Each group completed a needs assessment based on the existing conditions of Gresham’s current downtown. Students concluded that the downtown area sees the most activation during the lunch hour and the dinner hour, with parking occupancy peaking at 1 PM and 6 PM respectively. Otherwise, the area is relatively quiet. Students perceived few activities during the 16 hour programming window people desire, meaning there may not many opportunities for nightlife. Downtown is primarily dominated by cars and very few people choose to walk, bike, or bus downtown—despite the possibility of all three. One obstacle to revitalizing Gresham’s downtown is the busy five- lane arterial road, Powell Boulevard. It is a barrier to encouraging more pedestrians and cyclists, and it fragments the network from Main City Park, the beautiful community park adjacent to downtown.

Despite these challenges, student researchers suggested ways to bring new life to the historic downtown area while keeping its small town-like charm. The most frequently suggested recommendation was to close a corridor of N Main Avenue to automobile traffic. The proposed corridor is from NE 1st to NE 5th Street, and would include a two-way bike lane, large sidewalks for pedestrians, and increased social spaces. This, along with infrastructure improvements to nearby intersections, would make walking and biking a more attractive alternative to driving downtown. Alternatively, if the city decided against a walking- and biking-only corridor, Gresham could turn N Main Street into a one-way. The unused lane could be converted into a two-way protected bike lane and would accomplish the same goal of encouraging multimodal transportation.

Another common theme researchers suggested was improved and centralized signage downtown. The city could create more cohesive wayfinding signage directing visitors to special attractions like the parks and local businesses nearby. The signage could also better direct drivers to underutilized parking lots to address community members’ perceived lack of parking in the area. The use of bulletin notice boards could offer information about biking and walking as viable and safe travel options in Gresham. Other important recommendations addressing Gresham’s historic downtown district’s needs include infill underutilized parking lots with social space hubs, engage with local artists and students to create public art downtown and increase aesthetic pleasure in the area, and implement a street fair to celebrate new development downtown.

In recent years, city officials and other local groups in Manchester, Iowa have been proactive about growing and improving their community. In particular, aggressive strategies to stimulate housing development and investments in tourism have started to pay off, as new housing subdivisions pop up and the recently-developed whitewater park in the middle of town attract visitors from throughout the region.

One of the challenges facing the City of Manchester is the development of subdivisions outside of the city boundaries, which means that the City provides some services to county residents without receiving the full benefits of counting them in their population. Additionally, development that occurs just outside the city boundaries can inhibit the ability of the city to grow and, because Delaware County does not having zoning ordinances, could potentially be done in a disorganized manner with substandard results that is inefficient for extending city services (i.e. sewer and utilities) and can detract from first impressions of the community.

For these reasons and more, the law allows for cities to regulate development a certain distance outside of their official boundaries. State of Iowa code states that zoning powers “may be extended by ordinance by any city to the unincorporated area up to two miles beyond the limits of such city, except for those areas within a county where a county zoning ordinance exists.�

The Manchester Strategic Growth Plan developed by a graduate planning team recommends strategies and actions that prevent disorganized and sprawling growth within the two-mile buffer area (i.e., outside the
city’s corporate limits) of Manchester, all while accommodating the needs of the projected population changes within the city. The efforts of this plan focus on important opportunities to advance growth
through the year 2030.

This plan contains information essential for planning the two-mile area surrounding Manchester as well as within the city boundary. Overall, the plan promotes growth in appropriate areas to protect against sprawling development and the loss of prime farmland and natural areas. It identifies two groups of land as undesirable for development. First, the land with a high Corn Suitability Rating (CSR), that should be preserved for agricultural uses, and second, the land that falls within the 100-year floodplains that put properties and their residents at risk.

Following that, the Planning Team investigated the existing opportunities for infill development & redevelopment within the city to accommodate its growth, where the city services and infrastructure already exist, and when land in the city is not available, the plan then provides suggestions for future beneficial annexations that address the cityâ€s needs.

This plan also provides policy recommendations to prevent disorganized development in the two-mile buffer area beyond the city limits through establishing extraterritorial zoning power. The Manchester Strategic Growth Plan will serve as a guide for future planning and development to manage growth and make the most efficient use of the areaâ€s resources.

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.

The story of Waterlooâ€s Church Row neighborhood, in many ways, reflects the past, present, and future of the entire Waterloo community. The historic and grand homes of Church Row convey a sense of the prosperity at the turn of that 20th century that made Waterloo known as the “Factory City of Iowaâ€�. The neighborhoodâ€s early inhabitants were prominent bankers, real estate developers, business executives, and other wealthy residents attracted to the area because of its panoramic vista and close proximity to the economic heart of the city. Today, those historic properties are home to an increasingly diverse population who, as part of the backbone for the local labor force, are no less vital to the economic well-being of the entire community. Church Row continues to contribute substantially to the cultural and economic capital of the city.

Like Waterloo, Church Row is both a place of boundless opportunity and complex challenges. Community and neighborhood assets provide a strong foundation for improving prosperity and quality of life, while areas of neglect, disinvestment, and inequity require bold interventions and innovate ways of thinking. More than a collection of houses and buildings, neighborhoods form around the people who live there- neighbors with a shared desire to feel safe and content in the place they call home.

This Church Row Neighborhood Plan is meant to spur improvements in the neighborhood and serve as a model for how community-building and a neighborhood approach can drive positive change throughout Waterloo. In neighborhood planning, existing assets serve as the foundation for imagining and creating a better future. Careful planning and investment built around inclusion and collaboration can help Church Row achieve a stable and vibrant future that provides a high quality of life for its residents.

The plan sets forth neighborhood goals and objectives, as well as specific, actionable strategies designed for both short-term and long-term change. Of course, the success of any plan relies on local champions and engaged stakeholders working toward shared goals. Fortunately, many individuals and organizations both inside and outside the neighborhood care deeply about making Church Row a safe and welcoming home for current and future families.

In addition to creating the neighborhood plan, the Church Row Planning team studied and ranked the visible exterior condition of all homes in the neighborhood. The results of the study can be used to think about targeted programming to help maintain the quality of homes and stabilize the neighborhood.

The Church Row Neighborhood is located southwest of downtown Waterloo Iowa, across the Cedar River and just south of John Deereâ€s Waterloo Works. The neighborhood, which consists of many historic homes and churches from the turn of the 20th Century, has evolved considerably over the years. The neighborhood is currently home to a sizeable population of racial and ethnic minorities and immigrants.

Though the neighborhood has good proximity to many of the major activity centers and employers in the region, the presence of roadways designed for high volume and/or speed make access to these amenities difficult. The neighborhood is bounded by US Highway 63 and 218 from northwest and northeast and arterial one-way streets (5th Avenue and 6th Avenue) on the east and southeast. The heart of the neighborhood is almost exclusively residential, requiring residents to traverse these highways to access local shops, jobs and schools. In addition, though public transportation is provided in the neighborhood, the most easily accessible routes serve a limited number of destinations.

These conditions mean that although residents tend to have low household incomes, they are also heavily reliant on private cars to access work and daily necessities.

The problem of low-income residents†mobility being constrained by high volume roadways is not unique to Church Row or Waterloo. It is a common problem in cities across the United States. These factors have several negative effects on these neighborhoods, including limiting the usefulness of physically active transportation and inexpensive modes such as walking and cycling, even in a neighborhood whose design otherwise encourages these things. It also exposes residents to higher risk of being involved in crashes, even as motorists. Additionally, streets designed almost exclusively to handle large volumes of traffic adjacent to commercial spaces limit the use and vibrancy of these spaces, potentially stunting economic development in the area.

This plan examines transportation improvements that can improve the quality of life for residents in the Church Row Neighborhood. In particular, it focuses on the needs of the people who live along and use the neighborhoodâ€s streets every day and provides recommendations to equitably balance the needs and safety of residents with those of regional traffic. By rebalancing the transportation environment in Church Row, the hope is to achieve a more sustainable and equitable neighborhood from a social, economic, and environmental standpoint.

The City of Waterloo, in coordination with the Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities (IISC), requested that a group from the University of Iowa look into the functionality of downtown Waterloo parking. As with many downtowns, a majority of parking is underutilized throughout the day, with the exception of a few peak hours and a few key locations. The purpose of this study was to assess existing conditions, during weekdays and weekends, to identify current and future parking needs specific to downtown Waterloo. An analysis of public and private on-street and off-street parking was done in order to provide the best assessment possible. In the assessment, strategies for maximizing existing parking spaces were considered and future growth in the downtown area was taken into account. The goal of this study was to develop best parking management practices tailored to the needs of downtown Waterloo, as well as examine how enhancements, for example conversions to outdoor dining space, to the current parking could benefit downtown businesses.