The Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities (IISC) partnership with the City of West Branch during the 2025-2026 academic year resulted in 16 improvement plans for the city. From upgrades to infrastructure to bolstering the city’s historical preservation, the comprehensive plans provide a roadmap for helping the community achieve its goals in the years ahead.

University of Iowa students and faculty from seven departments joined the community-initiated projects. IISC Director Travis Kraus praised the opportunity for students to leverage the skills learned in the classroom and apply them to real-world challenges for an Iowa community.  

“Despite West Branch’s relatively smaller population, we quickly discovered that small does not necessarily mean simple,” says Kraus. “West Branch brought a unique set of opportunities and challenges for students to tackle, and we are grateful for the city leaders and residents who were such strong and thoughtful collaborators with project teams.” 

It is the 17th year that IISC has partnered with communities across Iowa to advance shared goals of community improvement and student experiential learning.

Having experienced it firsthand as a student, West Branch City Administrator Adam Kofoed was eager to apply for a partnership with IISC. He thought the experience would offer a great opportunity to help shape the future of his community, as well as save the city money and provide students an excellent learning experience.

“I knew how much detail students would go into and how much they would get questioned by faculty and staff to make the plans better,” he says of the new comprehensive plan created in collaboration with graduate students. “It would be the most individualized plan for us, versus going through a contractor that may use a template.”

Kofoed also cites a capital improvement plan, as well as concepts for downtown renovations and street rerouting for semi-trailers, as highlights of the IISC partnership. He says being able to access these plans every year and track the city’s accomplishments and goals is most beneficial. 

“That way, we're on track to try and be the community we want 20 years from now,” the city administrator says. “It gives staff and council guidance on where to go when we're talking big picture items.” 

Immediate benefits 

Kofoed says five to 10 projects developed with IISC are ready to be tackled immediately, and he’s looking forward to having the new comprehensive plan approved by city officials. 

“Any plan that coincides with the capital improvement plan is going to be beneficial right away,” he insists. 

Plans produced by the IISC student teams include downtown streetscape design improvements, a land value mapping study, semi-truck re-routing, utility evaluation and replacement, a fiscal policy and capital improvement plan, a housing needs assessment and policy recommendations, community engagement proposals for the Lower Cedar Watershed, public tree inventory, and strategic communication for local businesses. 

In addition, a new historic preservation plan will soon certify West Branch with local government status. This establishes a city ordinance and historic preservation commission, gives guidance on how to protect properties within its historic district, and offers grants and training to help the city follow state guidance. 

“It's good to see a national site finally get its attention because it's been 40 years since it's had a renovation,” Kofoed says. 

With Hoover Hometown Days just around the corner, the timing is fitting. The city’s annual block party on August 7 and 8 will see the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum reopening after nearly two years of renovations, with free admission to the public. 

A full-circle experience with IISC 

A West Branch native, Kofoed graduated from the School of Planning and Public Affairs (then known as the School of Urban and Regional Planning) in 2018, when his student group developed a comprehensive plan and a visioning plan for Cedar County for their IISC capstone project. 

“It was incredibly insightful because we got to learn more about the framework, while our classes were a little bit more theory based,” he recalls. 

The program allowed him to learn about state laws around city planning, work with resident committee groups and commissions, and better understand the framework of local government. 

For Kofoed, partnering with the UI program as a city administrator was a full-circle experience, and one that will help his city streamline major projects through 2032. 

“It gives us the confidence to go ahead and research all these things versus asking for permission every year for a project,” he says. “We can just go on ahead and do it.”

Kraus says he appreciated working with West Branch because of his past experiences there, and that its community is far more robust than he previously realized.  

“Of course, I also loved working closely with a graduate of our program who works hard to guide the community in a positive direction,” Kraus added. 

IISC Assistant Director Ashley Laux is similarly eager to see the community implement the many projects led by UI students. 

“I look forward to seeing how students and faculty stay connected with West Branch based on their experiences over this year in the community,” she says. “I will be back often.”