Dubuque: Creating a Culture of Engagement

Abstract

In January 1982, Dubuque, Iowa, had the highest unemployment rate in the country, at 23 percent. This was, in large part, due to two major manufacturers, John Deere and the Dubuque Packing Company, substantially reducing employment. Residents began to leave, and following a population loss of 7.8 percent from 1980 to 1990, a local business released a t-shirt reading “Will the last one leaving Dubuque please turn out the lights?.” A diminished tax base, abandoned downtown storefronts, falling home prices, and aging infrastructure such as streets, the riverfront area, and sewer and water systems plagued Dubuque in the 1980s. The city had the highest unemployment rate of Iowa’s largest cities, and it lost retail business as well as industry. Ten percent of its housing was vacant or for sale. These dire economic circumstances gave Dubuque two choices: wait for the national economy to recover or invest in a new vision.