UniverCity Monona
The City of Monona is a small community of almost 8,000 residents located on the east shore of Lake Monona and 7 miles from the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. It was incorporated as a village in 1938 and during the 1950s experienced substantial population growth. After annexing several properties for residential, commercial and industrial growth, Monona eventually became landlocked. It is now the oldest community in Dane County and is seeking solutions to its aging housing stock, how to grow without the ability to expand, and how to preserve its small-town community feel and natural resources during redevelopment.
Because of its close proximity to the university, and the strong support of Mayor Bob Miller, Monona was chosen for the inaugural year of the UniverCity Year program at UW-Madison during the 2016-17 academic year. The partnership garnered much media coverage.
Project news
Learn more about the UniverCity Year Monona projects, and hear feedback from Monona staff and community, in this video by the City of Monona.
Learn more about UniverCity Year Monona in this UW-Madison video featuring Monona Mayor Bob Miller and UW-Madison students and staff.
Learn More
Executive summaries of UniverCity Year Monona are now available in our year-end report.
How can we ensure Monona parks will be enjoyed by all for generations to come?
Students researched and recommended improvements to the master plans for Ahuska and Winnequah parks. They focused on increasing the usability of the parks, including improvements to lighting, pedestrian paths, sports fields, and restroom facilities. UW-Madison courses also investigated sustainable environmental management improvements like irrigation, drainage, landscaping, shoreline restoration and turf management.
Courses and final reports
- Civil Engineering 578: Senior Capstone Design. Professor Greg Harrington. “Engineering and Landscape Designs for Ahuska Park in the City of Monona”
- Civil Engineering 578: Senior Capstone Design. Professor Mark Oleinik. “Engineering Upgrades to Winnequah Park”
- Environmental Studies 600: Culture and Conservation: Living Ho-Chunk History in Monona Parks. Professor Jessica Conaway. “Preserving Ho-Chunk History and Culture in Parks”
- Landscape Architecture 365: Planting Design. Professor John Harrington. “Designs for Ahuska Park in the City of Monona”
- Landscape Architecture 451: Open Space Planning and Design. Professor Sam Dennis and Professor Travis Flohr. “Reimagining Winnequah Park”
- Landscape Architecture 610: Senior Capstone. Professor Eric Schuchardt. “Monona Trails Master Plan”
- Population Health 740: Health Impact Assessment of Global Environmental Change. Professor Jonathan Patz. “Recommendations for Improving Residents’ Health”
- Soil Science 332: Turfgrass Nutrient and Water Management. Professor Douglas Soldat. “Turf Management at Ahuska Park in the City of Monona”
How can we make transportation safer and more accessible?
Students planned improvements to Monona’s transportation infrastructure, ensuring that biking and walking routes to transit and key destinations are safe and accessible to all. They also examined the social behaviors around active transportation, designed a campaign to encourage biking and walking to schools, and assessed the health benefits of increasing active transportation options.
Courses and final reports
- Geography 370: Introduction to Cartography. Professor William Gartner. “Walking Map of Historic Monona”
- Geography 578: GIS Applications. Professor A-Xing Zhu. “Towards Safe, Efficient Transportation Networks”
- Life Science Communication 515: Public Information Campaigns & Programs. Professor Neil Stenhouse. “Improving Residents’ Leaf Management Practices”
- Population Health 740: Health Impact Assessment of Global Environmental Change. Jonathan Patz. “Recommendations for Improving Residents’ Health”
- Urban & Regional Planning 590: Bicycles, Pedestrians, and the City. Professor Dave Cieslewicz. “Going for Silver”
- Urban & Regional Planning 912: Planning Workshop. Professor Kurt Paulsen. “Towards a Safe Routes to School Plan in Monona” (course website)
- Wisconsin Open Education Community Fellowship. Professor Carolina Sarmiento. “Active Transportation Summer Outreach Project”
How can Monona connect citizens and communicate effectively in a new era of technological innovation?
Students helped revamp the city’s digital resources for residents. Targets included researching the costs and benefits of a citywide Wi-Fi infrastructure, improving the usability of the city website, expanding the city’s presence on social media and providing programming for the community radio station.
Courses and final reports
- Agricultural & Applied Economics 323: Cooperatives. Professor Anne Reynolds. “Insights into Municipal and Cooperative Internet”
- Life Science Communication 360: Information Radio. Professor Larry Meiller. “Public Service Announcements for WVMO”, or listen to the Public Service Announcements.
- Library & Information Studies 351: Introduction to Digital Information. Professor Dorothea Salo. “Accessibility, Usability, and Search Engine Optimization of MyMonona Website”
- Marketing 355: Marketing in a Digital Age. Professor Kathryn Krueger. “Increasing Resident Engagement with Media”
- Public Affairs 881: Cost-Benefit Analysis, Dave Weimer. “Municipal Wi-Fi Cost-Benefit Analysis for the City of Monona”
How do we balance the need for stability while addressing community change and redevelopment opportunities?
Students examined the current housing climate in Monona to inform redevelopment goals and select sites for redevelopment. Focus areas included affordable housing, preservation of single-family neighborhoods, and development of mixed-use and commercial real estate to draw new families and businesses to the City of Monona.
Courses and final reports
- Population Health 740: Health Impact Assessment of Global Environmental Change. Professor Jonathan Patz. “Recommendations for Improving Residents’ Health”
- Real Estate & Urban Land Economics 365/765: Residential Health. Professor Tom Landgraf. “Monona Senior Living”
- Real Estate & Urban Land Economics 611: Residential Property Development. Professor Tom Landgraf. “Monona Drive Site Analysis”
- Real Estate & Urban Land Economics 611: Residential Property Development. Professor Tom Landgraf. “Small-Lot Subdivisions”
- Urban & Regional Planning 844: Housing & Public Policy. Professor Kurt Paulsen. “Financing Options to Achieve Housing Goals”
- Urban & Regional Planning 912: Planning Workshop. Professor Kurt Paulsen. “City of Monona Strategic Housing Plan Update”