On a drizzly evening this November, The Black Rose bookstore was buzzing with conversation between School of Planning & Public Affairs graduate students and West Branch residents attending an open house designed to gather community feedback for an update to West Branch's long-range comprehensive plan. The open house was part of the year-long partnership between the City of West Branch and the Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities (IISC). Teams of students and faculty from across campus hit the ground running this fall, contributing to projects that aim to strengthen West Branch’s economic vitality, environmental sustainability, and community well-being.
Jessi Simon, Executive Director of Main Street West Branch shared, "I can't wait to see what the students come up with. They are bringing positive momentum to a lot of things that West Branch has needed for a long time."
Partnership highlights include:
Planning for the future: School of Planning & Public Affairs graduate students are working closely with city leadership and residents to guide long-term land use, development, infrastructure, and community priorities with an update to the City’s comprehensive plan. There is also a group of graduate students assisting West Branch in planning for accessible, diverse, and sustainable housing options through a housing needs assessment. A third group of graduate students are working on a capital improvement plan to support budgeting and prioritization for future city infrastructure and facility investments. A final group are working to leverage West Branch’s historic sites and cultural heritage as a source of community identity and a draw for visitors.
Public Tree Inventory: Using GIS technology, students from the School of Earth, Environment, & Sustainability’s ICIGO student organization are mapping public trees to support environmental stewardship and sustainable forestry planning.
Sewer Capacity & Infrastructure Analysis: Civil & Environmental Engineering students are assessing sewer infrastructure capacity to support current residents and anticipated growth.
Social Media Strategy: Journalism & Mass Communication students are working with city officials to develop a digital communications plan to help the City of West Branch strengthen public engagement.
School District Policy Research: Undergraduate students enrolled in a Public Policy course are partnering with the West Branch Community School District to assess current issues including usage of artificial intelligence in K-12 education and anti-bullying strategies.
"Despite West Branch’s relatively small size, the community is full of complexities that challenge our students in meaningful ways and enhance their learning," stated IISC Director Travis Kraus. Students have made the most of West Branch's proximity to Iowa City with multiple site visits to gather project-specific data and deepen their understanding of the community context. Visits included participating in community events to solicit resident input like the Homecoming Football Game (Go Bears!) and Trick or Treat on Main as well as interviews with key stakeholders including City and school district officials.
Additional projects in West Branch will launch spring semester. Project updates and information are available on West Branch page of the IISC website. In addition to these projects in West Branch, IISC is working with several other communities on individual projects. Please reach out to IISC, iisc@uiowa.edu, to discuss project ideas you may have for your own community!
