Ottumwa’s hydroelectric dam.

Above: Aerial view of Iowa River and Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown.

AMES, Iowa — The Iowa State University College of Design, in partnership with ISU Extension and Outreach, will host the Iowa Mayors’ Design Workshop (IMDW) July 30–31 on the Iowa State campus. 

The IMDW will serve as a space to identify and address complex design issues communities in Iowa face, said Erin Olson-Douglas, College of Design associate dean for extension and outreach and director of the ISU Extension and Outreach Community and Economic Development program. The two-day workshop will bring together mayors and community leaders from six Iowa towns to connect with ISU faculty, research and extension staff, and design professionals from local firms to enhance the vitality of their regions for current and future generations. 

Modeled after the 2022 Mayors’ Institute on City Design (MICD) the College of Design hosted in Des Moines, the inaugural Iowa Mayors’ Design Workshop will focus on water-related issues, including opportunities for the enhancement of riverfront areas, resilient flood management, trails and parks for recreation, adjacent development and integration of nature-based remedies, Olson-Douglas said. 

Like the MICD, which is an initiative of the National Endowment of the Arts and the United States Conference of Mayors, the IMDW will provide each participating mayor the opportunity to present a case study from their community and gain valuable insight and feedback from other mayors and members of the resource team. 

Site visit to the Cedar River in Cedar Falls.

Making a difference 

Not only will these community leaders have access to local design professions and Iowa State research and extension staff, some issues may be adopted for students to address as a project in a spring 2025 multidisciplinary design studio. The studio would engage upper-level undergraduate and graduate students in proposing design and planning responses for these cities. 

“We have a unique opportunity to provide innovative solutions for Iowans,” said College of Design dean Luis Rico-Gutierrez. “With the MICD in 2022, we were providing a framework for mayors to take back to their communities. This year, we are connecting these mayors to a network of professionals and forward-thinking students to make these ideas actionable plans.” 

Tri-Rodeo Park in Fort Madison.

As part of its land-grant mission, Iowa State seeks to enhance the lives of Iowans through design thinking and innovation. Bringing Iowa communities to the table with resources displays the university’s commitment to strengthening communities both large and small, said Erin Olson-Douglas. 

“When we hosted the MICD in 2022, we gained insight about the opportunities created by convening local leaders, providing a forum for collegial discussion and availing design thinking and expertise in this process,” Olson-Douglas said. “We look forward to applying these experiences for the purpose of fostering design and community development leadership among Iowa’s mayors.” 

Participating Iowa mayors include:

Grace Garrett, Atlantic
Joel Greer, Marshalltown

Drainage running under Desperados restaurant in Atlantic.

Rick Johnson, Ottumwa
Danny Laudick, Cedar Falls
Matt Mohrfeld, Fort Madison
Matt Walsh, Council Bluffs 

In addition to Olson-Douglas and Rico-Gutierrez, resource team members include:
Matt Anderson, deputy city manager, City of Des Moines
Austin Dunn, assistant professor of landscape architecture, ISU College of Design
Paul Mankins, principal, Substance Architecture
Sara McMillan, professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering, ISU College of Engineering
Bethany Wilcoxon, senior advisor, McClure Engineering 

ISU Extension and Outreach community and economic development field specialists who serve the participating communities include:

Lynn Adams, Atlantic and Council Bluffs
Himar Hernandez, Ottumwa
Soneeta Mangra-Dutcher, Cedar Falls
Omar Padilla, Marshalltown
Mary Weinand, Fort Madison 

Indian Creek flowing through a concrete channel in Council Bluffs.

Joining Dunn, McMillan and Olson-Douglas on the Iowa Mayors’ Design Workshop management team are: 

Julie Robison, assistant director, Institute for Design Research and Outreach
Carl Rogers, associate professor and chair of landscape architecture, ISU College of Design
Eli Wilson, program coordinator, Institute for Design Research and Outreach

The workshop is funded by Iowa State University’s Office of the Vice President for Research with additional support from the Office of the Vice President for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. 

Contacts

Erin Olson-Douglas, Associate Dean for Extension and Outreach, College of Design, eod@iastate.edu
Luis Rico-Gutierrez, Dean, College of Design, lrico@iastate.edu
Julie Robison, Assistant Director, Institute for Design Research and Outreach, jrobison@iastate.edu
Lauren Johnson, Communications Specialist, College of Design, laujohn2@iastate.edu