Snyder & Associates Planning Team: Advancing Community Vision into Action
October marks National Planning Month, a time to recognize the work planners do to help communities shape their future. At Snyder, our planning team brings together expertise in community planning, urban design, redevelopment, transportation planning, environmental stewardship, and public engagement to help communities turn vision into action. With decades of combined experience serving municipalities, counties, and regional organizations, our planners understand that successful projects require both thoughtful long‑term planning and practical implementation strategies. From comprehensive plans and zoning ordinances to corridor studies, redevelopment initiatives, transportation planning, and community engagement, our team works collaboratively to create solutions that reflect local priorities and deliver lasting result.
Concept design for proposed districts along State Street corridor supporting revitalization efforts and linking destinations.
Why Communities Choose Snyder
Together, Snyder’s planning professionals bring decades of experience offering a unique combination of visioning, design, policy development, and implementation. As part of a full-service engineering firm, our team can guide projects from concept through construction, creating practical, community-driven solutions that support growth, enhance quality of life, and strengthen places where people want to live, work, and invest.
At Snyder & Associates, we believe a successful plan is one that communities can put into action from day one. Our planning team works closely with local leaders, stakeholders, and residents to develop solutions tailored to each community's unique needs, priorities, and resources. Whether working with a growing metropolitan area or a rural town planning for the future, we create strategies that are practical, achievable, and aligned with the community's vision.
Targeted youth engagement pop‑up table at a City of Jefferson, Wisconsin basketball game as part of the Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Planning process to hear about the types of activities they enjoy, the locations they frequent, where they wish new facilities existed, and their preferences for future facility types.
Planning's Role in Shaping a Community's Future
Effective planning helps a community make thoughtful decisions about growth, infrastructure, transportation, and development while preserving the character and values that residents care about. Planning is most successful when it is community‑driven. Our Planners partner with residents, local leaders, and stakeholders to create a shared vision for the future, using community input, data-driven analysis, and strategic planning to identify priorities and guide long-term investment.
What sets Snyder apart is our ability to transform that vision into meaningful results. As planners within a full-service engineering firm, we connect planning, funding, design, and implementation to help communities move from ideas to action. Whether developing a comprehensive plan, recreation plan, corridor study, housing strategy, or economic development initiative, we help communities establish clear priorities, secure resources, and create practical roadmaps that lead to lasting improvements. The result is not simply a plan, but a stronger foundation for growth, resilience, and a higher quality of life for future generations.
Planning Challenges Communities Face Today
One of the biggest challenges facing Iowa communities today is funding. Communities are being asked to maintain and replace aging infrastructure, address housing shortages, revitalize downtowns, expand recreational amenities, and support economic development, often with limited local revenue sources. At the same time, state and federal funding programs continue to evolve, making it difficult for communities to rely on any single source of funding long term.
Successful communities are increasingly looking beyond traditional grants and adopting additional approaches, such as urban renewal areas, tax increment financing (TIF), franchise fee programs, public‑private partnerships, phased implementation strategies, and more. Many of the most successful projects we see today are those that align community priorities with a diverse funding package rather than waiting for one large grant opportunity. Iowa communities that proactively identify funding strategies during the planning process are often in the best position to turn their vision into reality when opportunities emerge.
Recent Projects That Reflect Our Work
Comprehensive Planning and Neighborhood Plans: Murray
Snyder partnered with the City of Murray, Iowa, to develop a Comprehensive Neighborhood Revitalization Plan that turned local priorities into a clear, implementation‑ready strategy for community investment. Guided by extensive public engagement and community visioning, the plan identified opportunities to improve housing quality, expand recreational amenities, enhance pedestrian safety, and modernize infrastructure.
Signature projects included enhancements to Mallory Park, featuring a splash pad, walking trail, new playground equipment, and trailer parking and hookup improvements supporting the community’s active horse arena. The plan provided a roadmap for strengthening Murray’s core neighborhoods while creating new opportunities for future growth and development.
More importantly, the plan positioned Murray to compete successfully for funding, helping the community secure a $1.75 million Community Development Block Grant through the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Comprehensive Neighborhood Revitalization Program. By aligning community priorities with strategic investments, Snyder helped Murray address critical needs such as housing, infrastructure, connectivity, and youth‑focused amenities. The result is a practical, and proactive plan that supports the city’s long‑term vision, strengthens neighborhood vitality, and reinforces Murray’s commitment to attracting and retaining families while preserving the strong community character that makes the city unique.
Corridor Studies: Morningside Avenue, Sioux City
Snyder & Associates is helping communities move beyond planning and into implementation through an innovative corridor study of Morningside Avenue in Sioux City, Iowa. Partnering with DGR Engineering and Images, Inc., our team is combining community planning, engineering, urban design, and public engagement to create a prioritized, construction‑ready roadmap for future improvements. By focusing on real‑world solutions that can be integrated into the City’s Capital Improvement Program, the study demonstrates how strategic corridor planning can enhance safety, mobility, accessibility, and economic vitality while reflecting community character and local priorities.
Through data‑driven analysis and stakeholder collaboration, Snyder is evaluating everything from traffic operations and multimodal connectivity to utility infrastructure, streetscape design, and placemaking opportunities. The result will be a comprehensive vision that not only addresses today’s transportation and infrastructure needs but also creates a more attractive, connected, and resilient corridor for residents, businesses, and visitors. This project reflects Snyder’s commitment to helping communities transform key transportation corridors into vibrant places that support long‑term growth, investment, and quality of life.
National Planning Month is a reminder of how thoughtful, community‑driven planning helps communities move confidently from ideas to action. The work highlighted here reflects how our team collaborates with local leaders to align priorities, build consensus, and create plans that lead to meaningful, lasting improvements.
Concept layout for the Murray Neighborhood Plan identifying opportunities for reinvestment and new development, as well as designated travel paths.
Our Planning Team
Julie Kruse
Julie brings nearly 20 years of experience, including more than 17 years in the public sector. At Snyder & Associates, she leads planning initiatives and collaborates across disciplines to bring a comprehensive planning perspective to projects. Julie is passionate about helping communities create places that are both functional and vibrant, translating community visions into implementable policies and development strategies. Known for her collaborative approach, she builds strong relationships with elected officials, stakeholders, and community groups, guiding projects through meaningful public engagement while balancing growth, design quality, and community character.
Vickie Reeck
Vickie joined the Snyder team as a Planner in March 2025 following a 37‑year career with the City of Fort Dodge, Iowa. Her expertise includes Tax Increment Financing (TIF), urban renewal, and urban revitalization initiatives. She is particularly skilled at structuring and assembling complex capital stacks and aligning investors, lenders, and project stakeholders to finance and advance development projects.
Heidi Putnam
Heidi leads county‑ and city‑scale comprehensive outdoor recreation planning efforts and supports comprehensive plans through data analysis, GIS, and plan development. A key part of her work is creating accessible and meaningful opportunities for community participation, from in‑person meetings and interactive workshops to online surveys and engagement activities. Through inclusive outreach and strong visual communication, she helps communities create shared visions that support recreation, environmental stewardship, quality of life, and sustainable growth.
Dakin Schultz
Dakin is a veteran transportation planner with more than three decades of public sector experience. Throughout his career, he has led transportation planning initiatives, public engagement, supported local governments and regional planning organizations, and helped secure funding for transportation, safety, and recreational trail projects across Iowa. His expertise in transportation systems, grant programs, and public engagement enables communities to develop transportation solutions that improve mobility, connectivity, and long‑term community development goals.
