Dubuque Again an All-America City Award Finalist

Finalist communities include the fourth-largest city in America (Houston, Texas) and a city of only 3,500 people (Gothenburg, Neb.). The 20 finalists share a common bond of working to create healthy communities through inclusive civic engagement.  According to the National Civic League, these finalists represent the diversity of American communities from the largest cities to the smallest towns, from east to west and north to south.  The finalists for the 2019 All-America City Award are:

“This competition features significant projects from around the country.  Being named a finalist for this award is a testament to the many individuals and organizations that work together to identify and address challenges facing our community,” said Dubuque Mayor Roy D. Buol. “We had a knowledgeable and dedicated team prepare our application and look forward to the opportunity to share our journey in the next phase of the competition.”

The 2019 All-America City competition spotlights inclusive community engagement practices that create healthy communities for all residents.  Dubuque’s application highlights the work of several organizations and grassroots leadership that has lead to results.  The application describes civic infrastructure built on the Inclusive Dubuque network of over 60 partners working to advance justice and social equity, and Imagine Dubuque 2017: A Call to Action, the comprehensive planning process that collected input from 6,000 residents to identify a roadmap for Dubuque’s future.  

Dubuque’s application features three projects demonstrating how partners are impacting health outcomes for all residents.  Health Care for All highlights the progress Crescent Community Health Center has made, the impact of the Pacific Islander Health Project, and the recent work of the Brain Health Task Force.  The Bee Branch Creek Restoration Project is the second project highlighted in the application, and the collaborative work happening by the Dubuque Eats Well coalition to increase access to healthy local foods is the third.

The award, given to 10 communities each year, celebrates and recognizes neighborhoods, villages, towns, cities, counties, tribes and regions that engage residents in innovative, inclusive and effective efforts to tackle critical challenges.

National Civic League President Doug Linkhart explains the importance of using inclusive civic engagement: “These finalist communities are building healthy communities through collaboration with residents, businesses and other stakeholders. While many people are concerned about the ability of our nation to improve lives, these communities are showing that great things can happen at the local level.”

The 20 finalist communities will compete June 21-23 in Denver, Colorado, to be recognized as one of 10 All-America Cities for 2019. Each community will bring a team of residents, nonprofit leaders, business representatives, government officials and young people to participate in presentations and workshops for three days in Denver, Colorado. The 2019 spotlight for the award is efforts focused on inclusive engagement practices that create healthy communities for all, and particularly for populations currently experiencing poorer health outcomes. Finalist communities’ presentations will bring their written application to life and demonstrate the positive effects of using equitable engagement strategies to address issues such as promoting mental health, addressing obesity and building stronger neighborhoods.

Dubuque was first named an All-America City in 2007 when its application described the America’s River Project, Downtown Master Plan, and Crescent Community Health Center. Veteran-Oriented Programs, Workforce-Development Efforts, and the Historic Millwork District Revitalization were profiled in 2013 and 2012’s successful application focused on the community’s Plan to Improve Third-Grade Reading.  In 2017, Dubuque’s winning application featured the Dubuque Campaign for Grade-Level Reading.  

For more information on the National Civic League and the All-America City Award, visit www.nationalcivicleague.org/america-city-award/