2008 Woodie Awards
Letter to the Editor
Issue date: 2/18/08 Section: Opinions
This past semester, I was delighted to see that the university administration had placed a number of structures, displaying a campus map, at strategic points throughout the campus. While it's a simple idea, it helps visitors to navigate their way throughout campus. At the same time, it might lead to new discoveries for current students, faculty, and staff.
This got me thinking about other small ideas that could help to improve the physical campus. For example, the ominous black iron fence that runs along much of Halsted and Taylor streets on the East Campus. The fence is probably most noticeable in front of Student Center East and the Hull House. It certainly isn't used for security purposes because it isn't fully enclosed, meaning that someone can just walk around a portion of the fence until they reach a gap in the fence. Rather, it creates a physical barrier between the campus and the surrounding streetscape. In some parts, the fence is beginning to show its age as pieces begin to collect rust. Why not just pull the fence out of the ground? You could avoid the cost of future maintenance (if this is being done), and make for a more inviting environment.
Another example is the abandoned lot that sits just north of the Student Recreation Facility. The rec center is nearly two years old and this prime piece of real estate sits in a dilapidated state. This land should be renovated and adapted to include some type of use that complements its next door neighbor. Why not redevelop the land so that students can play basketball, sand volleyball, street hockey, kickball, soccer or tennis? It's such a waste to have it sit fallow for nearly two years.
The university administration, when designing the South Campus expansion, did a nice job of de-emphasizing concrete when installing benches, trash cans, street lamps and other elements. Could some of these ideas be incorporated into the East or West Campus? Shifting the focus from concrete to more appealing materials like brick, wood, iron, stone, etc. would go a long way. There are certainly plenty of places where concrete could be replaced with more green space. Perhaps a sculpture, fountain, statue or reflecting pool could enhance the outside environment.
I realize that some of the low-level fencing is designed to discourage students from leaving the sidewalk and walking on the grass. Why not replace some of these fences with dense shrubbery which could serve the same purpose? Tall shrubbery or trees should be used to hide trash dumpsters, outside air conditioning/ventilating units and loading docks. Again, it's a simple idea that can make the campus more appealing.
My last comment: I'm always surprised how many sidewalks on campus, after a rain, turn into large reservoirs of rain water, forcing students to walk around the submerged sidewalk and step gingerly through the muddy field around the sidewalk. Isn't there something we can do to find a better way to drain the campus after a rain? Perhaps we could tap the expertise of faculty and students in the civil engineering department. Again, these are just a few ideas. I'm sure faculty, staff, and students could come up with many more suggestions. In fact, I would be curious to see what suggestions they might offer in a future edition of the Chicago Flame. Write it up and send it in!
Also, I would welcome any comment from Mark Donovan, head of Facilities Management at UIC. I recognize that the university is not currently in a position to fund any large capital projects despite the need (i.e. a performing arts center), but I still think that these smaller ideas could do a lot for enhancing the appeal of the campus for everyone involved. Great campus spaces are infectious - they tend to attract students, local residents and visitors. People want to be around them. They can also make a statement about how the university invests in its other resources, physical or otherwise.
Matt Smith
University of Illinois, Chicago
msmith54@uic.edu
This got me thinking about other small ideas that could help to improve the physical campus. For example, the ominous black iron fence that runs along much of Halsted and Taylor streets on the East Campus. The fence is probably most noticeable in front of Student Center East and the Hull House. It certainly isn't used for security purposes because it isn't fully enclosed, meaning that someone can just walk around a portion of the fence until they reach a gap in the fence. Rather, it creates a physical barrier between the campus and the surrounding streetscape. In some parts, the fence is beginning to show its age as pieces begin to collect rust. Why not just pull the fence out of the ground? You could avoid the cost of future maintenance (if this is being done), and make for a more inviting environment.
Another example is the abandoned lot that sits just north of the Student Recreation Facility. The rec center is nearly two years old and this prime piece of real estate sits in a dilapidated state. This land should be renovated and adapted to include some type of use that complements its next door neighbor. Why not redevelop the land so that students can play basketball, sand volleyball, street hockey, kickball, soccer or tennis? It's such a waste to have it sit fallow for nearly two years.
The university administration, when designing the South Campus expansion, did a nice job of de-emphasizing concrete when installing benches, trash cans, street lamps and other elements. Could some of these ideas be incorporated into the East or West Campus? Shifting the focus from concrete to more appealing materials like brick, wood, iron, stone, etc. would go a long way. There are certainly plenty of places where concrete could be replaced with more green space. Perhaps a sculpture, fountain, statue or reflecting pool could enhance the outside environment.
I realize that some of the low-level fencing is designed to discourage students from leaving the sidewalk and walking on the grass. Why not replace some of these fences with dense shrubbery which could serve the same purpose? Tall shrubbery or trees should be used to hide trash dumpsters, outside air conditioning/ventilating units and loading docks. Again, it's a simple idea that can make the campus more appealing.
My last comment: I'm always surprised how many sidewalks on campus, after a rain, turn into large reservoirs of rain water, forcing students to walk around the submerged sidewalk and step gingerly through the muddy field around the sidewalk. Isn't there something we can do to find a better way to drain the campus after a rain? Perhaps we could tap the expertise of faculty and students in the civil engineering department. Again, these are just a few ideas. I'm sure faculty, staff, and students could come up with many more suggestions. In fact, I would be curious to see what suggestions they might offer in a future edition of the Chicago Flame. Write it up and send it in!
Also, I would welcome any comment from Mark Donovan, head of Facilities Management at UIC. I recognize that the university is not currently in a position to fund any large capital projects despite the need (i.e. a performing arts center), but I still think that these smaller ideas could do a lot for enhancing the appeal of the campus for everyone involved. Great campus spaces are infectious - they tend to attract students, local residents and visitors. People want to be around them. They can also make a statement about how the university invests in its other resources, physical or otherwise.
Matt Smith
University of Illinois, Chicago
msmith54@uic.edu
Be the first to comment on this story