From the City Manager

As the second-largest city in Iowa, Cedar Rapids is a hub for arts, culture, food, recreation and history. Entrepreneurs, innovators, creators and skilled workers transform this city into a place where all can be their best selves.

You don’t have to look hard to find stories of resilience and inclusiveness in Cedar Rapids. Our residents are fast to lend a hand to support neighbors, local businesses, and visitors. We come together despite our differences. In Cedar Rapids, welcome isn’t only a word — it’s a way of life.

While we have reason to celebrate our progress, we must also focus on opportunities to improve. The City of Cedar Rapids structures its processes to invite every resident to come together, share ideas, and impact our momentum.

As you will learn in this issue, we are engaged with several partners to shine a spotlight on efforts to grow as an accessible community where all can live, work and thrive.

So whether you’ve lived here eight months — or eight decades — you belong in Cedar Rapids. I invite you all to join me in advancing a community where new ideas, growth, diversity and inclusion are not only welcome in words, but shown in our actions. In Cedar Rapids, Welcome is Our Language.

Jeffrey Pomeranz, Cedar Rapids City Manager