City Vision

When I saw in the Argus Leader that Steve Metli of Sioux Falls SD was retiring. I wanted to hear what he had to say. It didn't come as a surprise to me when I read that he loved all 31 years of his service.
He related that he was raised in a military family stationed out of Germany. It was there his love of city planning sparked interest. "Germany has well-planned communities that became 'urbanized' much earlier than the U.S."he said.
Metli watched how the Germans protected their natural resources which included riverfronts and floodplains. It's apparent that he brought that ideology to Sioux Falls.
Metli played apart in many projects. He helped coordinate a common direction for all city departments as well as developing plans for major streets and the city's growth management.
One thing I like about Sioux Falls is that you really can't get lost. The city is set up in such a way that if you keep traveling you will hit an interstate highway.
For many years I have thought about how well Sioux Falls is set up I knew it's planners were visionaries.
I contrast Sioux Falls, SD with Sioux City, IO. Both of these cities came about nearly at the same time. But these cities are so different. Travel around in each and you will soon learn what I mean. The road systems are different. Sioux Falls is well mapped out. Sioux City has many one way streets that lead to confusion. Sioux Falls is one city with many different attractions. Sioux City has many attractions in several different areas of the city.
It is clear to me that Sioux Falls had a future vision that made it's paths straight. I can't say I believe the same thing for Sioux City. Don't get me wrong I like Sioux City. There are plenty of things to do there and I visit it often. I'm speaking strictly about structure and design.
"Sioux Falls has always had people with vision," Metli says. I agree