Last night Iowa House Representative Ed Fallon and another former Drake
Student spent some time in the Honors Lounge talking to students about work
that is being done here in Iowa by to introduce sustainable city planning.

Representative Fallon explained how zoning laws sometimes work against the
health of cities; that allowing homes above businesses can help restore the
vitality of a downtown area. The city has the infrastructure - water gas,
policing and fire stations - that are needed to protect and serve residents
but the building we see going on now coverts our rich farmland to
residential areas, leaving the infrastructure that is already in place
behind.  It all has to be built again on the periphery at the taxpayer's
expense and the political clout of powerful business interests ensures that
the burden for this expansion is placed squarely on the shoulders of
ordinary taxpayers.

Representative Fallon has formed a coalition that spans the political
spectrum from extreme conservatism to extreme liberalism in support of his
bill House File 273, which proposes that in every county of the state a
commission be formed to look at growth over a 20 year period and construct
a plan that will avoid using the  best farmland and infill and redevelop
city areas that would otherwise be abandoned.

Every year there are 80 million more people living on this planet and we
loose 15 to 30 million   acres of farmland as well.  The increases in
cropyield is flattening out and it is projected that this will lead to food
shortages.

He mentioned Loren Lown, an Iowan who gave up a lucrative business career
to become a conservationist who believes urban sprawl is the worst problem
with the environment.

Students were encouraged to sign on to the 1000 Friends of Iowa email list
to keep informed.  1000 Friends can be contacted through their website,
http://www.kfoi.org/ .

There are problems with large businesses putting small businesses out of
business.  An example is the mall at Iowa City that has affected the ped
mall in downtown and even businesses as far away as Mt. Vernon.  A study
showed that only 10% of the products in large chain stores are priced lower
than in locally owned business.

Representative Fallon's talk was followed by a former student who was
introduced only as Rose.  She is working with a buy local program that
sponsored buying locally (refusing to buy at chains) between Thanksgiving
and Christmas last year.  It was successful and this year she is compiling
a directory of local businesses for the Highland Park area north of
downtown Des Moines. 10,000 directories will be printed and distributed by
volunteers throughout the area.

When the Highland Park effort is completed, she will compile another for
Adel and Iowa City.

Peggy Murdock

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