University of Iowa graduate students in Professor Eric Gidal's ENGL 6765: Bioregionalism in History, Theory, and Practice course explored traditions of bioregionalism in geography, civics, literature, culture, and the arts to create seven proposals for future community engagement in West Branch and the Lower Cedar Watershed. 

As part of their Senior Design capstone course, Civil and Environmental Engineering students provided analysis, recommendations, designs, and costs for extending West Branch's sanitary sewer trunk line to meet the needs of the growing community.

As part of the ICIGO student organization within the School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability, students conducted an on-site tree study and created a GIS-based digital inventory tool for city-owned trees in West Branch, Iowa.

Students enrolled in Public Policy and Persuasion in the School of Planning and Public Affairs worked with the West Branch Community School District to develop policy briefs for issues currently facing the school district. 

Undergraduate students in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication partnered with the City of West Branch to work on a social media plan and corresponding public engagement strategy.

Public Affairs graduate students in the School of Planning & Public Affairs partnered with the City of West Branch and other community stakeholders on a multifaceted initiative to optimize the community’s historic assets as a catalyst for economic vitality, tourism development, and enhanced quality of life for residents. 

Public Affairs graduate students in the School of Planning & Public Affairs partnered 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. 

Authors: Fern Bultema, Yihan Li, Allie Tubbs, Erik Woolsey

Instructors: Travis Kraus, Phuong Nguyen

Community project leads: Heidi Van Auken, Adam Kofoed

School of Planning and Public Affairs graduate students partnered 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 partnered with the City of West Branch, Iowa to update the city’s long-range comprehensive plan. 

Authors: Abdul Rashid Adam, Megan Anhalt, Emma Davis, Joe Maxwell, Lydia Rose, Gypsy Russ, Trevor Sippel

Instructors: Travis Kraus, Bogdan Kapatsila

Community project leads: Adam Kofoed, John Fuller, Erin Monaghan

Public Affairs graduate students in the School of Planning & Public Affairs partnered 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 partnered 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.