University of Iowa students are partnering with communities in eastern Iowa to help local leaders identify abandoned properties and decide which ones hold the greatest potential for reuse. The properties the students are cataloging are called brownfields. These are sites where redevelopment has been complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or...

Leaders of Iowa City's downtown say a plan to bring recycling services to downtown alleyways next month should keep tons of recyclables out of the city's landfill while at the same time keeping alleys cleaner. Downtown District Executive Director Nancy Bird said the overall plan, which is expected to eventually include composting, is built on a 2015 study of garbage bins in downtown alleys...

The City of Maquoketa recently completed a $4 million renovation of its downtown, and city leaders want to show it off. To help, they’ve turned to the University of Iowa’s Marketing Institute and Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities (IISC), working with marketing students in the Tippie College of Business to develop a new brand and marketing strategy to attract more tourists.

Two groups of University of Iowa Graduate Students asked the public for feedback on plans they came up with for the City of Mason City, a partnering community with Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities (IISC). One of the groups is looking at the city’s comprehensive plan. The other is focused on a first of its kind sustainability plan. Attendees had the opportunity to look at what the...