Civil and environmental engineering students determined the best location for a new nature center and created preliminary 3D designs for the structure 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 envisioned a variety of recreation offerings at the park, including picnicking, camping, hiking trails and conservation education.

Students in Marketing Field Studies class in the Tippie College of Business researched these multiple uses and images of the river through focus groups and meetings with community stakeholders. Based on their findings, they developed recommendations to encourage all users to interact with and communicate about the river in a sustainable way.

Graduate students in the School of Urban and Regional Planning developed a market analysis for a kayak park on Cedar River and made recommendations for linking the new park to downtown. Students also drafted recommendations to enhance the quality of water in Cedar River through water quality credits trading.