UniverCity Year – �鶹��Ƶ

Maximizing economic development through the Waupaca Recreation Center expansion project

Ada Inman — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 21:16:25 +0000

The City of Waupaca, located in Central Wisconsin, seeks to serve its residents through an expansion of its existing Recreation Center. This expansion will encompass a Business Service Center tailored for remote workers and business owners, in addition to offering telehealth services to patrons. This initiative has been supported by a $4.1 million grant from the Flexible Facilities Program to revitalize the existing property and expand the recreation center to provide access to work, education, and health services through improved infrastructure.

With the architectural plans in place and the deadline for breaking ground approaching, it was crucial to identify the unmet needs of the Waupaca community
and create research-based recommendations to best serve potential users of the Business Service Center. In order to determine key technological resources, furnishing needs, and program offerings, the team conducted secondary research on similar co-working spaces in other cities, and developed two surveys to generate community feedback. In essence, the intended outcome was to enhance the resources available to the Waupaca community ensuring that the new space not only reflected the diverse needs of all potential users, but was also flexible enough to evolve with any future objective.

Contact: UniverCityAlliance@wisc.edu

Evaluating feasibility and benefits of removing the Light Plant Dam

Ada Inman — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 21:13:43 +0000

A recent survey of residents in the City of Waupaca revealed a strong desire to see improvements to Cary Pond, a reservoir held back by the Felt Mill Dam. Engineering students provided a comprehensive assessment of options for the site to recommend strategies and outline the potential ecological and recreational benefits associated with the removal [...]

Promoting language accessibility and social connections with Spanish-speaking residents

Ada Inman — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 21:11:05 +0000

This project aims to improve access to resources and build stronger connections within Waupaca’s Latino community by addressing language barriers and building social connections. Since 2000, almost 100,000 Latino immigrants have made Wisconsin their home. Waupaca County has experienced significant growth in its Latino population, contributing to the community’s diversity and vitality. Despite this growth, [...]

Strengthening city services for a growing Spanish-speaking population in Waupaca

Ada Inman — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 21:07:34 +0000

As Waupaca’s demographic landscape shifts, the city faces greater challenges in providing equitable access to essential services for its Spanish-speaking and multilingual communities. As of the 2023-2024 school year, there are a total of 70 immigrant students, which accounts for a sharp increase from the only 4 immigrants three years prior. The increase in these families highlights the need for improved communication, resource coordination, and culturally responsive initiatives to better serve the engagement of the community-at-large.

Currently, language barriers hinder many residents from fully utilizing city services, schools, and community resources. These disparities can be witnessed in domains such as healthcare, education, and overall economic development. This policy brief builds upon the insights gathered from key stakeholders, including
school district officials, local business owners, and community members, to identify the strengths, challenges, and areas for improvement across the community of Waupaca. The initial drive of this project was to specifically explore opportunities to improve English-Spanish partnership, but through interviews and exploration of a School District grant, it revealed that there was a variety of national origins from the new community members. This requires an individualistic approach to broadly improve overall communication and engagement efforts, while simultaneously targeting key community leadership to garner trust within the City of Waupaca.

Key considerations that shaped these proposals include funding limitations, adjustments to existing workflows, and the spectrum of meaningful interactions and engagement among new community members.

Contact: UniverCityAlliance@wisc.edu

Designing an integrated and accessible Waupaca River Walk

Ada Inman — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 21:02:43 +0000

This capstone project explores the design of a riverwalk redevelopment in the City of Waupaca, Wisconsin. The City of Waupaca is seeking to implement a riverwalk that reconnects residents with the Waupaca River while attracting new investment to its downtown district. Known for its vibrant outdoor recreation culture, active arts community, and scenic natural surroundings, this small rural town already possesses a strong foundation. This project builds on those strengths to enhance quality of life, support local businesses, and create new opportunities for community gathering and tourism. While the design may not yet represent a final iteration, it serves as a foundation for future development, informed by research, community needs, and sustainable planning principles.

Contact: UniverCityAlliance@wisc.edu

Envisioning a river restoration along the Crystal River in Waupaca

Ada Inman — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 21:00:30 +0000

Our team has developed a comprehensive conservation plan for the Crystal River. The City of Waupaca is focused on enhancing recreational opportunities along the Crystal River and promoting sustainable use while preserving the area’s natural beauty. A significant concern regarding the river is the Felt Mill Dam and its aging infrastructure, which poses the risk of flooding and contributes to the deterioration of surface water quality. This degradation impacts both recreational enjoyment and the aesthetic appeal of Cary Pond. This conservation plan aims to evaluate the current conditions of the Crystal River, identify existing threats and explore strategies to reduce those threats. Central targets to our conservation efforts are the health of the Crystal River, recreation, and quality of life for Waupaca’s residents. A healthy river can support key species such as trout, which are critical to improving stream health and recreational
fishing and paddling; improved water quality which fosters an inviting and vibrant natural environment; and native habitat essential for a thriving ecosystem. By identifying existing threats, selecting effective conservation strategies, and outlining a clear plan of action, our goal is: within 5 years of implementing the action plan there will be improved water quality of the Crystal River near the Felt Mill Dam by creating a class II trout stream with an average river temperature between 55-63 Degrees Fahrenheit, dissolved oxygen levels of 10 ppm, reducing presence of invasive species to 15% coverage in and along river corridors and 50ft of riparian habitat. Through this collaborative effort, we aim to create a more sustainable future for the City of Waupaca, enhancing both the ecological integrity and recreational value of this cherished local resource.

Contact: UniverCityAlliance@wisc.edu

Creating an energy and transportation sustainability plan for Waupaca

Ada Inman — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 20:55:52 +0000

The Waupaca Energy and Transportation Sustainability Plan provides a strategic framework for incorporating sustainability into Waupaca’s future. This plan offers a roadmap for long-term environmental, economic, and social advantages by expanding the adoption of renewable energy and promoting sustainable transportation methods. This strategy was developed in partnership with graduate students from the UW – Madison and is intended to align with Waupaca’s 2030 goals while remaining flexible, measurable, and actionable. Its success depends on collaboration with key stakeholders, including Waupaca city leaders, businesses, and residents. With clear objectives, targeted strategies, and defined indicators, the Waupaca Energy and Transportation Sustainability Plan ensures a resilient, interconnected, and prosperous community will guide the city’s growth. Figure 1 shows a vision of Main Street edited from a City of Waupaca
image (2025).

Contact: UniverCityAlliance@wisc.edu

Designing a master plan for Biex-Ramcke Park in Mount Pleasant

Ada Inman — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 20:52:58 +0000

The Village of Mount Pleasant, located in Southeastern Wisconsin, is a rapidly growing community within Racine County. Mount Pleasant prides itself on their location being in close proximity to Lake Michigan and other major metropolitan areas such as Milwaukee and Chicago. The village consists of a mix of residential, commercial, and industrial development with much of the land being agricultural. Mount Pleasant is also known for its commitment to providing recreation activities, inspiration, and maintaining a high quality of life for residents through high-quality programs, facilities, and special community
events.

By researching the effects of nature on health and wellbeing, this report explores ways on how to maintain a higher quality of life at the framework scale through the use of natural resources and various recreational activities.

Contact: UniverCityAlliance@wisc.edu

Scaling the Deforest Dragon Art Fair

Ada Inman — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 20:49:06 +0000

The Dragon Art Fair is a juried annual arts and craft fair of 100+ artists and vendors held the 1st Saturday in June in Fireman’s Park, DeForest, WI. This fair was started in 2004 by Merry Poast & Julie Wills who ran the fair under the Dragon Arts Group for the past 20 years, and cultivated a loyal following of attendees and returning vendors from DeForest and beyond.

The leaders of the Dragon Art Fair decided to hand off the management of the fair to the Village of DeForest in 2024. While the municipality inherited many existing practices, they sought Bolz Center student consultants to further improve the fair.

Consultants used many data collection methods including a survey distributed locally and online, Zoom-based focus groups with DeForest residents, and field
research. Key findings revealed that customers highly value local artists and desire a variety of art types at the fair. While there were some limitations, this
study provides valuable insights into community preferences and recommendations for streamlining vendor management, improving marketing to increase audience, increasing attendee satisfaction and boosting economic impact throughout the community. These recommendations can be used not only for
the upcoming 2025 Dragon Art Fair but all the DeForest Dragon Art Fairs to come.

Contact: UniverCityAlliance@wisc.edu

Understanding conservation practices and future land use intentions among local stakeholders

Ada Inman — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 20:44:17 +0000

In preparation for expected growth, the Village of DeForest plans to conduct outreach to local stakeholders and property owners to better understand the attitudes and intentions of local farmers related to development. The goal of this effort is to balance development with environmental conservation planning and community well-being, align land use planning with future opportunities, and demonstrate a collaborative approach to growth. This report examines how the Village of DeForest can proactively prepare for projected population and economic growth and provides specific recommendations on how to approach local outreach and community engagement.

Contact: UniverCityAlliance@wisc.edu