OSU Master Plan: Next 50 Years of Development
This past Thursday, the Columbus Chapter of the Urban Land Institute presented the new “One Ohio State Framework”, which outlines a plan for redeveloping The Ohio State University campus over the next half-century.
The long-term plan focuses on few main strategies and has developed a list of recommendations that aim to strengthen the University:
- Concentrating Academic Activity to Regenerate the Academic Core - Bringing several of the existing colleges and departments scattered throughout the west campus area into available areas ready for redevelopment on the main campus.
- Invest in Civic Infrastructure - Create new connections between the main campus and west campus including a reconnected Kinnear Road under 315 and across the river. A new transit loop would be created to service cross-campus commuters.
- Transform the River and The Green Reserve - Realigning Cannon Drive to redevelop the river greenspace, removing the Fifth Avenue lowhead dam, and redeveloping green space on west campus.
- Strengthen Connections and Identity - Concentrating regional activity within the campus to create new focused hubs including a Science and Technology Gateway and a Research and Health Science Gateway on west campus, and a Cultural Corridor along High Street.
- Enhance Residential Life, Neighborhoods and Recreation - Exploring new opportunities for residential development both on-campus in new dormitory buildings and off-campus with new public/private partnerships, which could include a new “North Campus Gateway“.
- Promote Partnerships - Connect more strongly to neighborhoods and institutions including University District, Weinland Park, Tech Columbus, Battelle, et cetera.
Last week, the OSU Board of Trustees unanimously voted to approve the planning principles and move forward with adopting the new master plan.
Some of the renderings and maps from the presentation can be found below:
More information can be found online at http://fod.osu.edu/afp/.
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Related Tags: campus • Development • osu • students • University District • Urban Land Institute • urban planning
June 28th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
I just hope OSU, Columbus and Upper Arlington develop a plan to make Kinnear road more pedestrian friendly before they recconnect it with the main campus. It’s a shame that sidewalks have never been installed especially when you can clearly see paths/ruts in the ground from so much foot traffic.
June 28th, 2010 at 2:55 pm
Glad to see the 5th ave dam will be removed.( Here’s hoping Public Utilities will finally get it together and get it done) Does anyone know if OSU and Metro Parks plan on maintaining the river edges in a natural state or will OSU continue to mow right up to the edge of the river? Is there a link to the presentation and the images? The link provided is all general mumbo jumbo
June 28th, 2010 at 7:08 pm
what happened to drake union?
June 28th, 2010 at 7:36 pm
lazyfish Says: Is there a link to the presentation and the images?
I thought their site had the presentation, but I’m not seeing it now. I will email it to you, as it was sent to me as a PDF and it’s a fairly large file size.
If anyone else wants it, just send me an email (walkerevans@columbusunderground.com) and I’ll pass it along.
June 28th, 2010 at 7:54 pm
START WITH:
OPEN 15TH IN TO CAMPUS,
PUT THE STREET BACK IN AROUND OVAL;
OPEN 16TH,17TH, ETC…;
ASK CITY TO OPEN THE STREETS ON THEIR SIDE OF HIGH,
ELIMINATE ONE WAY STREETS WHERE POSSIBLE,
WELCOME IN COMMUNITY AS WAS PRESIDENT GEE’S INTIATIVE;
DO THESE SHORT TERM PLANS—FORGET LONG TERM PLANS.
BUSH; MEMBER ~ PRESIDENT’S CLUB, FACULTY CLUB, ALUM.
June 28th, 2010 at 10:03 pm
I really give OSU and Sasaki a lot of credit for pushing a number of pretty bold ideas. They focused the most dense uses into the campus core and really tried to integrate the campus as a whole back into the larger urban community. It would be great if eventually OSU’s campus was less its own thing and felt more a part of the city. I dont know how reasonable it is to open the whole campus back up to vehicular traffic, but in general there are a number of key connections that will help strengthen connectivity between neighborhoods. My personal favorites are the kinnear road connection and the enhancement of the riverfront. The 315 thing makes all the sense in the world and i wouldnt be surprised if the value of the newly created riverfront property is close to the cost of moving the freeway.
June 29th, 2010 at 9:24 am
Not a fan of moving 315 to where the train tracks are. I’d much rather see heavy rail / commuter rail / light rail on those tracks then seeing ODOT drop hundreds of millions of dollars to improve something that doesn’t need to be improved. It looks like only from King to Kinnear any land would be taken “back” from 315. Most of the section is a bridge or just touches land briefly. Additionally looking at the renderings *no* buildings are expected to built on the newly reclaimed land. So it looks like they want it to be park lands only? If so there goes the idea that new riverfront would pay for moving 315.
June 29th, 2010 at 9:29 am
Trustees OK big-picture plan for OSU
50-year wish list includes Rt.315 moved west
Saturday, June 19, 2010 02:50 AM
BY ENCARNACION PYLE
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
…
Moving the 7,000 parking spaces along the Olentangy River and creating a recreational swath along both shores. To improve traffic flow and open up more green space along the river, it is recommended that Rt. 315 be straightened and moved slightly west. Ohio Department of Transportation spokesman Brian Hedge said he’s never heard of the proposal.
READ MORE
June 29th, 2010 at 11:12 am
A prerequisite of a 50 year plan is a few bold strokes, moving 315 is kinda tame. I would have added some hover car parking. ;)
June 29th, 2010 at 11:31 am
the plan is also 100% lacking in use of monorails!
June 30th, 2010 at 5:10 pm
I’d like to see 315 brought down to ground level and turned into a boulevard right along the river. Combine it with Olentangy and put a few traffic lights in. Sure, it would be crowded, but it would be a more grand entry to downtown.
July 1st, 2010 at 8:49 pm
I like the boulevard idea for 315… actually making it like a parkway-esque style, kind of like the George Washington Parkway in DC would be pretty sweet. I am NOT a fan of putting 315 where the tracks are. We might need those by 2050 for some better transit. Cars won’t be this popular forever, we got to keep that mind ;)
July 3rd, 2010 at 3:07 pm
I think the ideal solution is an urban boulevard or something similar & I totally agree that the RR Right of Way is better served for transit.
However, assuming that traffic needs are going to stay relatively the same, it might be impossible to reduce 315 down to a surface street. One solution might be a combined RR/Transit/Highway Right of Way. i have no idea how this would work and if thats what the master plan is suggesting; it was pretty light on details. I do think it was a good move to at least suggest that 315 could be moved off the riverfront and open up that whole area for ecological restoration, recreation and redevelopment.
July 3rd, 2010 at 3:37 pm
tree_sketcher Says: However, assuming that traffic needs are going to stay relatively the same…
I’d have to imagine that traffic needs are going to grow, not only in the immediate area around OSU, but regionally, adding more and more traffic to 315.
I’ve often thought that the RR tracks that run parallel to 315 would make a great suburban commuter line from Downtown Delaware to Downtown Columbus with stops at Powell, 161, Bethel, Riverside, Lane Ave, Lennox, Gowdy/GrandviewYard, NorthBank and either Franklinton or the Convention Center. Of course, that would probably cost $200M to implement and taxpayers would prefer to spend $800M on adding extra lanes to 315 instead. ;P
July 6th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
I’m surprised that there wasn’t more thought given to transportation to, from, and around campus. Does that mean they’re happy with the status quo? I’m not. I think OSU/COTA could significantly improve service to campus, especially for commuters and employees. If successful, they might even be able to reduce the demand for future additional parking enough to use that space for academic buildings, dorms, or parks.