Principle 4

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Principle 4: Enhance the Campus As A Place For Pedestrians. Circulation, Gathering and Accessibility.

Where possible, vehicular activity (and parking lots) should be limited to the edges of campus so that the heart of campus is pedestrian-oriented and comfortable, and vehicular-pedestrian conflicts are limited. Raised pedestrian crosswalks at key pedestrian and vehicular conflict zones and limiting the heights of adjacent plants would further contribute to a safe campus. Though trees and shrubs should be planted around the perimeter of a parking lot to soften the visual impact, shrubs should be low so that sightlines in and out of the parking lot are maintained.

Objectives and Strategies

  • The campus circulation system will include a hierarchy of walks, pathways, streets, crossings, and parking lots, prioritizing accessibility and pedestrian and bicycle traffic over vehicles.
  • Safe, visible travel routes across campus streets and pedestrian malls will be improved and developed.
  • A wayfinding and signage system will be designed to educate drivers about pedestrian and bicycle priority.
  • Native and adapted plants will be incorporated along pedestrian connections to give individual walkways a unique identity.
  • Trees will be planted along pedestrian ways to replace existing trees matched in size, form, and species to accentuate significant pedestrian ways.

Circulation

Where service vehicles and pedestrians need to share the same route, the pavements should be configured to prioritize pedestrian movement. The enhancement of alternative transportation options and infrastructure is critical – bus routes and stops, as well as bike lanes, parking, and bikesharing systems, are important factors to consider in supporting a transition to a people-centric campus. Routes for semi-annual events of move-in/move-out days for residential buildings.

Gathering

Gathering spaces should be enhanced to provide flexible seating for individual and small groups of students. The use of moveable seating and tables should be explored to create a more comfortable environment. Building entrances should incorporate seating, lighting and other site furnishings to create opportunities for students to interact after class while creating a more pedestrian friendly space at building entrances.

Accessibility

Campus accessibility initiatives are critical to creating a campus environment that is free of barriers and hazards.

EWU Office of Sustainability
117 Showalter Hall,
Cheney, WA 99004
Contact
Erik Budsberg, Director of Sustainability
ebudsberg@ewu.edu
509.359.6476

The Office of Sustainability seeks to serve as a source of sustainability-focused initiatives, a central hub of information for sustainable practices at EWU, and to engage with community members to promote sustainability in the Inland Northwest.

Eastern Washington University resides within the traditional homelands of the Spokane People and other tribes who are connected through their shared history of this region.

This land holds their cultural DNA and it is their Ancestors who are here and bring forth the knowledge of this place—the knowledge that comes from the land.