Pella Comprehensive Plan

RDG's long relationship with the City of Pella is a great example of our passion to create meaningful places in a close and collaborative process. Our partnerships with the city have included three comprehensive plan updates and the highly successful Molengracht, a re-created Dutch urban canal. The most recent comprehensive plan update focuses on diversifying the housing stock, strengthening the downtown, and finding new ways to embrace the community’s Dutch heritage. The plan provides strategies for improving the bike system (a prominent attribute of Dutch culture) and a subarea development concept for “Little Amsterdam,” a residential growth area designed to mimic the street pattern of Amsterdam, featuring a central boulevard with a Dutch-style canal. The city's commitment to quality of life has permeated every planning initiative and is a lesson to communities across the country on the need to identify a strong vision, bring community partners to the table, and never to be afraid to think big.