Mason City

Located in northern Iowa in Cerro Gordo County, Mason City is known for its diverse economic composition and its rich arts and culture background, especially for music and architecture. With a population of over 28,000 people, Mason City serves as economic and retail hub for the area, drawing individuals from northern Iowa and southern Minnesota. As Mason City, like other Midwestern towns, have made transitions as the economy has shifted, the city has invested in initiatives that has set it up for growth and new development. Mason City's partnership with the IISC will allow them to explore sustainable projects and processes and incorporate them into building for the future.

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County
Cerro Gordo

Projects

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"Building Our Brand" Downtown Murals - Brick Furniture Design & Installation

MFA student Ali Hval designed murals with "prairie style" themes for two downtown Mason City locations as part of the community's "Building Our Brand" campaign.   Ali also painted the mural designed for the Brick Furniture building.

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Mural Design

"Building Our Brand" Downtown Murals - City Center Building Design Proposal

MFA student Ali Hval designed murals with "prairie style" themes for two downtown Mason City locations as part of the community's "Building Our Brand" campaign.  

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Marketing students visit Mason City's North End neighborhood

Branding Mason City's North End Business District

Juniors in the Tippie College of Business Marketing Institute developed brand alternatives for Mason City’s North End Commercial District, with a goal of uniting the area’s current and future small business owners under a common effort to attract customers and revitalize the neighborhood. 

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Building rendering

Condominimum Design & Engineering

As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students designed a multi-family residential structure for a specific site in Mason City. 

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Main Street Mason City project team

Main Street Mason City Strategic Communications Campaign

Journalism & Mass Communication students developed a strategic communications campaign for Main Street Mason City, a non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization with a mission to “enhance, promote and preserve downtown Mason City as a diverse business, cultural and residential destination, for the benefit of the entire community.”

 

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Public Health Class

Mason City "Aging in Place" Public Health Campaigns

Graduate students in the College of Public Health developed campaigns for the Mason City community that address issues related to the increasing proportion of older residents in the community.   The public health campaigns were tailored to help Mason City residents better "age in place", which can mean helping individuals stay in their own homes longer, as well as helping the community adapt and develop resources that make Mason City functional and attractive for older residents.

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Mason City Architectural Inventory Online Platform

Graduate students in the School of Library & Information Science built a framework and online platform for archiving data related to Mason City architecture.

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Kaisha Billings

Mason City Community Mobile App Development

Using graphic designs from students in the School of Art & Art History, UI student Kaisha Billings built a community-based mobile app on behalf of the City of Mason City and Visit Mason City that connects residents and visitors to the local activities and resources.

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Urban and Regional Planning students meet with residents in Mason City

Mason City North End Neighborhood Plan

As part of their capstone project, second-year graduate students from the University of Iowa’s School of Urban & Regional Planning developed a plan for Mason City's North End Neighborhood.

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This is the North End campaign poster

Mason City North End Neighborhood Public Health Campaign

Graduate students in the College of Public Health developed a public health campaign for the Mason City's North End neighborhood to combat negative perceptions in order to improve residents' health and well-being.    

This campaign seeks to improve perceptions of Mason City's North End neighborhood.  Negative stigmas attached to the neighborhood, often considered run-down or dangerous, can have an adverse effect on health and wellness.  Data suggests that perceptions don't necessarily match reality. 

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East Park Design Concept

Mason City Waterways Access and Development

As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students created the design for three access points to the Winnebago River in Mason City, creating opportunities for new and enhanced recreation use of the river. 

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Complete Street Rendering

Pennsylvania Ave Complete Streets Design Alternatives

As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students created complete street designs for Pennsylvania Avenue in Mason City.

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Mason City Bridge and Bikeway: Design & Engineering

Bridge and Bikeway: Engineering & Design

As part of the Senior Design Capstone Course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students created a design of a bike trail extension and a multimodal bridge for the City of Mason City, IA.

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Firehouse Restoration

As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students provided a structural evaluation, feasibility study, and restoration alternative plans with cost estimates for a historic fire station in Mason City. 

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Flooding Risk Assessment using HAZUS modeling

Students in the Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences course GIS for Environmental Studies course conducted a flooding risk assessment for the Cerro Gordo County Emergency Management Agency using HAZUS modeling software. 

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Mason City Civic Engagement Campaign

Students from the School of Journalism & Mass Communication created a strategic marketing and communications campaign to encourage civic engagement among Mason City residents and to recruit volunteers to serve on local government boards. 

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Mason City Community Mobile App Graphic Design

Students in the School of Art & Art History Graphic Design course designed a community-based mobile app for the City of Mason City.

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Mason City Community Plan for Sustainability

As part of their capstone project, second-year graduate students from the University of Iowa’s School of Urban & Regional Planning developed a sustainability plan for the City of Mason City.

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Mason City Farmers Market Study and Marketing

In a report to the City of Mason City and North Iowa Farmers’ Market Board of Directors, students in the Entrepreneurial Management Institute: Business Consulting class provided recommendations for a permanent location for a community farmers market based on preferred characteristics and potential sites.

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Mason City Public Transit Ridership Campaign

Students from the School of Journalism & Mass Communication developed a strategic marketing and communications campaign to attract new riders for the Mason City’s public transit system, using creative outreach materials and various communications platforms to reach target audiences.

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