Coralville, Iowa wins Nations in Bloom 2001. (Rec Room).

Coralville, Iowa, has been named "The Most Livable City in the World" for communities with populations of 10,001-50,000 at the international Nations in Bloom competition. This competition was held in early December 2001, in Shenzhen, China.

The Nations in Bloom competition honors communities that improve the standard of living through environmental management. The objective of Nations in Bloom is to encourage best practice, innovation and leadership in providing a vibrant, environmentally sustainable community that improves the quality of life. Communities are judged in the following five categories: landscape enhancement, heritage management, environmentally sensitive practices, community involvement and planning for the future.

Coralville's application for the competition focused on efforts of the town to expand from a small suburb to a dynamic and self-sustaining community. Projects described in the application included the city's efforts to develop a downtown area through the Town Center Development, efforts to improve traffic and pedestrian circulation through a series of roadway projects, and the use of native limestone and plantings to create a consistent image and identity for Coralville.

A portion of the competition focused on the community's use of environmentally sensitive practices. In this area, Coralville discussed the use of native prairie plantings in public areas, the new Ultraviolet Light Disinfectant system recently installed at the wastewater treatment plant, and the city's efforts to control flooding after the devastating floods of 1993. Information on the city's Brownfield testing and cleanup of contaminated soils was also presented to the judges.

The community also scored well in the category of "Community Involvement." The presenters discussed the efforts of city leaders to involve the public in all planning and policy making processes. The city also highlighted volunteer efforts, including "Make a Difference Day," "Mayor's Clean-up Day," the Coralville 4th Fest, and holiday lighting efforts. Future plans highlighted in the presentation included the redevelopment of the Old Industrial Park Area. Plans for this area include a hotel and conference center along with the Iowa Child Project.

Shenzhen in China hosted the event, which was attended by 137 delegates from 34 towns and cities from 14 countries around the world. NRPA Member Juli Seydell Johnson, Coralville parks and recreation director, and Brian Gutheinz, a partner with RDG Crose Gardner Shukert, represented the city with a video, display and hour-long presentation at the finals in China.

Although Nations in Bloom is a competition, it is also an opportunity for the delegates to mix and exchange ideas and, at a local level, to develop the world's strategy for environmental management.

"Five continents have had the chance to come to China not only to see this country and its people but also to meet other delegations. Through these meetings they have been able to share thoughts and experiences that they themselves may not have had. We hope that they will go home with good ideas, good examples and good friends," said Gabe de Buysscher, chairman of the judging panel. "The awards adopt the Olympic ideals in that it is not the winning, it is the taking part, and when we create communities that match the framework of Nations in Bloom, then the global population is the winner."