Urban Regional Planning and Sustainable Development graduate students will partner with the City of West Branch, Iowa to update the city’s long-range comprehensive plan. 

As West Branch experiences gradual population growth and development pressures, city leaders are seeking to proactively plan for the community’s future in a way that balances small-town character with sustainable growth, economic vitality, and quality of life.

Public Affairs graduate students in the School of Planning & Public Affairs will partner with the City of West Branch, a small but growing rural community, to assess and support local fiscal policy, budgeting practices, and capital improvement planning. 

School of Planning and Public Affairs graduate students will partner with the City of West Branch to conduct a comprehensive housing needs assessment and develop informed recommendations for local housing policy and programming.

Public Affairs graduate students in the School of Planning & Public Affairs will partner with the City of West Branch and other community stakeholders on a multifaceted initiative to optimize the community’s historic assets as a catalyst for economic vitality, tourism development, and enhanced quality of life for residents. 

As part of the ICIGO student organization within the School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability, students will conduct an on-site tree study and create a GIS-based digital inventory tool for city-owned trees in West Branch, Iowa.

Undergraduate students in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication will partner with the City of West Branch to work on a social media plan and corresponding public engagement strategy.

Undergraduate students enrolled in Public Policy and Persuasion will work with the West Branch Community School District to develop policy briefs for issues currently facing the school district.