As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students created design alternatives for a trail system in Schaller, Iowa. The trail site is located along an abandoned rail line within the city, and connects to the county trail system. 

As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students prepared a design report and cost estimates for a "Showcase Pavilion & Outdoor Performance Venue" in North Liberty's Centennial Park.

Graduate students in the course Growth Management in the School of Urban & Regional Planning completed a report outlining alternatives and best practices to inform future public art planning for the City of North Liberty.

Graduate students in the course Housing Policy in the School of Urban & Regional Planning completed a Housing Needs Assessment for the City of North Liberty.

Graduate students in the course Growth Management in the School of Urban & Regional Planning reimagined land use and transportation in an underdeveloped section of North Liberty, with the idea of helping to create a new "Civic Corridor".

As part of the Senior Design Capstone Course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students conducted a structural analysis of the Schmidt Building in downtown Manning.  Students also created design alternatives for the interior and facade of the building based on several options for future use of the building. 

As part of his graduate capstone project, Sports & Recreation management student Thomas Harder collaborated with the Manning Parks and Recreation department on a strategic plan for their community recreation center and ballfields.

Students from the School of Journalism & Mass Communication created strategic communications plan for community leaders in Manning with the goal of attracting new residents to the area. 

In conjunction with officials from Linn County Iowa, graduate students in the School of Urban & Regional Planning completed a Windfarm Suitability Analysis study for the unincorporated Linn County area. 

Graduate students in the course Health Communication Campaigns in the College of Public Health created campaigns around the topic of mental health for four distinct population segments in Fairfield and Jefferson County. 

As part of the Senior Design Capstone Course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students provided the needed substructure, approaches, and cost estimates for relocation of the historic Red Bridge from one location in Jasper County to another. 

Students in the Department of Communication Studies conducted interviews and analyzed data to better understand how Iowa City area residents perceive and consume local art, and to learn about awareness of the local arts non-profit Public Space One. 

Graduate students in the School of Urban & Regional Planning, in conjunction with the City of Iowa City and National Advance Driving Simulator, completed a plan to help Iowa City prepare for the anticipated impacts of automated vehicles on the built environment and community.

As part of the Environmental Policy and Management course, students from the School of Urban and Regional Planning assisted the City of Iowa City with an adaption plan for Terry Trueblood Park. 

As a part of the 8 Generational Plan: Envisioning Cities course taught in the School of Urban and Regional Planning, a group of 10 UI students will present their long-term visions for Iowa City as America’s Next Great Regenerative City. This collaborative innovation tournament is the culmination of a new course titled “Eight Generational Planning: Envisioning Cities for Year 2228.” The team of judges, led by Iowa City Mayor Throgmorton, includes local elected officials, planners, researchers, and architects. 

Juniors in the Tippie College of Business Marketing Institute created advertising campaigns for Travel Dubuque to promote the outdoor recreational opportunities in the Dubuque area, with a particular focus on attracting mountain biking enthusiasts to the area's growing trail infrastructure. 

Students in the Course Advanced Strategic Communications developed communication strategies and defined key goals for the celebration of Columbus Junction's sesquicentennial.

In 2024, Columbus Junction will commemorate 150 years as a community.  By getting an early start on planning with the students at the University of Iowa, Mallory Smith, Columbus Junction Community Development Director, is hoping to use the sesquicentennial event as an opportunity to celebrate the ever-changing Columbus Junction community and promote city improvement projects.

Students from the School of Urban & Regional Planning course Community Development in the Upper Midwest worked with Latinx teens in Columbus Junction's Upward Bound program to produce videos and books that help tell the 150 year story of the community through interviews and historical artifacts.

Graduate and advanced undergraduates in urban planning, the social sciences, the humanities, and the arts examined the many challenges facing small- to medium-sized towns in Iowa and elsewhere in the Upper Midwest and work towards community-based solutions.

Students from the Tippie College of Business Marketing Institute developed branding and marketing strategies for the Boone Forks region, consisting of Boone, Hamilton, and Webster Counties, which is one of Iowa's four Parks to People regions.

Three years ago, Hamilton, Boone, and Webster Counties received funding from Iowa’s Parks Foundation to develop a master plan as a region focused on achieving economic, social and natural resources balance and improvements.

As part of the Senior Design Capstone Course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students provided designs for an innovative open shelter in a unique overlook area in Boone County, as well as the design of an access road and parking facility, and related cost estimates.