University of Iowa: Final Northside Neighbourhood Plan

North America is home to numerous historic neighbourhoods that are characterized by their distinctive architecture and rich history, making them an important part of cultural heritage. However, without proper urban planning that considers historic preservation, these beautiful neighbourhoods can deteriorate over time.

Take for instance, the Northside Neighbourhood in Iowa City. It has 23 listings included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). A pillar of the Iowa City community, this neighbourhood’s future is threatened by issues such as housing deterioration, an increase in rental housing that lacks sufficient quality standards, and high land taxes that do not reflect reinvestment. The tight-knit community of the Northside Neighbourhood hired the student project team from University of Iowa (UI) to study trends in housing quality and compare property tax revenue with that of other neighborhoods in Iowa City. The goal was to develop a plan for residents to advocate for change at the local government level and prevent further deterioration and loss of character in their community.

In order to evaluate housing quality, the University of Iowa worked with Poket to design a survey interface tailored to facilitate more efficient collection of property data. The survey assessed various aspects of properties, including aesthetic conditions (e.g. state of exterior paint), property upkeep (e.g. presence of trash bins in the yard), vacancy status, and other physical conditions (such as condition of roofs). It relied entirely on an external visual examination of each house’s conditions, making Poket’s ability to input and interpret visual data crucial for gathering primary data (as shown below).

A unique feature of Poket is the ability for participants of the study to see each other’s submissions on a real-time, map-based view in the Poket mobile app. This allowed the project team to avoid mapping the same house, making the process more efficient and reducing redundancy through better organization. Poket’s technology is also highly accessible as it works even on low-cost smartphones and can be used completely offline while in the field. It is end-to-end encrypted, with a lock-and-key design that only allows access to those with a specific code for secure access.

Through this study, the UI project team was able to uncover high rates of aesthetic and foundational issues among housing units, particularly in the southeastern part of the neighborhood near downtown.

24% of homes in the Northside Neighbourhood had foundation quality issues that present health and safety concerns for residents. The most common aesthetic problem in the area was that over one-third (38%) of homes need repainting.

In addition to the primary data collected using Poket, the UI project team received data from the City of Iowa. This included information on demolished housing and its replacement, property use trends, tax revenue, and capital expenditures in the Northside Neighborhood and two other neighborhoods for comparison.

After analyzing the data collected using Poket, the UI project team was able to make a data-driven recommendation to the City of Iowa. The data helped justify the importance of reinvesting tax revenue from the Northside Neighborhood back into the community. This can be done through measures such as tax abatements, grants or low-interest loans for home improvements, stricter rental permit requirements, and modified Historic Preservation Guidelines to encourage home repairs in historic properties. Additionally, the UI team encouraged the residents to consider establishing a Self-Supporting Municipal Improvement District to generate funds for neighborhood improvements.

Poket enabled the UI student project team to survey the Northside Neighborhood and develop recommendations that the Northside Neighborhood community could use to advocate for improved urban planning in their area. Real-time, high impact data collection will continue to play an increasingly vital role in urban revitalization - and Poket can help research teams collect good quality primary spatial data. The most common aesthetic problem in the area was that over one-third (38%) of homes need repainting.

In addition to the primary data collected using Poket, the UI project team received data from the City of Iowa. This included information on demolished housing and its replacement, property use trends, tax revenue, and capital expenditures in the Northside Neighborhood and two other neighborhoods for comparison.

After analyzing the data collected using Poket, the UI project team was able to make a data-driven recommendation to the City of Iowa. The data helped justify the importance of reinvesting tax revenue from the Northside Neighborhood back into the community. This can be done through measures such as tax abatements, grants or low-interest loans for home improvements, stricter rental permit requirements, and modified Historic Preservation Guidelines to encourage home repairs in historic properties. Additionally, the UI team encouraged the residents to consider establishing a Self-Supporting Municipal Improvement District to generate funds for neighborhood improvements.

Poket enabled the UI student project team to survey the Northside Neighborhood and develop recommendations that the Northside Neighborhood community could use to advocate for improved urban planning in their area. Real-time, high impact data collection will continue to play an increasingly vital role in urban revitalization - and Poket can help research teams collect good quality primary spatial data.