Recently, I walked to the Canzani Center at CCAD (1,300 students) to check out the annual student exhibition. There was so much creativity within the walls of this building, but nothing on the outside. A very stuffy conservative attitude, keeping all that art hidden within the private realm and no effort made to connect with the shared, public realm. Walking around the campus was frustrating; where was the 5-story student apartment building with a few quirky shops and a cafe surrounding an artsy plaza designed by CCAD students? There’s a couple of residences for freshman and a handful of small apartment buildings which avoided being paved over. Neither the student body nor the school officials seem to have much of a problem with the fact that half the campus consists of parking lots.
Then there is Columbus State (CSCC) with around 23,000 students which is more parking lot than college by far. You wouldn’t know that by the slideshow they have on the bottom of that page in the link. It’s almost like they know it’s a bad thing and they’re trying to hide it. With so many vast parking lots you’d think one would have made it in. (All those blank spots where there is no building is parking.)
After looking through their campus building guide, they have not one residence hall. CSCC goes out of its way to be anti-urban and accommodate car-dependency.
For colleges, places where people are supposed to be educated and rational, especially when it comes to the administration and faculty, it is astonishing that they would perpetuate the high consumption of a finite energy source. And it’s not as if I have no complaints about OSU just because it’s my alma mater. In fact, I sent in a LTTE showing my disappointment with the lack of pushing for the streetcar to extend up to OSU. But then, I guess that’s par for the course regarding colleges in this city since neither CSCC or CCAD pushed for the green line which would go along E. Broad up to Washington which would be walkable and if anyone lived on CSCC, a very short bike ride (modern streetcars have their doors level to the sidewalk which means you can just roll your bike in and makes it much easier to get around if you’re in a wheelchair). As far as I know, it doesn’t look like the city or student body has really tried to talk them into becoming more urban by adding residential and that streetcar line, though that’s something these colleges should have done of their own accord instead of needing to be prodded by anyone. If Columbus State alone were to have residences for a mere 20% of the student body, the population of downtown Columbus would double by adding 4,600 students that live downtown. Instead, both colleges basically force almost all students to buy a car in order to attend. Instead of a vibrant college neighborhood right downtown, we have this:
(CSCC)
and this (CCAD)
These colleges are in the city and it’s about time they realize that and respect their urban environment.
[...] Aside from the renovation of The Seneca, developers aren’t making much headway on the high-maintenance, low-return demographic that makes up student housing. I can’t really blame them. Perhaps the downtown universities should wake up and build a few dorms and urbanize their campuses. [...]
You need to keep an open mind and do more research if you are going to complain about educational establishments the way that you do. You do not pose a very strong argument. Students are not forced to buy cars- they automatically get to use COTA for free if they are enrolled. Since you haven’t considered more than one perspective on the issue, you wouldn’t know that not enough parking was a huge issue with students last year (and in prior years), thus, more parking was made available to accommodate paying students. More buildings are in the stage of conceptualization as we speak. And, yes, the newest building (Common Square Apts.) was designed by a CCAD student. As far as “being stuffy” and “making no effort to connect with the public realm”, it is sad that you feel that way. Had you payed any attention or done any research, you would notice that the architecture of each building on CCAD’s campus, strongly conveys a Modernist theme, which is only appropriate for the college, since it was founded on the principles of the Bahaus. In addition, CCAD strongly connects with the public by hosting public art fares and publicizing any exhibitions or events that take place on campus. Via “THE SHOW”, they invite the public into the buildings to view promising student artwork. I could continue, but I think you get the point: Do your homework before you publicly criticize anyone or any establishment.
There really is no “parking problem” for CCAD students specifically and Columbus residents in general. There is definitely, however, a driving problem. In lieu of more parking spaces add scooter parking, more bike racks, and highlight those options. Colleges and Universities have a duty to be leaders in their respective communities, not followers. The critique was written just before the new dorm building idea had been released in the next month (August 2007) and now it’s one of my favorite buildings Downtown. It replaced the area pictured 2nd to last, which was undeniably an urban abomination as one never, and I mean never, has parking facing a main street. It is always to be placed behind the building, which is key in urban form. The school had prior not been adhering to a basic necessity of urban design in numerous cases, with some of those pictured. While it is commendable that CCAD publicizes events, such as those great yearly exhibitions in the Canzani Center which I’ve visited, the campus outside of those walls isn’t going to wow anyone. Aside from the “Art” sign no one makes a special trip to Columbus to visit CCAD for it’s campus, whether it’s considered a modernist masterpiece or not, and I wouldn’t know. If this says anything, the American Institute of Architect’s guide to Columbus dedicates most of it’s blurb on the CCAD campus for the Art sign, which would otherwise have only consisted of a brief mention of the Canzani Center and Crane Center (page 119). Perhaps Modernism is minimalist, but I know that more art on the outside of campus would make it more interesting from an average pedestrian’s viewpoint because they aren’t looking at how close one adheres to Bahaus principles. In anycase, the urbanization of CCAD’s campus is bringing noticeable improvements (urban dorms and a new urban presence on Broad Street) and I’m glad it’s happening. Just don’t get me started on CSCC.