Campus Walkability
Most colleges have a highly walkable, bikeable campus. Most people love this type of environment. Some of the key features include:
* function buildings clustered closely together (e.g. class buildings, libraries, a student union)
* many wide sidewalks that are kept clear (and double as billboards with chalk messages)
* bike paths, often separate from both sidewalks and streets
* a variety of housing from large dorm buildings to smaller apartment buildings to sharehouses
* numerous supportive businesses (restaurants, bookstores, print shops, etc.) provide jobs and goods
We know how to build campuses that work. We have a lot of them. So I see two useful approaches here:
1) In a healthy town with a vigorous college, look for ways to extend that highly functional area farther so more people can enjoy it.
2) If a college closes, as happens often due to shrinking towns now, be prepared to grab that space and keep it intact for use as a walkable neighborhood core. It doesn't have to stay a college in order to stay walkable. It would be just as nice for young families, seniors, an intentional community, or any other subgroup that values walkable space.
* function buildings clustered closely together (e.g. class buildings, libraries, a student union)
* many wide sidewalks that are kept clear (and double as billboards with chalk messages)
* bike paths, often separate from both sidewalks and streets
* a variety of housing from large dorm buildings to smaller apartment buildings to sharehouses
* numerous supportive businesses (restaurants, bookstores, print shops, etc.) provide jobs and goods
We know how to build campuses that work. We have a lot of them. So I see two useful approaches here:
1) In a healthy town with a vigorous college, look for ways to extend that highly functional area farther so more people can enjoy it.
2) If a college closes, as happens often due to shrinking towns now, be prepared to grab that space and keep it intact for use as a walkable neighborhood core. It doesn't have to stay a college in order to stay walkable. It would be just as nice for young families, seniors, an intentional community, or any other subgroup that values walkable space.