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On this page, you'll find descriptions of individual projects and overviews of the communities with which we've partnered.
Use the filter to search for kinds of projects, e.g., public art or engineering, or to locate a specific community.

Downtown Burlington Alleyway Art
Visiting Assistant Professor in the School of Art & Art History Ali Hval engaged the Burlington community to activate a prominent downtown alleyway with public art.

West Burlington GIS Data Development
Students in ICIGO created and mapped a wide range of data for the City of West Burlington using Geographic Information System (GIS) tools to help local officials identify opportunities for community improvements.

West Burlington Trailhead Park Design
Two urban & regional graduate students in the School of Planning & Public Affairs worked closely with the West Burlington Trails Committee to design a unique and multi-faceted trailhead park at a prominent community location.

West Burlington - Downtown Streetscaping
The City of West Burlington sought an evaluation and redesign of its downtown area to enhance functionality and visual appeal, facilitate public events, attract visitors. For their capstone project, a group of Civil and Environmental students designed multiple components for the downtown area, including green medians, permeable paved roadways, covered parking, a pedestrian walkway, and reconfigured parking.

Supporting Iowa City's Wonderful Westside Neighborhood
Courses from two University of Iowa departments - the Department of Theatre Arts and the School of Planning & Public Affairs - merged to explore the role of arts & culture in community and economic development, with a focus on supporting the launch and visioning for the Wonderful Westside Neighborhood Association in Iowa City.

Pathfinders - Strategic Communications Tools & Practices
Students in a capstone class in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications worked with Pathfinders RC&D to develop strategic communication campaigns and management. Working in teams and individually, students:


Burlington - South Riverfront Park Redesign
For their capstone project in Civil and Environmental Engineering, a team of students created engineering and design plans for a park to be located on a former industrial site. Located adjacent to the Mississippi River, the project had several obstacles, notably possible soil contamination and flooding. The team reviewed the site, selected amenities that worked with these challenges, and made recommendations for ways to incorporate the historic rail yard that formerly stood at the site.

Burlington - Parks and Forestry Facility Design and Engineering
For their capstone project, three senior Civil and Environmental Engineering students designed a Parks and Forestry facility that prioritizes energy efficiency, long-term durability, and architectural integration with the natural park environment in which the facility will be located.

Burlington - Industrial Building Adaptive Reuse
The City of Burlington hopes to adapt several industrial buildings that are not currently in use. As part of their capstone work, students in Civil and Environmental Engineering will evaluate and redesign the former Dial Soap Building into a mixed-use residential structure. Key tasks include evaluating the building's structural health, developing the building concept, determining the architectural style, and planning the layout and structural design.

New Sharon - Subdivision Design and Engineering
As part of the senior design capstone project, students in Civil and Environmental Engineering designed a new subdivision on a greenfield site in New Sharon, Iowa.

New Sharon - City Hall Improvements
The City of New Sharon sought to renovate the building that currently houses its city hall to include other city offices, including the police department and public library. For their capstone project, three students in Civil & Environmental Engineering assessed the building and created plans to increase its interior footprint. Their designs provide an ADA-compliant elevator, a new garage for police vehicles, and exterior repairs to ensure the structure's longevity.

Jefferson County Parks Engineering and Design
As part of their Senior Design capstone project, a team of civil & environmental engineering students will provide designs, preliminary engineering reports, and cost estimates for a variety of improvements to county parks in Jefferson County.

Pathfinders - Digital Archiving and Storytelling
Students from the School of Library and Information Science will assist Pathfinders RC&D staff in managing, archiving, and exhibiting the vast collection of the organization's records, helping tell the story of Pathfinder's impact across the region since its formation in the 1970s.
Pathfinders - Rural Development Policy Briefs
Students in the course Policy and Persuasion worked with staff from Pathfinders RC&D and the South Central Iowa Local Workforce Development Board to develop policy directions for issues related to five focus areas: rural development hubs, innovation, resource guides, workforce development, mental health, and community capacity.

Navigating Youth Employment for Diverse Stakeholders
A team of law students who are enrolled in the the Community Empowerment Law Project (CELP) will assist Pathfinders Resource Conservation and Development (Pathfinders), together with the South Central Iowa Local Workforce Development Board (LWDB) to navigate the complex web of federal and state laws governing youth employment and child labor. The project is driven by the organizations’ shared belief that empowering young people is key to the sustainability of rural communities in Iowa.

Pathfinders - Mapping Accessibility in Iowa’s Cultural Destinations
Students from Public Affairs and from a GIS student organization will help Pathfinders RC&D develop a statewide database and map of accessibility features in Iowa's parks, natural areas, and cultural spaces.
A new statewide initiative from Pathfinders Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) aims to help individuals with disabilities and their caregivers better navigate opportunities to enjoy Iowa’s parks and cultural spaces.

Pathfinders - Mutchler Community Center Building Improvements
For their capstone projects, students in Civic and Environmental Engineering created designs, alternatives, scheduling, and costs to update a community center. Their work focused on several aspects of the building: the parking lot, the building's entryway, layout and partition of the mainfloor, and connectivity of upstairs meeting room to entryway.

West Burlington - Deery Subdivision Engineering and Design
For their final capstone project, students in Civil and Environmental Engineering designed a site plan for a subdivision on a currently vacant property in West Burlington. The plans maximize the number of single-family homes that can be developed and includes a pocket park and trail.

West Burlington - Luers Park Stormwater Drainage Engineering and Design
For their capstone project, Civil and Environmental Engineering students provided analysis, recommendations, designs, and costs to address flooding in West Burlington's Luers Park.
Roughly 80% of West Burlington's stormwater drains into Luer’s Park, which in turn flows into Izaak Walton Lake to the north. The lake is experiencing severe erosion and sedimentation build-up. Its current outflow structure is unable to discharge an adequate volume of water.