The City of Urbandale, Iowa has issued a Request for Qualifications seeking a professional consulting firm to help develop new zoning language for the downtown area. This document represents the City's effort to translate a recently completed master plan into concrete, legally binding development regulations.

In June 2025, Urbandale completed and approved a comprehensive Master Plan for Downtown that provides guidelines for redevelopment across multiple areas including roadways, key redevelopment locations, character and identity, parking, stormwater management, additional residential density, cycling infrastructure, and redevelopment phasing. With this vision document, both the City and private developers are ready to move forward with public and private projects in the master planning area. However, to guide this development properly, clearly defined zoning regulations are needed to ensure projects align with the master plan's vision.

The City is specifically looking for a consulting firm with substantial experience in developing and drafting land development regulations for downtown areas, particularly those undergoing significant redevelopment. A primary objective is finding a consultant with demonstrated experience in successfully assisting cities with rewriting or creating new zoning language that enables downtown master plans to become reality. The consultant will need to thoroughly review and understand the Downtown Master Plan, review staff work already completed on downtown zoning, examine proposed projects and concepts, conduct multi-departmental staff workshops, perform limited focused interviews with downtown property and business owners, and lead work sessions and required public processes with the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council.

The firm will need to produce recommendations covering land use categories including permitted, conditional, and accessory uses across the varying land uses in the downtown master planning area. This includes determining right-of-way widths on roadways within the planning area. The consultant must address parking options including on-street, off-street, and shared arrangements, as well as sidewalk width and easements, utility accommodations, and building setbacks.

Additional requirements include developing signage regulations, architectural requirements, and other design elements. The consultant must establish minimum lot areas and widths, maximum heights, landscaping requirements, and floor area ratios. The ordinance will also need to address allowed uses in public realm areas. The City will rely on the professional experience of the selected consultant regarding other items that should be addressed in the final zoning work product beyond what is specifically listed. The City expects the consultant to produce final language suitable for consideration and adoption by the City Council and to remain engaged throughout all required processes leading to consideration of adoption. The City hopes to have completed code language ready for presentation within six months of executing the contract.

A critical component of the submission is a project approach narrative that defines the proposer's understanding of the project objectives and demonstrates understanding of the Downtown Master Plan.