UniverCity Dane County
During 2017-19, UniverCity Alliance partnered with the Dane County Board of Supervisors (the county’s legislative and policy-making body) to advance equity and sustainability throughout Dane County. UniverCity continues to partner with Dane County through ongoing policy analysis projects.
UniverCity Dane County reached nearly every corner of the UW-Madison campus.
* 389 students
* 26 projects
* 20 courses
* 16 faculty
* 12 UW-Madison departments
* 8 UW-Madison schools and colleges
* 5 Dane County project leads
* 2 UW-Madison staff
A Team Effort
We are grateful for the Dane County supervisors and staff members who shared their expertise with UW-Madison staff, faculty and students. Thank you to the UW-Madison professors who made space for UniverCity Alliance projects in their courses.
Learn More
For detailed information on project goals, research methods, findings and recommendations, download students’ final reports below.
- Reviewing Dane County independent redistricting process. Fall 2022.
- Analyzing Kassel-Dane sister county relationship. Fall 2022.
- Addressing the teen mental health crisis in Dane County Spring 2023.
- Analyzing the needs of Dane County’s rural elderly population. Spring 2023.
- Adressing sustainability and equity in convention centers. Fall 2023.
- Exploring Pay for Success and Social Impact Bond interventions in Dane County. Spring 2024.
- Phase 1: Needs Analysis and Assessment of Opportunities and Best Practices for Winter Communal Gardening Programming and Spaces in Dane County, WI. Fall 2024.
- Phase 2: Needs Analysis and Assessment of Opportunities and Best Practices for Winter Communal Gardening Programming and Spaces in Dane County, WI. Spring 2025.
- Research and assessment of local government programs and initiatives for opioid harm reduction report. Fall 2025.
- Assessing local policy options related to large data centers in Wisconsin. Fall 2025.
Students analyzed 95 parcels throughout Dane County, assessing the feasibility of future workforce housing developments at these sites. Students considered risks, determined funding options, and designed structures to address the county’s most urgent housing needs. Students also recommended energy efficient and sustainable materials to use when constructing workforce housing developments. Finally, they investigated the merits of the cooperative housing model to encourage resident engagement, promote sustainable growth and increase the longevity of the property.
Courses
- Civil Engineering 421: Environmental Sustainability Engineering. Professor Andrea Hicks. “Impact analysis of sustainable home systems and features”
- Landscape Architecture 351: Housing and Urban Design. Professor James LaGro. “Designing distinctive communities in DeForest”
- Real Estate 365/765: Residential Health. Professor Tom Landgraf. “Housing for aging residents: Proposals for DeForest and Windsor”
- Real Estate 420/720: Urban and Regional Economics. Professor Jaime Luque. “Closing the housing gap in Dane County: site analyses, values and risks”
- Real Estate 611: Residential Property Development. Professor Tom Landgraf. “Concepts for multi-family and small-lot developments in DeForest and Fitchburg”
- Real Estate 651: Green Sustainable Development. Professor Tom Landgraf. “Solar energy considerations for residential and commercial properties”
- Urban & Regional Planning 611: Urban Design: Theory and Practice. Professor James LaGro. “Guidelines for affordable and workforce housing in Dane County”
- Urban & Regional Planning 844: Housing and Public Policy. Professor Kurt Paulsen. “Dane County Housing Needs Assessment: Update 2019”
Students researched case studies of local and national organizations using cooperative business models to reduce food insecurity and increase access to affordable childcare. They also developed communication campaigns to increase participation in community supported agriculture farms among low-income families and to encourage use of the microenterprise business loan program. Finally, students investigated options for using the grounds of the Alliant Energy Center for pop-up shops.
Courses
- Agricultural & Applied Economics 323: Cooperatives. Professors Anne Reynolds and Courtney Berner. “Housing, childcare, food: How cooperatives can help build a stronger, more resilient workforce”
- Environmental Studies 402: People, Environment and Sustainability. Professor Tom Eggert. “Providing resources and creating opportunities for all Dane County residents”
- Life Sciences Communication 515: Public Information Campaigns and Programs. Professor Neil Stenhouse. “Increasing memberships in Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA)”
A number of people repeatedly cycle through jails, mental health facilities and social services. Students recommended processes to more effectively serve frequent users of county services, including integrating data and systems across multiple agencies. Students also analyzed usage data to tell stories about the work of county service providers.
Courses
- Global Health Institute: Quality Improvement Leadership Institute. Professor Lori DiPrete Brown. “Comprehensive Community Services program development plan”
- Journalism 677: Concepts and Tools for Data Analysis and Visualization. Professor Christopher Wells. “Interactive data visualizations”
- Population Health Sciences 780: Public Health: Principles and Practice. Professor Barbara Duerst. “Integrated human services data: Improving service provision for the super-utilizer population”
Students identified agricultural practices that protect and improve the quality of the county’s waterways. They also investigated the anaerobic digestion process of converting manure into biogas and fertilizer. They designed watershed conservation plans for Door and Dorn Creek and studied how riparian buffers can minimize the impact of runoff. Finally, students conducted user experience design analyses of nutrient-management-planning software.
Courses
- Engineering 601: Interdisciplinary Design for Energy & Sustainability. Professor Scott Williams. “Financially feasible anaerobic digesters: A proposal for Clean Fuel Partners“
- Environmental Studies 402: People, Environment and Sustainability. Professor Tom Eggert. “Phosphorus management recommendations”
- Environmental Studies 972: Conservation Planning. Professor Arlyne Johnson. “Conservation management plans: Door and Dorn Creek”
- Library and Information Studies 640: User Experience Evaluation and Testing. Professor Kyung-Sun Kim. “Helping farmers manage nutrients: A user-experience-design analysis of SnapPlus”