AMES, Iowa — Those who have made Atlantic their home appreciate the charm of small-town Iowa. Situated 50 miles east of Council Bluffs, the Cass County seat has a population of about 6,700 and a bustling business district on Chestnut Street.

Described by its mayor as quaint and tight-knit, the community faces challenges with infrastructure, especially when it comes to managing Bull Creek, an essential portion of their storm water system that runs through the town. Visibly eroding banks have made the creek an eyesore for many.

Plans to redevelop the creek and establish more recreational spaces are progressing slowly, and for Mayor Grace Garrett, the opportunity to seek advice and expertise on the project from Iowa State University came at just the right time.

Photo of 2024 Iowa Mayors’ Design Workshop participants.

Garrett was among six Iowa mayors invited to participate in the inaugural Iowa Mayors’ Design Workshop (IMDW) hosted by the Iowa State University College of Design and ISU Extension and Outreach at the end of July 2024. She joined her counterparts from Cedar Falls, Council Bluffs, Fort Madison, Marshalltown and Ottumwa for the intensive two-day workshop on campus in Ames, where they connected with a network of Iowa State faculty, extension staff and local design professionals to reimagine their cities’ futures.

“We want to give these community leaders the confidence to know they can do it and they have help,” said College of Design dean Luis Rico-Gutierrez. “This workshop will certainly open the door for further partnerships with these towns, and we at the College of Design are thrilled to be a part of their success story.”

Modeled after the 2022 Mayors Institute on City Design in Des Moines, the IMDW focused on Iowa communities with populations of between roughly 5,000 and 60,000 that have identified water-related concerns and goals, including opportunities for the enhancement of riverfront areas, resilient flood management, recreational trails and parks, adjacent development and integration of nature-based remedies.

“Being able to redevelop Bull Creek is as a big challenge, but it’s also a big opportunity for Atlantic,” said Garrett. “This is an exciting opportunity to collaborate with Iowa State University and their partners to explore some ways we can change Atlantic for the better.”

Reimagining Cedar Falls

Cedar Falls Mayor Danny Laudick giving a presentation on the Cedar City project.

Lack of funding and other resources can prevent the most well-thought-out plans from ever seeing the light of day. The city of Cedar Falls’ proposed Cedar City project aims to revitalize an underutilized parcel of land east of downtown, across the Cedar River. Although the site lies within a floodplain, the city sees it as a prime opportunity to develop a vibrant recreational district for its nearly 41,000 residents while also attracting visitors, Mayor Danny Laudick said.

“The combination of expertise [from the resource team] combined with real-world, first-hand experiences from the other attending mayors was incredibly helpful for me,” Laudick said. “Those conversations allowed me to put some concrete structure to our Cedar City project and how to potentially frame our approach to implementing it.”

The goal is to transform the area into a year-round destination, with activity and engagement extending well beyond the annual Sturgis Falls Festival in June, Laudick said.

Mayors’ Workshop – Civic Hydrology Studio

Conversations at the IMDW inspired the spring 2025 interdisciplinary studio, “Mayor’s Workshop – Civic Hydrology: Flood Resilience and Public Spaces in Iowa Communities.” In this studio, students majoring in landscape architecture, architecture, industrial design, geology, agricultural and biosystems engineering, and natural resources ecology and management will work with the cities of Cedar Falls and Atlantic to respond to real-life problems related to community facilities, amenities and waterways. 

Site visit to Cedar Falls.

In Atlantic, the class will address issues with the urban stream corridor by integrating solutions for flood resilience with placemaking and community connectivity. And in Cedar Falls, students will examine an underutilized floodplain park in the proposed Cedar City development as part of larger systems of hydrology, recreation, trails and economic development. 

The course, which begins Jan. 21, will be taught by Austin Dunn, assistant professor of landscape architecture in the College of Design, and Sara McMillan, professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering in the College of Engineering. Both were involved in organizing the Iowa Mayors’ Design Workshop and served on the resource team. Dunn says the successful event showed there is a demand among Iowa mayors for this type of engagement focused on critical issues in the built environment. 

“I left the workshop feeling inspired,” Dunn said. “The workshop clarified the scope, vision and strategies for community projects, positioning students to make impactful design recommendations. I’m excited for them to collaborate with community stakeholders and tackle meaningful design challenges across Iowa.” 

Contacts 

Austin Dunn, Assistant Professor, Department of Landscape Architecture, awdunn@iastate.edu
Lauren Johnson, Communications Specialist, College of Design, laujohn2@iastate.edu 

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