Students join Peoria leadership to kick off the fall 2021 semester

On September 8, 2021, ASU Project Cities hosted its “Meet Peoria” kickoff event for the fall semester student projects. Students from eight projects convened for an informative Q&A panel with Peoria leadership and the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about their projects. The event kicked off with an exciting game of Peoria trivia, touching on Peoria’s history and previous projects with Project Cities. Following the trivia, city leaders joined for an interactive panel about their work with Peoria and to answer questions about this semester’s projects. The leadership panel comprised of Peoria City Manager Jeff Tyne, Deputy City Manager Erik Strunk, Interim Public Works Director and long-time PC champion Jay Davies, and Assistant to the City Manager Sharon Roberson. Panel members shared their experiences working in Peoria, as well as what drew them to the public sector. Students came prepared with questions to learn more about the context of their projects and what Peoria is looking for in the final deliverable. “You’ve done so many [projects] for us. We’re in varying states of implementing some of those recommendations. Not all of them, but most of them are being incorporated to our long-term planning” Erik Strunk, Deputy City Manager You can view the recording HERE

Fall 2021 projects

Public Transit Outreach. In a third installment of Peoria’s POGO transit project, students from Nicole Lee’s CMN 520 Communication Campaigns class will work with Peoria’s Transit Manager and Public Works Director to develop an outreach campaign of Peoria’s recently revamped POGO transit system. Solid Waste: E-waste and Biomass Feasibility Study. As a follow up to the highly successful sustainable waste management project, students from Al Brown’s ERM 432/532 Sustainable Solid Waste class will be splitting into groups to research two highly challenging materials: e-waste and biomass gasification. Students will investigate Peoria’s capacity to implement a e-waste recycling and biomass gasification program. Recycling Education Campaign. Students from Nicole Lee’s CMN 520 Communication Campaigns class will work with Public Works to develop a recycling education campaign to reduce Peoria’s recycling contamination rate and educate residents on sustainable waste management programs in Peoria. Community Engagement Strategy. In part one of a community engagement project, three students from Greg Broberg’s JUS 500 Research Methods class will identify barriers in reaching Peoria’s residents, as well as identify strategies to increase resident engagement. Community Engagement Pilot. As a companion to the Community Engagement Strategy project, students from LaDawn Haglund’s JUS 456 Human Rights & Sustainability class will interview Peoria staff on their perceptions of sustainability and human rights in the context of city planning. Historic Preservation: Frameworks and Guiding Principles. Three students from Daniel Schugurensky’s PAF 509 Public Affairs Capstone will work with the City Manager’s Office and Planning and Zoning to research historic preservation frameworks and strategies, as well as conduct a case study review of peer communities to inform program planning for the City of Peoria. Dark Sky Ordinance Study. Students from Nalini Chhetri’s SOS 498/594 Urban Sustainability Best Practices class will consult with Peoria’s Planning and Zoning department to research best practices in reducing light pollution. Safe Battery Storage in Residential Areas. One student from Malcolm Goggin’s PAF 509 Public Affairs Capstone will be working with Public Safety and Planning and Zoning to examine safety considerations around battery storage.   Project Cities is a member of the Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities Network (EPIC-N) and is administered by ASU’s Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory and the Sustainable Cities Network. Stay up to date with Project Cities and the Sustainable Cities Network by following us on social media or subscribing to our newsletter.