Winneshiek County sought to understand the possible economic impacts that the frac sand mining industry could have if it became established in the county. For this project, graduate students in the School of Urban and Regional Planning performed a comprehensive economic impact study that evaluated the short and long-term gains and losses to the county’s […]
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We tested SnapPlus (Soil Nutrient Application Planner), a nutrient management planning software developed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and several other State of Wisconsin entities. It was developed to help farmers stay in compliance with Wisconsin’s Nutrient Management Standard Code 590. From the SnapPlus website: “SnapPlus can calculate: ● Crop nutrient (N, P2O5, K2O) recommendations […]
We worked with the City of Seaside and Kurt Overmeyer, Seaside’s Economic Development Program Manager, to collect estimates of water usage based on the non-residential water release form for the business sector of Seaside. We did this by walking to each individual business to calculate the water usage based on their group use. Read the […]
We built our project around how this road diet would affect a specific aspect of W. Alisal street, and we chose to focus on the MST bus system. Our simple hypothesis for the Salinas project was: when the road diet is implemented, the MST transit system will take longer to get from point A to […]
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We offered to conduct a survey for the city to see if Seaside residents would want an urban harvest food share program. Our survey focused on the recommendations from residents about how they would like the program to be run and what trees are currently growing and producing fruit in the city. We focused on […]
Wastewater treatment is the process of removing contaminants and creating an effluent that can be returned to the water cycle with minimal impacts. Municipal wastewater treatment includes streams from household sewage and sometimes industrial wastewater. Physical, chemical, and biological processes can be used to remove contaminants, including excessive nutrients, to produce an effluent that is […]
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Urban and Regional Planning students studied the current state of the downtown area in Anamosa, Iowa and through research drafted a revitalization plan, Vision Anamosa, for local officials to use as they continue to build upon their current efforts. Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner. Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities […]
We began our project based on our research question: How does aspect and elevation affect native plant species density and distribution on sand dunes located on the central coast of California? To answer this question we analyzed how aspect, slope, and elevation affect the growth of native species found along the rear dune areas of […]
Using data collected by the student field crew, Western’s Center for Economic & Business Research collaborated with a local contractor to determine a rough cost estimate for flood proofing measures around the city. (College of Business and Economics, winter 2018) Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner. Sustainable Cities Partnership Contact […]
We believe that historic preservation should reflect the diversity of our history and communities, in order to recognize the contributions that underrepresented groups have made to our history and city. Currently, most of the City’s landmarks and historic districts are located in areas of the city which have traditionally had a greater awareness of planning […]
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