(KIWA Staff Photo)
Rock Rapids, Iowa — This fall, Lyon County will be collaborating with more than 100 University of Iowa faculty, staff, and students through the Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities (IISC) on a series of projects that support the county’s long-term vision for growth and regional collaboration.
University officials tell us the partnership combines local knowledge with university expertise to develop practical recommendations that will benefit Lyon County and its communities. They say that through the partnership, graduate and advanced undergraduate student teams will contribute more than 10,000 hours of professional service to locally identified priorities. This year’s projects are focused on expanding housing opportunities, strengthening regional recreation and trail connections, supporting community development, and enhancing quality of life throughout Lyon County.
We’re told that a key initiative this year is a countywide Housing Needs Assessment, which will provide data and recommendations to help address current and future housing demand. Additional projects include a regional trail connectivity plan exploring opportunities to link communities and recreational destinations across the county, a redesign of the former Larchwood Community Center to identify new community uses for the building, and engineering concepts to improve stormwater management for a proposed residential subdivision in Inwood.
Lyon County officials and University of Iowa students and faculty will officially kick off the
partnership during a community visit on August 29. Throughout the day, students will meet
with county leaders and local stakeholders, tour project sites, learn about the region’s assets
and priorities, and begin collaborating on the projects that will continue throughout the
academic year.
The current project list can be found here. Additional projects may be added throughout the academic year.
