Public Affairs graduate students in the School of Planning & Public Affairs will partner with the City of West Branch, a small but growing rural community, to assess and support local fiscal policy, budgeting practices, and capital improvement planning. 

School of Planning and Public Affairs graduate students will partner with the City of West Branch to conduct a comprehensive housing needs assessment and develop informed recommendations for local housing policy and programming.

Urban Regional Planning and Sustainable Development graduate students will partner with the City of West Branch, Iowa to update the city’s long-range comprehensive plan. 

As West Branch experiences gradual population growth and development pressures, city leaders are seeking to proactively plan for the community’s future in a way that balances small-town character with sustainable growth, economic vitality, and quality of life.

Public Affairs graduate students in the School of Planning & Public Affairs will partner with the Jackson County Economic Alliance (JCEA), based in Maquoketa, Iowa, to explore strategies for improving coordination and service delivery among key economic development organizations in the county.

Public Affairs graduate students in the School of Planning & Public Affairs will partner with the City of Bondurant, Iowa to support the creation of a "Friends of the Parks" nonprofit organization. 

As Bondurant continues to grow and invest in its parks and recreation system, city leaders recognize the value of a community-based nonprofit that can deepen resident engagement, increase volunteerism, and expand fundraising opportunities to enhance and sustain local parks, trails, and recreational programming.

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. 

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.

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.

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 Engineering students designed multiple components for the downtown area, including green medians, permeable paved roadways, covered parking, a pedestrian walkway, and reconfigured parking. 

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.   

Students in a capstone class in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications worked with Pathfinders RC&D to develop a strategic communication campaign and a vast array of resources to help the organization implement the campaign strategies. 

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.

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.

Several former industrial buildings are in close proximity to the central downtown of the City of Burlington. Currently unused, the city is seeking to revitalize the area and adapt the structures to new purposes. For their capstone project in Civil & Environmental Engineering, a trio of students designed an adaptive reuse plan for the Dial Soap Factory, a 1.28-acre site on a prime location.

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.

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 Park consists of 254 acres that includes seven miles of hiking and biking trails winding through timber, prairie, wetlands, prairie savannas, and ponds. It is located  just south of the City of Fairfield and is the most-visited of all parks and properties stewarded by Jefferson County Conservation. With an aim to increase park usage and improve facilities, a group of five Civil & Environmental Engineering capstone students were asked to design cabins and a large multi-use structure.

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. 

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.

A team of law students in the Community Empowerment Law Project (CELP) worked with Pathfinders RC&D and the South Central Iowa Local Workforce Development Board to navigate the complex web of federal and state laws governing youth employment and child labor.