Second-year Master of Public Affairs (MPA) students collaborated with administrators and students at Muscatine Community College in the development of policies and best practices for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and implementing a Sustainability and Environmental Responsibility (SER) Initiative.

Senior undergraduate students in the College of Business’ Marketing Institute completed a year-long study and evaluation of Muscatine’s community brand, working with the Muscatine Chamber of Commerce.

Graduate students in the College of Public Health developed health intervention projects that focused on reductions in childhood obesity through behavior change counseling. Students worked with organizations in Muscatine such as the YMCA, Sunset Park After School Program, and local preschools.

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.

Honors rhetoric students collaborated with two groups in the School of Urban & Regional Planning, and the Iowa Digital Engagement and Learning (IDEAL) program, to develop digital texts that will help tell the story and effectively message the Mississippi riverfront redevelopment project and Connectivity master plan project to citizens of Muscatine.

In collaboration with Iowa Digital Engagement and Learning (IDEAL), honors rhetoric students created podcasts in sping 2014 through IDEAL's Digital Narratives project. Podcasts focused on IISC's partner community of Muscatine, particularly on the growth and development of Muscatine.

Here are the five stories told through podcasts:

Students surveyed best practices of community riverfront redevelopment efforts similar to what was being looked at for the redevelopment of the section of the Mississippi River in Muscatine. The students solicited community input to identify the best uses for the land, ultimately producing a plan for the riverfront.

The IISC and Arts Share developed a low-cost public art project for a student in the MFA program. The project used recycled materials to create a sculpture that pays homage to an important member of the Mississippi River Valley's ecosystem, the bald eagle.

As part of the Senior Design Capstone Course in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the students completed a regional hydrologic and hydraulic analysis of the watershed north of the City of Muscatine.

Students analyzed a land use plan against development in the northeast section of the city, and, where appropriate, enhanced the concepts contained in the plan.

The City of Muscatine has, in the past, encouraged commercial development in the northeast section of the city. In preparation of the development, Snyder and Associates created a land use and infrastructure plan, which the city implemented. Now, after city and private investment that resulted in parcels being developed, there is a desire to revisit the original land use and infrastructure plan.

To address the lack of trails and poor connectivity in Muscatine, IA, students in the School of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Iowa prepared a connectivity study, which included recommendations on trail improvements and expansions.

Graduate students in Organization and Community Practice worked in groups to put their social work training into practice. Students identified a social justice community issue to investigate and conducted a needs and strengths assessment using data on the community, key informant interviews of different stakeholders, and other sources as necessary.

Muscatine was interested in developing its first dog park as a community amenity. Students surveyed best practices for dog parks in communities similar to Muscatine and identified recommended amenities, including water, water features, ground covering, benches, pavilions, fencing, walking paths, waste control, among others. Students created preliminary designs for the dog park, including potential planned phases where restrooms and water features would be included at a later time.

As part of the Senior Design Capstone Course of the  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the students had the opportunity to complete a site design for the Center Complex and the structural design of the Welcome Center for the city of Muscatine. The students coordinated with the City in the building design specifications so it is capable of hosting all the desired programs envisioned by interested parties.