Myth: Urbandale’s past defines its future.
We respect our past, but it isn’t our script for the future. From a developer’s lens, the right question is simple: are a city’s systems—governance, finance, regulations, infrastructure—built to enable the next project, not repeat the last one? That’s where we live. As our marketing & communications director Derek Zarn puts it, “The past is our baseline, not our ceiling—and we’re genuinely excited about what’s next.”
We maintain one of the lowest tax levies in Iowa while delivering exceptional quality-of-life amenities for residents and employers. Our 60+ miles of paved trails already knit Urbandale to Des Moines and the broader metro, giving mixed-use, residential, and build-to-suit projects real connectivity on day one. And the playbook is clear: our downtown master plan is guiding core revitalization to create a more livable, walkable center and a stronger business district. The City recently acquired land in the heart of Urbandale’s downtown to accelerate that work—raising the yield on every private dollar by upgrading what sits outside the property line…