As part of the ICIGO student organization within the School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability, students will partner with the City of Ottumwa to analyze the neighborhood-level impacts of property demolitions conducted through Iowa's Chapter 657A process. 

Iowa Code Chapter 657A provides a legal framework for addressing abandoned or unsafe buildings and public nuisances, including the rehabilitation or, when appropriate, demolition of properties that pose risks to public health, safety, or welfare. The City of Ottumwa has used the 657A process to address properties with significant deterioration and other conditions that can contribute to neighborhood decline. The City is interested in understanding whether removing these properties has been associated with positive changes in surrounding neighborhoods. Students will use GIS and spatial analysis to identify properties that have been demolished through the 657A process and examine changes in the surrounding neighborhoods before and after demolition.