This year’s projects are focused on expanding housing opportunities, strengthening regional recreation and trail connections, supporting community development, and enhancing quality of life throughout Lyon County.

This fall, the City of Ottumwa is partnering with more than 100 University of Iowa faculty, staff, and students on a variety of community-based projects through the Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities (IISC) at the University of Iowa.

IISC partnerships with Lyon County, Granger, and Ottumwa help students apply their skills to real-world projects while helping communities plan for the future

The Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities (IISC) partnership with the City of West Branch during the 2025-2026 academic year resulted in 16 improvement plans for the city. From upgrades to infrastructure to bolstering the city’s historical preservation, the comprehensive plans provide a roadmap for helping the community achieve its goals in the years ahead.

University of Iowa students presented Tuesday to City Council plans to turn the site of the former Bethel AME Church at 303 South Third St. into an open-air memorial. The students of the university’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department brought to the Council the concept of a site at which the existing steps leading up to the entrance of the church become those of recreated limestone that lead to an ADA-accessible landing from where the memorial in its entirety can be viewed.