UI grad students partner with small towns for their future

Students from as far away as Africa and Beijing are looking out for the future of small-town Iowa.

The University of Iowa graduate program in urban and regional planning began working this fall in Anamosa, Columbus Junction, Decorah and Wellman to develop sustainability plans for the communities.

Seven second-year master's degree students - 28 in all - consult with each town's city administrator, business leaders and others during the yearlong outreach project.

“The goal is to apply what they know and leave the community with something tangible,” said UI associate professor Paul Hanley, who teaches the field problems course.

The student consultants look for real-world problems to address, Hanley said. For example, Wellman and Decorah are interested in economic sustainability planning. Columbus Junction is emphasizing community engagement directed toward land use, environment and economics.

Sustainability - a concept gaining momentum in Iowa - refers to the wise use of ecological resources without jeopardizing future needs.

“We don't want to throw that word around in this project,” said graduate student Lucy Joseph, 25, of Lake Worth, Fla.

For Joseph and other students working with Anamosa - a town of about 4,300 residents - that means paying attention to the social, environmental and economic viability of the downtown district, as well as Anamosa's trail system.

Three Iowans are among those working in Anamosa: Matt Fisher, 35, of Iowa City; Dan Fox, 24, of Charles City, and Robert Laroco, 27, of Sioux City. Along with Joseph, national and international perspectives come from Meembo Changula, 30, of Lusaka, Zambia; Taylor Newton, 23, of Colchester, Vt.; and Lei Sun, 23, of Beijing.

Each brings an area of expertise in planning, such as transportation, land use or housing.

They plan to meet with residents in upcoming months as they examine the trails and downtown revitalization, including the move of the National Motorcycle Museum from Main Street to the edge of town near the U.S. 151/Highway 64 interchange.

Changula said the group will look at how moving the museum affects downtown and strategies to attract businesses there, such as small projects that encourage growth.

The project runs through April.

“We want to include the public in as many of these ideas as we can,” Laroco said during a meeting with a dozen Anamosa leaders earlier this month. “In all of this, we're conscious of the effect it will have on everything in the community.”

Towns pay for mileage for the students' travels.

Anamosa City Administrator Patrick Callahan said the town doesn't have money in its budget to pay private consultants for the work the graduate students are performing.

He said the students' diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise add a new dimension to the planning process.

“I think they will give us perspectives that those of us living in Anamosa may never have thought of,” Callahan said. “It will be a real plus for the community.”