To address the lack of trails and poor connectivity in Muscatine, IA, students in the School of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Iowa prepared a connectivity study, which included recommendations on trail improvements and expansions.

The City of Muscatine sought to increase the recreational opportunities by expanding their trail system. There are more than 10 miles of paved and unimproved trails and walkways, as well as more than 20 parks with a combined 550 acres of land. However, many of the trails are not interconnected and are absent from some regions within the city.

As part of the Senior Design Capstone Course of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the students had the opportunity to complete the engineering plans for constructing new trails. Tasks consisted of the layout, cross-section design of the trails, design of bridging structures for waterways and ravines where necessary, and design and location of ancillary structures to support trail activities.