Project Overview The City of Elk River is home to an impaired lake and two impaired rivers. The City has been focusing on stormwater runoff reduction to these waters as well as pre-treatment techniques to improve water quality. However, the City has not implemented an alternative treatment system on city property, such as a green […]
Region: USA
Park Trail Mapping
Project Overview The City of Elk River is home to over 40 parks, each with trails and other amenities. The City’s park system provides open space, land conservation, and recreation opportunities for the community and beyond. However, the City’s current GPS technology is difficult to use in parks due to dense tree coverage, and the […]
Wetland Buffer Assessment
Project Overview The City of Elk River is home to 1256 wetlands, according to the National Wetland Inventory (NWI). Wetlands play a vital role in our community’s flood management, water quality, wildlife habitat, and aesthetics. In 2006, the city updated their ordinance to include a 25-foot Wetland Buffer Strip around all wetlands and stormwater ponds. […]
Health Care Improvement in Low Resource Settings
Program goal: Provide psychosocial rehabilitation for adults or children with a mental health and/or substance abuse diagnosis * For Medicaid eligible individuals * Began in Dane County in 2015. Now serving 600+ clients * Intake new clients ~40/month * Open provider networks, services provided by 75 agencies * Recovery-oriented – support clients in meeting recovery […]
Read More… from Health Care Improvement in Low Resource Settings
Bike Route Analysis
Project Overview Elk River is home to 25.63 miles of paved trails and 52.15 miles of sidewalks as well as popular bike trails and a mountain biking park. The Parks Master Plan addressed various gaps in the trail system and determined future trails. However, a study has yet to be done on bike lanes on […]
Evaluating Current Solid Waste Rate Structure
Project Overview The City of Elk River has organized solid waste collection for its residents through two haulers (Randy’s Environmental Services and Republic Services). The haulers are under contract with the City of Elk River until 2022. Residential accounts are set up and billed through Elk River Municipal Utilities. Customers pay a monthly fee on […]
Read More… from Evaluating Current Solid Waste Rate Structure
Parks & Recreation Foundation Partner Coordination
Professor Dyana Mason’s Nonprofit Consultancy class worked in three groups to advise Albany community members and city staff in three distinct subject areas. Students assessed the current state of the Albany Senior Center Foundation (ASCF), the Albany Parks and Recreation Foundation (APRF), and the Albany Parks and Recreation Department (APRD) to provide detailed recommendations for […]
Read More… from Parks & Recreation Foundation Partner Coordination
Analyzing Sustainable Infrastructure
PLACE’s Via development in St. Louis Park, MN will be a “mixed-use, mixed-income, transit-oriented community demonstrating profound environmental design.” The Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure has developed Envision criteria to assess the design, construction, and operations of infrastructure. The Envision rating system consists of “60 sustainability criteria that address the full range of environmental, social, and […]
Using Models to Analyze Sustainability Goals and Tradeoffs
PLACE would like to analyze of how well current operations and future design ideas meet their sustainability goals. Students will model several different sustainability objectives through coupled economic/energetic/mass balance models to analyze how goals are currently being met and recommendations to better meet goals. Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner. […]
Read More… from Using Models to Analyze Sustainability Goals and Tradeoffs
Designing an ‘Energy Champion’ App for PLACE’s Ecovillage Development
PLACE would like to encourage residents to engage in sustainable behaviors and to create community at the same time. Using a user-centered design approach, CISC 321 students will design a prototype EcoVillage ‘Energy Champion’ app to encourage energy conservation and create community through friendly competition. Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community […]
Read More… from Designing an ‘Energy Champion’ App for PLACE’s Ecovillage Development