ALBION — Albion is one of eight Iowa communities that have been selected to participate in the Iowa’s Living Roadways Community Visioning Program in 2026.

The award-winning program integrates technical landscape planning and design techniques with sustainable community action to assist community leaders and volunteers in making sound and meaningful decisions about the local landscape.

In addition to Albion, Lake Mills, Sioux Rapids, Dumont, Volga, Kalona, Murray, and Farmington will also be part of the 2026 visioning program.

The program is sponsored by the Iowa Department of Transportation in partnership with Iowa State University Landscape Architecture Extension and Trees Forever, an Iowa-based nonprofit environmental advocacy organization. In addition, professional landscape architects offer expertise in creating conceptual design plans for the communities.

To qualify for the visioning program, a community must have a population of fewer than 10,000 residents, existing transportation-related issues and a committee of volunteers willing to dedicate their time and talent to the visioning process.

At its first two meetings, the Albion visioning committee learned public involvement techniques that they will use in the visioning process to assess local resources and identify community needs. The information gathered will be used to develop a transportation concept plan.

The next step in the process will be a focus group workshop on Feb. 21, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Albion Municipal Library and Heritage Center. Residents will be invited to share their ideas regarding transportation opportunities and needs in Albion in a small group setting.

The workshop will consist of six focus groups for each of the following demographics: steering committee members, older adults (65 years old and older), those with limited mobility, active recreationists, parents, and children (6 years old and older). Each focus group will take approximately one hour.

To participate in one of the focus groups, go to www.communityvisioning.org/albion and click on “Public Input.” Feel free to follow us on Facebook Albion, IA Community Visioning Program for additional updates.

Local businesses like the Market Off Main, Dollar General, Casey’s General Store, Raymon Company, Russel Pump and Engineering Incorporation, and New Century FS all supported the application for the program.

The Iowa’s Living Roadways Community Visioning Program is sponsored by the Iowa Department of Transportation in partnership with Iowa State University Extension Landscape Architecture and Trees Forever, an Iowa-based nonprofit organization with a mission to plant trees and care for the environment.