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.

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complete neighborhoods a guidebook.png

Complete Neighborhoods: A Guidebook

Published
Monday, June 10, 2024
Academic year
2023-2024

As part of their capstone project, students seeking the Transportation Certificate in the School of Planning & Public Affairs created a comprehensive resource for communities to work toward "complete neighborhoods" that provide close access to basic needs. They also applied the Complete Neighborhoods concepts in a collaboration with officials from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 

sustainable Dubuque storymap

StoryMap of Dubuque's Sustainability Infrastructure Projects

Published
Monday, June 10, 2024
Academic year
2023-2024
Partner

As part of the ICIGO student organization within the Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences, students created a StoryMap that highlights green infrastructure projects in Dubuque. 

The city of Dubuque has been widely recognized for prioritizing sustainability in community and economic development. ICIGO students created a StoryMap highlights many of the current and past initiatives that help make Dubuque a more sustainable and resilient community. 

Verges by Width

Dubuque - Tree Canopy GIS Tool

Published
Monday, June 10, 2024
Academic year
2023-2024
Partner

As part of the ICIGO student organization within the Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences, Environmental Science major Luke Caron digitized "road verges" - strips of groundcover located between a roadway and a sidewalk - to help the City of Dubuque identify the best opportunities to enhance the city's tree canopy. 

Policy and Persuasion group photo

Bondurant Community and Economic Development Policy Briefs

Published
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Academic year
2023-2024
Partner

Students in the course Policy and Persuasion worked with City of Bondurant representatives to develop policy directions for issues related to the city's rapid growth and their desire to preserve the community's core "hometown" identity.    

Scotch Grove aerial view

Scotch Grove EcoVillage Design

Published
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Academic year
2023-2024
Partner

As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students created site plans and designs for a small sustainability-focused "EcoVillage" in the unincorporated community of Scotch Grove, located in Jones County. 

Scotch Grove Trail group

Scotch Grove Regional Trail

Published
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Academic year
2023-2024
Partner

Students in a Senior Capstone course in Civil and Environmental Engineering provided evaluation and design for a regional trail and trailhead connecting Scotch Grove with surrounding points of interest, such as Camp Courageous, Picture Rock Park, and the Cities of Anamosa and Monticello. 

Mahaska County Water Trails group

Mahaska County Water Trails

Published
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Academic year
2023-2024
Partner

As part of their Senior Capstone in Civil and Environmental Engineering, a team of students worked with Mahaska County Conservation staff on a project to enhance the county's water trails system, focusing on improvements to increase accessibility, use, and safety. 

A sign with a lake in the. background during summer.

White Oaks Nature Conservation Area Improvements

Published
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Academic year
2023-2024
Partner

As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, students in Civil and Environmental Engineering collaborated with Mahaska County Conservation to conduct a site assessment and design improvements for the White Oaks Nature Conservation Area. 

rendering

Bondurant Public Works Facility

Published
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Academic year
2023-2024
Partner

As part of their Senior Design Capstone Course, a team of students in Civil and Environmental Engineering designed a Public Works Facility for Bondurant's new Civic Campus. They devised three alternatives and created final designs with the client's input.

chef working in a kitchen

Dubuque - Photojournalism for Sustainability

Published
Thursday, January 18, 2024
Academic year
2023-2024
Partner

Students in a capstone photojournalism course in Journalism & Mass Communication spent three days in Dubuque capturing businesses, homes, and activities related to sustainability and everyday people's efforts to reduce emissions. Their photographs are essential components to the Strategics Communications social media assets, and the Telegraph Herald newspaper insert.  

Please note that photos on this project page are compressed for easier viewing. 

Green Horizons insert cover page

Dubuque - Residents' Guide to Sustainability (Telegraph Herald Newspaper Insert)

Published
Thursday, January 18, 2024
Academic year
2023-2024
Partner

Students in a class in Journalism and Mass Communications develop a Telegraph Newspaper insert that serves as a guide for Dubuque citizens to better understand their city's services and opportunities related to sustainability. 

Dubuque Strategic Communication community visit

Dubuque - Climate Action Strategic Communications Plans

Published
Thursday, January 18, 2024
Academic year
2023-2024
Partner

Students in a strategic communications capstone class in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication created plans to help Dubuque meet its "50% by 2030" carbon footprint goal. To accomplish this, Sustainable Dubuque needs to expand public knowledge of the plan, increase awareness of tools and methods for lowering carbon use, and boost participation by various community sectors.

A large group of students pose in the hallway of a school with lockers around them. They are smiling and several are holding musical instruments.

Dubuque - Addressing Absenteeism in Dubuque's Marshallese Community

Published
Monday, January 8, 2024
Academic year
2023-2024
Partner

College of Law students who are part of the Community Empowerment Law Project worked with the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque to better understand the issue of chronic absenteeism among Marshallese students. In addition to synthesizing reasons for the problem, they also identified solutions.

Bondurant video screenshot

Bondurant Community Promotional Video

Published
Friday, November 3, 2023
Academic year
2023-2024
Partner

Communication Studies student Ethan Snee worked closely with Bondurant city leaders and residents to create a promotional video for the community, with a specific focus on sharing the growing community's many opportunities for prospective business and residents.  Enjoy the videos below!

Group of four people smile at at the camera, one man is wearing law enforcement gear.

Bondurant - Public Safety Study

Published
Friday, November 3, 2023
Academic year
2023-2024
Partner

Masters of Public Affairs students in the School of Planning and Public Affairs conducted a study to provide decision-making support to Bondurant community leaders as they consider alternatives for public safety and law enforcement services.

ECR Cover Photo

ECR Transportation Gap Study

Published
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
Academic year
2023-2024
Partner

Faculty researchers and University of Iowa students collaborated with an Eastern Iowa regional provider, ECR, on a study to close transportation gaps for individuals with brain health/mental health needs and disabilities.

alleyway with red bricks

Dubuque Green Alleyways Policy Analysis

Published
Monday, September 18, 2023
Academic year
2023-2024
Partner

As part of their capstone project, Public Affairs graduate students developed metrics and conducted an analysis of Dubuque's Green Alleyways Project, which is designed to improve the aesthetic and environmental functions of alleys in the Bee Branch Watershed.  

Affordable Housing Project Team

Dubuque Affordable Housing Action Plan

Published
Monday, September 18, 2023
Academic year
2023-2024
Partner

Urban & Regional Planning and Sustainable Development graduate students synthesized existing documents and developed new strategies to create the City of Dubuque's first plan focused specifically on Affordable Housing.   

weather-related tools with Spanish words

Dubuque - Language Justice and Translating Extreme Weather and Public Health Information

Published
Monday, August 21, 2023
Academic year
2023-2024
Partner

Graduate students from the Division of World Languages, Literature, and Cultures enrolled in the class “Language Justice: Community Engagement” addressed the role of language in civic life. They focused on the experiences of two Dubuque micro-communities--recent immigrants from the Marshall Islands and Guatemala.

Group of men in a conference room

Bondurant - Oral Histories of Summerfest and the Farmers Cooperative

Published
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
Academic year
2023-2024
Partner

Students in a the class Museums, Folklife and Community Curation" interviewed residents about Bondurant's history and also its current culture, focusing on Summerfest and Farmers Cooperative.