Page 24 - College Planning & Management, September 2018

OUTSIDE IDEAS FOR URBAN CAMPUSES
to a “more diverse, native, and resilient landscape,” and guiding how sustainability “is pursued in service” to the university’s mission, according to David L. Rea, the uni- versity’s associate vice president for Campus Planning and Project Management.
Further, making the Austin campus
as friendly to foot traffic as possible is another important outdoor component and a telling example. As Rea explains, the goal is “to enhance the pedestrian environ- ment, especially in the core campus, by relocating cars to a variety of parking
garages built on the campus perimeter.” He says the result of recent work along that line, the Speedway Mall project, opened
in 2018, “is a pedestrian-focused environ- ment stretching nearly a half mile, replac- ing what was previously a parking lot.”
The configuration features a generously scaled, 36-foot-wide brick walkway framed by mature trees. Rea adds that the project has created “a better environment to travel between classes” and a space that fosters student interactions. Moreover, it is a pe- destrian thoroughfare as well as a destina- tion, where “student services and student organizations are promoted, a place for campus-wide festivals” and performances day and night, the university points out.
At so many campuses, proximity to the city is a crucial asset in terms of education- al, intellectual, and career and life experi- ence. And given the inherent challenges, it is notable that numerous urban institutions—
like counterparts in suburban, land-grant, and rural settings—have, and are, creating meritorious, attractive outside spaces.
Back at UIC, campus decision makers have long had the goal, and have achieved, an additional asset: Combining the op- portunities of the world-class city with the meandering, open and “sticky” green spaces of the university. A compelling outsideideaindeed. CPM
Scott Berman is a freelance writer with experience in educational topics.
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PHOTO © LAURIE LENTZ, COURTESY OF UT AUSTIN
PHOTO © MARSHA MILLER, COURTESY OF UT AUSTIN