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.

As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students created complete street designs for Pennsylvania Avenue in Mason City.

As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students designed a multi-family residential structure for a specific site in Mason City. 

MFA student Ali Hval designed murals with "prairie style" themes for two downtown Mason City locations as part of the community's "Building Our Brand" campaign.  

Using graphic designs from students in the School of Art & Art History, UI student Kaisha Billings built a community-based mobile app on behalf of the City of Mason City and Visit Mason City that connects residents and visitors to the local activities and resources.

As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students created the design and management of a pocket neighborhood for a site near Maquoketa, Iowa for the East Central Intergovernmental Association (ECIA).

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. 

Clinic law students, who are second or third year students at the University of Iowa College of Law participating in the Community Empowerment Law Project (CELP), explored strategies, through a legal lens, to decrease blighted properties and increase affordable housing in Eastern Iowa.  In particular, they examined whether a Land Bank might be a feasible strategy in Iowa. 

Journalism & Mass Communication students developed a strategic communications campaign for Main Street Mason City, a non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization with a mission to “enhance, promote and preserve downtown Mason City as a diverse business, cultural and residential destination, for the benefit of the entire community.”

Environmental Engineering students evaluated decentralized wastewater treatment alternatives for three sites in Lake Delhi, a popular recreational area in Eastern Iowa, demonstrating various designs and solutions that could be considered throughout the Lake Delhi community. 

Through a graduate assistantship from the Tippie College of Business, an MBA student worked alongside IISC staff to develop recommendations for retail inventory management policies and procedures for the DeWitt Referral Center, a non-profit organization that serves a resource for local families experiencing hardship or crisis. 

MFA student Ali Hval designed and painted a mural in downtown Clinton, Iowa, assisted by fellow MFA student Marina Ross.

Artist Ali Hval was selected by the Office of Outreach & Engagement to design and install a mural for an exterior wall located in downtown Clinton.  She recruited fellow artist and MFA student Marina Ross to provide assistance. The project was made possible by a collaboration between two university outreach and engagement programs, Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities (IISC) and Arts Share. 

Students from a variety of disciplines taking Community Development in the Upper Midwest produced videos that tell stories from the Grant Wood Loop, located in eastern Iowa, through their own experiences in the region and interviews with local residents. 

As part of their capstone project, second-year graduate students from the School of Urban & Regional Planning developed strategies and recommendations to position and market Jackson County as a top choice in the region for young families making residential location decisions. 

As part of their capstone project, second-year graduate students from the School of Urban & Regional Planning created an economic development plan for the City of Clinton and surrounding micropolitan area.

As part of their capstone project, second-year graduate students from the University of Iowa’s School of Urban & Regional Planning created a Vision Plan to support Cedar County's efforts to earn Great Places designation through the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.

Concurrent with the development of the Cedar County Comprehensive Plan, students developed a Cedar County visioning document to support an application for Iowa Great Places designation, a competitive program administered by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. 

As part of their capstone project, second-year graduate students from the University of Iowa’s School of Urban & Regional Planning created a Comprehensive Plan for Cedar County.

Juniors in the Tippie College of Business Marketing Institute developed brand alternatives for Mason City’s North End Commercial District, with a goal of uniting the area’s current and future small business owners under a common effort to attract customers and revitalize the neighborhood. 

Graduate students in the College of Public Health developed campaigns for the Mason City community that address issues related to the increasing proportion of older residents in the community.   The public health campaigns were tailored to help Mason City residents better "age in place", which can mean helping individuals stay in their own homes longer, as well as helping the community adapt and develop resources that make Mason City functional and attractive for older residents.