On this page, you'll find descriptions of individual projects and overviews of the communities with which we've partnered.
Use the filter to search for kinds of projects, e.g., public art or engineering, or to locate a specific community.
Church Row Neighborhood: Sustainable and Equitable Transportation
Combined with the effort to create the Church Row neighborhood plan, a course in the School of Planning & Public Affairs assessed the walkability and accessibility of the Church Row neighborhood, particularly focusing issues of equity that include safety, access to employment and basic needs services, public transportation, parks and open space, and more.
Hero Hustle Documentary
Recent Cinema Arts grad Philip Rabalais teamed up with current film student Timmer Penny to create a short film documentary of the Hero Hustle, an annual event that takes place in Manchester Iowa. Enjoy the video below!
Manchester Waterway and Dry Run Remediation and Redevelopment
As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students designed stormwater infrastructure to minimize flooding impacts in Manchester, particularly for structures newly identified as being in the floodplain after recent redrawing of maps.
Waterloo Fair Chance Initiative Study
College of Law students in the Community Empowerment Law Project conducted a study to evaluate the implementation and community awareness about the Fair Chance Initiative in Waterloo, also known as "Ban the Box."
Manchester Extraterritorial Zoning Study
College of Law students in the Community Empowerment Law Project assisted the City of Manchester with a study to understand extraterritorial zoning powers, the process of adoption, and recommendations for next steps.
Manchester - Shelly Park Redevelopment
As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students created designs for improvements to Manchester's Shelly Park, a highly used amenity adjacent to the whitewater rafting course on the Maquoketa River.
Manchester - Maquoketa River Pedestrian Bridge
As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students created designs for improvements to Manchester's Schram park, including a pedestrian bridge over the Maquoketa River, a parking lot, and a trail connection that links to the existing trail network.
Manchester Residential Subdivision Site Plan & Engineering
As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students created a master plan for development of a 24-acre greenfield site in Manchester, Iowa.
Church Row Neighborhood Plan
As part of their capstone project, second-year graduate students from the School of Planning & Public Affairs created a neighborhood plan for Waterloo's Church Row neighborhood.
The City of Waterloo (pop. 67,798) sought assistance with the development of a Neighborhood Plan for Church Row, a core neighborhood located near downtown in order to foster a more safe, attractive, and welcoming area that provides opportunities for economic development, healthy and affordable living, and a high quality of life for residents.
Maquoketa River Watershed Management Plan
As part of their capstone project, second-year graduate students from the School of Planning & Public Affairs created a watershed management plan for the Maquoketa River Watershed.
Manchester Strategic Growth Plan
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.
Lake View Community Center Engineering & Design
As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students prepared a design and cost estimates for a Community Center in Lake View, Iowa.
Columbus Junction Community Storytelling Project, Part 2
Students from the School of Urban & Regional Planning course Community Development in the Upper Midwest interviewed several Chin Burmese residents of Columbus Junction to produce a short film about their sense of home in their new community.
Keokuk Downtown Historic Building Restoration Engineering & Design
As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students created designs for refurbishing three commercial structures in downtown Keokuk.
Volga River Trail Development
As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students created design alternatives for a trail system in Volga, Iowa.
Volga Old School and Gymnasium Retrofit Engineering & Design
As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students created design alternatives for new uses of the former school building in Volga.
Volga Opera House Renovations Engineering & Design
As part of the Senior Design Capstone Course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students provided designs and cost estimates for the renovation of a historic opera house in Volga, Iowa.
Volga Pedestrian Bridge and Trail Engineering & Design
As part of the Senior Design Capstone Course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students provided designs and costs estimates for a pedestrian bridge spanning the Volga River, to replace a bridge that had been partially destroyed by flooding, as well as the trail connecting to the site.
Volga Fire Station Expansion Engineering & Design
As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students created designs for a building expansion for the fire station in Volga, Iowa.
Volga Stormwater Management Engineering & Design
As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students created designs stormwater management improvements to mitigate flooding issues in Volga.