Many universities have limited space for cars, lots of sidewalks and spaces for students to walk or cycle between classes (and often to residences on or near campus). Generally, students can buy most of what they need at shops on campus or very nearby, and there are lots of third spaces such as parks and plazas where they can simply hang out with friends.
They may be the nearest thing some cities have to walkable communities (sometimes known as 15 minute communities). I have seen arguments that they may be part of what has older adults reflecting back on university as one of the best times of their lives. There may be some truth to this.
This week, I returned to living on campus for the first time since 1980 as I have been at a textile conference out of town. I walked a lot! I’m actually pretty impressed with myself, considering that I spent hours every day hunched over textile equipment.
I’m an analyst at heart, so I checked with Google Maps to estimate how far I would have walked as a first-year student at the University of Western Ontario, when I lived in a residence and walked to the music school every day. I walked a lot then, too: at a minimum, I walked to class, then home for lunch, then back to class and home again. That’s over 50 minutes of walking, even before going out in the evening, or leaving campus, or going to a class in a different building.
This week’s distances were similar, by the time I walked to breakfast, to my classes, home to unload and rest, and then back to the class area for evening activities. There were lots of elevators, and car parking and a shuttle bus for those with disabilities, so there were options for people who don’t walk everywhere.
Obviously, university campuses aren’t a perfect model for walkable communities for whole families or people who don’t work on campus. But wouldn’t it be nice if we could incorporate more active transit, third spaces and housing that is close to where we live and shop?
