A team of graduate students in Urban and Regional Planning will develop a comprehensive document to guide the future of downtown Oskaloosa. The Oskaloosa Downtown Master Plan will focus particularly on how use of public spaces (e.g. transportation infrastructure, public property) as well as other public support mechanisms (e.g. policies and programming) can enhance and strengthen the downtown district as the heart of the community. 

Oskaloosa, the county seat for Mahaska County, a relatively small community of about 11,000 people located in south central Iowa. The downtown district, which features a historic county courthouse and iconic town square, serves as a retail hub and social gathering space. 

Oskaloosa has been successful in keeping downtown storefronts generally full and attracting residents and visitors downtown to gather and support local businesses. Much of this success is due to Oskaloosa’s active Main Street program. Still, community leaders have their eyes on downtown improvements to sustain and evolve the downtown district, particularly as communities face increasing competition for people’s time and shopping habits. 

Areas of focus of the Oskaloosa Downtown Master Plan may include:

• Strategies to increase and support housing in downtown (upper story building inventory and rehab strategies) and downtown-adjacent neighborhoods
• Streetscaping and pedestrian infrastructure - increasing pedestrian amenities; improving walkability in and to downtown; assessing parking and traffic infrastructure; navigating Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) constraints on the two highways that pass through downtown.
• Reviewing and updating historic preservation design guidelines; updating documentation of existing historic properties.
• Strategies (e.g. incentives, ordinances) for improving building conditions where necessary. The community had a comprehensive and very successful façade improvement program from 2016-2022. While improvements to the few remaining facades is important, the sides and rears of many of our downtown buildings remain neglected and need repairs and improvements.
• Creative placemaking recommendations (creating a unique gateway into downtown, public art strategies, activating alleyways). New ideas would build upon an existing Oskaloosa placemaking plan, completed in 2019. 
• Ideas for how land use can support increasing attendance at downtown events (e.g. parking in and outside the downtown district). Many of downtown events are growing, to the point where the downtown may be reaching capacity. The study should also consider the appropriateness and new ways and locations to manage and hold larger events downtown.
• Developing strategies for sustainability (e.g. permeable pavers, solar readiness, tree canopy)
• Public engagement / stakeholder engagement