The Des Moines Register reports that the Pioneer Park neighborhood association has selected officers and will be petitioning the Neighborhood Revitalization Board for recognition as early as the August 1 meeting.

A vote whether to endorse the Pioneer Park Neighborhood Association could come at the city's Neighborhood Revitalization Board meeting on Aug. 1. The board's recommendation will be sent to the City Council, which may vote to grant official recognition to the neighborhood in late August or early September.

When I was in graduate school in St. Louis, I wrote a paper on Des Moines' system of neighborhood designation. The system seems to strike a well-considered balance between government support and grassroots organizing. I particularly like the way citizens are allowed to define the boundaries of their own neighborhoods, and the incentive system as neighborhood systems grow and mature. In St. Louis, the 79 neighborhoods are defined by the City and in some cases bear little relation to the way services are delivered and the way people perceive the city.

For More Information:

• Google map of the proposed boundaries

• Des Moines' Neighborhood Revitalization Program
• The Des Moines Register