Civil engineering students design dog park in UniverCity Alliance project

When it comes to community planning, Steve Sobiek, the director of business development and planning for the City of Portage, is always thinking ahead.

“What do we want Portage to look like in 10 to 20 years?” Sobiek said.

As part of a partnership between UniverCity Alliance and Columbia County from 2021-24, Sobiek worked with University of Wisconsin–Madison students, faculty members, instructors, and staff across several academic disciplines to envision the community’s future by working on economic development projects in Portage.

UniverCity connects local governments, like Columbia County and Portage, with resources at UW–Madison to move forward community priorities during a three-year partnership. Columbia County’s partnership was supported by the Alliant Energy Foundation, and Sobiek is a member of the board of directors for the Columbia County Economic Development Corporation.

Portage is in the midst of exciting growth. A developer is building a 100-lot subdivision, which is the first of its kind in Portage in over two decades, according to Sobiek.

Plans for the development called Rolling Prairie include a dog park and conservancy, which wasn’t scheduled for construction until phase two of the development. But the city and developer decided to move up construction of the dog park because it could help market the new homes to future residents.

“It forced us to get off the dime faster and get this dog park rolling,” Sobiek said. “The UniverCity project got us moving on the plan quicker than we ordinarily would, and as a result, that was a good thing.”

Civil and Environmental Engineering capstone students developed three potential designs for a dog park, weighing the construction cost, site work, environmental sustainability, and overall aesthetics. Now, the dog park, which will include eight acres of fenced-in dog park and 11 acres of restored prairie with walking paths, is under construction.

UniverCity Alliance Managing Director Gavin Luter said outcomes like this and on other projects accomplished through the partnership with Columbia County demonstrate the exciting synergy that happens when local governments are connected to university resources. It also points to the quality work that UW–Madison students can accomplish in partnership with communities.

“We are grateful for our partners in Portage and Columbia County sharing their local expertise,” Luter said. “Portage has been empowered with new information completed by our students, but our students’ educational experiences have also been improved by working with practitioners and residents.”

A version of this story was originally published by UniverCity Alliance.

Featured image caption: Steve Sobiek, the director of business development and planning for the City of Portage, looks out over where a new dog park will be constructed in the city. Photo by Abigail Becker.