As part of their graduate capstone project, Sports & Recreation students collaborated with students in the School of Urban and Regional Planning to assist in the creation of a promotion and branding guide for Webster City Parks & Recreation Department.

As part of the Senior Design Capstone Course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students designed enhanced recreational opportunities on the Boone River by improving portage around a low overhead dam in Webster City's City Park and designing improved water access points.

As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students designed a new marina with boat ramps and a parking lot in the city of Keokuk, whoch would provide an additional access point for residents and vistors to enjoy water recreation on the Mississippi River.

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.