Civil & Engineering and Sport & Recreation Management students provided design alternatives, cost estimates, and fitness recommendations for a proposed fitness trail connecting several community facilities and amenities in Keokuk.

The community of Keokuk seeks to develop more outdoor recreational opportunities for use of people of all ages, which they consider integral in recruiting and retaining residents. They hope to add new trails and route development, however the cost and access to land can be prohibited.

As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students create designs for redevelopment of the bluff and open space between downtown Keokuk and the Mississippi River, so that the downtown district is better connected with the riverfront. 

Working in collaboration with the City of Webster City Parks & Recreation Department, graduate students in the School of Urban & Regional Planning completed a Parks & Recreation Master Plan for Webster City that promotes appropriate land use, active lifestyles, equity, accessibility, environmental protection, and tourism.

In a report to the Delmar Economic Development Group, a graduate student in the School of Urban & Regional Planning completed an independent project that provides recommendations and identifies resources that help achieve a community-driven vision for the City of Delmar.

As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students created the design for three access points to the Winnebago River in Mason City, creating opportunities for new and enhanced recreation use of the river. 

Graduate students in the School of Urban & Regional Planning researched the following five greenspace priorities for the City of Sioux City and created recommendations on how best to increase greenspaces downtown: opportunities for adding greenspaces along sidewalks; opportunities and designs for adding a pocket park to the downtown; opportunities for green roofs and rooftop gardens; opportunities for improving soil permeability and restoration in greened areas; and opportunities for linking downtown greenspace to bike trail access points.

Students made parklands along the Iowa River the focus of questions that focus on Iowa City's history, and concentrated on environmental justice concerns related to use and misuse of the river. The project resulted in a website with audio and visuals about this history that can be accessed from the parks for use in taking self-guided tours.

Urban and Regional Planning students created the Trails economic impact plan that provides research on the benefits of the current trails system in Decorah, Iowa and provides recommendations on how to continue expanding it as well as a presentation displaying research and results, and a poster displaying research and results.

Civil and environmental engineering students evaluated and designed new trails in Neste Park that complemented the planned Recreation and Nature Center near Decorah, IA.

Neste Valley Recreational Area sits just 2.5 miles from Decorah and was sited to be its next destination park. The Winneshiek County Conservation Board envisions a variety of recreation offerings at the park, including picnicking, camping, hiking trails and conservation education.

Civil and environmental engineering students determined the best location for a new nature center and created preliminary 3D designs for the structure near Decorah, IA.

Neste Valley Recreational Area sits just 2.5 miles from Decorah and was sited to be its next destination park. The Winneshiek County Conservation Board envisioned a variety of recreation offerings at the park, including picnicking, camping, hiking trails and conservation education.

Students in Marketing Field Studies class in the Tippie College of Business researched these multiple uses and images of the river through focus groups and meetings with community stakeholders. Based on their findings, they developed recommendations to encourage all users to interact with and communicate about the river in a sustainable way.

Graduate students in the School of Urban and Regional Planning developed a market analysis for a kayak park on Cedar River and made recommendations for linking the new park to downtown. Students also drafted recommendations to enhance the quality of water in Cedar River through water quality credits trading.

This project was based off of Charles City's then desire to create a riverfront park following the floods of 2008, and integrating the recommendations from Iowa State University and Recreation Engineering and Planning to develop a waterfront attraction.