As I start this semester, I would like to practice gratitude for the work of those who walked this campus before me, each one an incidental architect of the green spaces on campus that I now call home. Through much homesickness and exploration, I’m glad to find outdoorsy pieces of myself reflected in the natural design of campus. It is with such ease that greenery is integrated into the roll of daily life at State College, and it is a wonder that I could have been stuck with the alternative! To unpack this, we must think of the way in which our days start at school: the commute. It is no accident that this takes place, for many Penn Staters, in the form of a morning walk.

Take a look at the intersection that greets students as they enter the West Halls:

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This image comes from Her Campus, one of the student clubs at Penn State dedicated to promoting the features of campus from the perspective of students. Obviously, this view is full of greenery, but it is also quite pedestrian-friendly. The entrance to West prominently features several traffic-controlling measures, such as poles to protect foot traffic, as well as more subtle indications of the ideological shift surrounding campus infrastructure. See the stripe of red brick that extends toward the camera? This indicates to pedestrians that they can cross on this part of the road– but it goes beyond the typical paint job that constitutes a crosswalk. By raising the pedestrian path to be continuous and maintaining the same material as the sidewalk, the infrastructure clearly prioritizes the commute of pedestrians, making them feel safer and less interrupted on their journey. This also sends a signal to cars: Share the road! Although this may not seem ground-breaking to many residents of Main Campus, this is a wild breakaway from the typical infrastructure of North American cities. As an antithesis, take this intersection into the nearest grocery store in my home town, Morgantown:

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It seems counterintuitive that a relatively rural area should appear so industrial, and so unfriendly to the pedestrian, in comparison with the higher-density community that is State College. By its intersections alone, this space tells us that cars are clearly in control. But wait! There’s more!

Here’s a picture of my hometown’s grocery store:

(Image Credit)

And here’s a picture of the front of the downtown HUB, the main student depot at Penn State:

(Image Credit)

Can you notice the difference? That’s right– it’s people! The expansive asphalt of a large grocery complex is built for the prominence of the car as a means of transportation. Notice the lack of bike parking space, the square angles, and the general lack of a social infrastructure on the exterior of the store. There is no comfortable corner of foot traffic where two people can pause for a conversation, and even if there were, the view and experience is not built for their interests. Contrast this with the front of the HUB, and the difference is clear– one space was clearly designed with pedestrians in mind, and it wasn’t the conglomerate grocery chain.

Penn State commuter spaces are built from the perspective of the pedestrian, and as a result, they are pleasant spaces to exist in as a student. The inverse is also possible; in the end, it does not matter which came first between the chicken and the egg– the increased commuting population or the betterment of the commuting experience. These many generations of interplay between urban space design and user input have resulted in green spaces that are arguably better than car-priority spaces, and certainly a good deal more beautiful.

I believe that inquisitive minds are the most powerful resource of any community. Moving through campus, across all learning disciplines and academic theses, is the energy of improvement. A readily available supply of workers, thinkers, and enthusiasts of all trades propels our living spaces into tomorrow’s needs, almost effortlessly. To follow the pedagogy on public transportation, I believe that our pedestrian experience is positively curated from the simple fact that anyone can be seen commuting here, even professors. I am excited to explore the rest of campus and share its bits of sunshine with you!