Planning & Public Affairs

The School of Planning and Public Affairs is committed to admitting a diverse student body and supporting a learning environment in which many values and perspectives contribute to the richness of the educational experience, to the fields of planning, public policy, and public administration, and to the communities in which we we live and work.

 

Muscatine Wayfinding

Connectivity Master Plan and Wayfinding

Published
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Academic year
2013-2014
Partner

Students in the School of Urban and Regional Planning developed a connectivity master plan for Muscatine that evaluated current infrastructure and created a plan for better connectivity between walking and biking trails, sidewalks, streets, bus routes and major points of interest.

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Reimagining the South Port of Dubuque

Published
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Academic year
2012-2013
Partner

Students developed four design alternatives for the South Port in that were in line with the sustainable vision of Dubuque and based upon significant community input. 

Following the redevelopment of the North Port, city officials in Dubuque wanted to identify improvements for the South Port, which is comprised of 33 acres of semi-industrial land.

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Dubuque Schools, Neighborhoods, and Student Outcomes

Published
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Academic year
2012-2013
Partner

Students in the School of Planning and Public Affairs partnered with the City of Dubuque and the Dubuque Community School District (DCSD) to study the relationship between housing policy, neighborhoods, and elementary school student achievement.

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Housing for a Vibrant Dubuque

Published
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Academic year
2012-2013
Partner

Students studied factors that affect a household's locational choice and developed seven recommendations for the City of Dubuque to fulfill its vision of creating a choice of livable neighborhoods and opportunities would attract and retain households, especially young professionals and families.

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Increasing Mobility in Dubuque: Developing Alternate Mode-Sharing Opportunities

Published
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Academic year
2012-2013
Partner

Students addressed the affordability of transportation by examining opportunities such as car-sharing and bike-sharing in The City of Dubuque. Students analyzed the accessibility of the current transportation system; solicited feedback from focus groups comprised of likely end-users; and synthesized demographic data to access locational feasibility.

AICPStudentProjectAwardPresentation

Dubuque County Sustainability Indicators

Published
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Academic year
2012-2013
Partner

In 2011, Dubuque Regional Smart Planning Consortium was formed and tasked with developing a regional sustainability plan. Building on the 2011-12's Indicator and Indicator Measures for 11 Sustainability Principles for the City of Dubuque, students created measurements for the sustainability goals outlined in the Smart Plan on a regional scale.

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Local Foods Action Plan

Published
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Academic year
2011-2012
Partner

Dubuque city leaders wanted to increase the production and consumption of local foods as part of their Sustainability Dubuque initiative. In addition to common direct-to-consumer approaches, such as community supported agriculture programs and community gardens, Dubuque city leaders wanted to expand to a higher impact approach by expanding the market for local food producers to sell their products to large institutions.

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Portrait of Poverty in Dubuque

Published
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Academic year
2011-2012
Partner

Students researched who is in poverty and where they lived in Dubuque, IA; identified barriers to getting out of poverty; and developed recommendations for best practices in anti-poverty initiatives.

One of the cornerstones of sustainability is social/cultural vibrancy. After the City of Dubuque adopted its Sustainable Dubuque plan, city leaders wanted to explore poverty so sustainable initiatives could be provided that addressed the needs of the poor in an informed and efficient manner.

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Renewable Energy Asset Map and Return on Investment and Policy Analysis

Published
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Academic year
2011-2012
Partner

Students combined geophysical-based renewable energy capacity mapping with return on investment to evaluate how renewable energy can impact Dubuque's sustainability vision.

In order to sustain growth and demand for energy, the City of Dubuque was interested in developing policies for economic development that incorporated renewable energy.

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Indicator and Indicator Measurement for 11 Sustainability Principles

Published
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Academic year
2011-2012
Partner

Students studied over 40 indicator systems and 1200 potential indicators, and narrowed it down to 60 indicators specifically for the City of Dubuque and its 11 principles through discussion with city staff, public engagement, and analysis of comparable cities. The students developed a score card for each indicator to be used by officials.

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Downtown Redevelopment in Burlington

Published
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Academic year
2010-2011
Partner

In order to meet the needs of Burlington's vision to enhance the downtown, students in the School of Urban and Regional Planning completed a market analysis for adaptive reuse of a historic building while also developing an overall plan for encouraging private sector development in partnership with a local non-profit.

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Charles City Waterfront and Credit Trading

Published
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Academic year
2010-2011
Partner

Graduate students in the School of Urban and Regional Planning developed a market analysis for a kayak park on Cedar River and made recommendations for linking the new park to downtown. Students also drafted recommendations to enhance the quality of water in Cedar River through water quality credits trading.

This project was based off of Charles City's then desire to create a riverfront park following the floods of 2008, and integrating the recommendations from Iowa State University and Recreation Engineering and Planning to develop a waterfront attraction.