Bondurant, Iowa, like other communities in Iowa, is facing a critical question:  How can the city repurpose the grain silo complex in downtown and make it a catalyst for growth and development? This is a complicated question of identity, design, law, funding, honoring the past, and envisioning the future. The City’s goal is to repurpose a 24-acre parcel of land in the middle of downtown, which has silos, grain elevators, and railroad tracks. These buildings have long been part of the fabric of the community and the city skyline.

Students in a senior capstone project in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering created plans to rehabilitate an abandoned building in Keosauqua, Iowa. The team responded to the client's request to maintain a facade that matches the overall look and feel of the historic downtown; provide residential apartments on the second floor; and create a first-floor restaurant.

Marketing Institute students from the College of Business worked with local officials to develop a fresh marketing communication plan to attract new residents, visitors, and businesses to the area. They surveyed more than 1,000 individuals regarding their perceptions of Clinton, gathered information about young professionals areas of employment interest and favorite pastimes, and reviewed current websites and social media.

For their capstone project, students in Planning and Sustainable Development created plans and strategies to develop Liberty Square, a narrow stretch of primarily city-owned property that runs between and adjacent to the split four lanes of Highway 30. 

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 economic inclusion and Black advancement in Iowa City.  

As part of their capstone project, second-year graduate students from the School of Planning & Public Affairs created a Strategic Growth Plan for the City of Manchester.   

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. 

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. 

College of Law students in the Community Empowerment Law Project (CELP) conducted a study to help officials in Winneshiek County and Northeast Iowa understand the implications of anticipated mineral mining activities, as well as legal safeguards for environmental protection and transfer of wealth. 

As part of the Senior Design Capstone Course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students conducted a structural analysis of the historic Elks Club Building in downtown Webster City.  The project included design alternatives for the interior and facade of the building based on several options for future use of the building.