Overlook Apartments
• Additional concept planning and phasing for future housing developments

Investments in education and childhood facilities include:

• Renovated Le Mars Community Daycare
• Facility planning and referendum for a consolidated elementary school

As Le Mars plans for the next 10–20 years, thoughtful development of housing, businesses, and infrastructure will be essential. Proactive planning can help ensure that the community continues to be welcoming, connected, and well positioned to meet the needs of current and future residents.

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The Next Steps

From rural communities to large-scale urban and suburban areas, ISG can help your community develop to meet the needs of modern living. We listen first, keep your community’s needs at the forefront of our designs, and always triple check our work. ISG is a partner you can count on to get the job done right. A strong plan is more than just a document. With ISG, it is a foundation for meaningful community investment.

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