Cal State Northridge Envision 2035

Envision 2035 Campus Open Forum
Campus/Community Feedback
September 13, 2004

Question #2: What are the best ways California State University, Northridge can improve the campus environment?

Morning Session – 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
University Student Union Grand Salon

(Bolded items reflect the emphasis of forum participants)

TABLE 1
Visitor & community parking for events & recreation
Parking and traffic
Additional art and sculpture, including water sculpture, in open spaces
Work with community to create town center/promenade for students and community
Addition of interactive science center with L.A. County Museum connection
Better lighting for night students
Add another Sierra Center
Closed-circuit security cameras on campus
Summary
            Beautify spaces w/art, water, landscaping and proper signage
            Increasing night students
            Addition of interactive science center

TABLE 2
Continue good landscaping
Better maintenance and renovation of older buildings
Focus on sports
Parking and circulation on campus – Etiwanda and Plummer problem
Identify priority parking areas for students and faculty – mass transportation for campus
Awareness of market need for housing
Shaded gathering spaces
Central welcome center w/dedicated parking, pathways and signage
Safeguard green space
One stop center for life services for faculty and staff
Student services commuter center

TABLE 3
Class size and configuration for learning and teaching
Universal design
More parking
Incentives for carpooling
Question need for fraternity system
Mass transit, public transportation – avoid use of public streets
Install equipment to limit public address noise from fields
Performing Arts complex will bring additional parking problems
Better designed walkways
Lack of small intimate spaces
Better views while walking
Greenway access to Reseda
Need more great meeting places like Sierra Center

TABLE 4
Increased traffic on Zelzah due to Valley New High School #1
Insufficient lighting, safety hazards in parking lots
Pedestrian oriented campus core
Improve exterior landscaping
Define entry points to campus with signage
Acquire property toward Reseda Blvd.
Bell tower as a symbol of the campus
Improve exterior signage on Reseda Blvd. and Nordhoff Street
Campus gates

TABLE 5
Safety must be exemplary
Funding Recreation Facilities

Commuters v. Student Residents

Uniformed security guards needed – give info
Difficult to find places

Improve signage
More info kiosks
Label buildings

24/7 facility
Food service needed on northern part of campus
Upgrades/Renovation of Student Centers

Better technology
Publicity/signage
Women’s Center
Chicano Studies
Off-campus houses (existing)

Master Plan w/utilization plan
Classes too spread out within programs
Programmatic changes within departments (i.e. Saturday classes) – need faculty involvement
Parking

Encourage alternate transportation – mitigates traffic and noise
Alternate time frames, not flooding parts of the campus
Intercampus shuttles for new housing on North Campus
Take new High School into consideration

TABLE 6
Already planned

Science Building
Mercantile Exchange
Performing Arts Center?

Does community use athletic fields?
Increase types of athletic venues

TABLE 7
Parking
Evaluate options for alternative transportation
Tram/Trolley system
Conflict between pedestrian and automobile traffic

Pedestrian bridges
Pick up/Drop off zones

TABLE 8
People movers – big acreage – no internal way to move fast
Misters to cool the area – encourage out of door – yearround operation of classes in courtyards
Water accessible – no fountains out of door
Too much traffic – stagger classes
Connection to Valley New High School #1
Lots of intimate meeting and eating spaces
Upgrade the technology to whatever 2035 will
Shaded open space – shaded walkways
No campus directory, just a map, interactive kiosk, map quest
Living laboratory – hydroponics yards – good to community – distinguish the campus
Traffic flow – establish solid corridors – rethink the circular route if the campus grows
Better ways to move people around the corridors from parking lots to curtail problem of people with disabilities. Some circulation system
Arboretum etc. – What will happen to features – how to enhance botanic pond, Orange Grove. & forest – what about the signage – why did we have one?
Orange Grove – historic. Campus to make investment in preservation.
More shade trees across the campus. Group walkways – plant arcades
Need new edition of the campus plants – create digital plan – require investment – CSU Plant Atlas
Summary

Shady water, comfort in the sun, moving for pedestrians, better directions/kiosks, living labs/orange groves, care for our environment and history

Evening Session -- 6:30p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Satellite Student Union Shoshone Room

TABLE 1
All proposed over the objections without consultation of the community

Negative declaration of bus terminal
MiniMed 24/7 shop center
Stadium – 15,000-seat venue for concerts.

Basic mistrust of CSUN
Academy high school was meant to be a teacher academy,

but now the students are randomly selected – broken promises

Doesn’t matter what you say, will watch what you do
Improve student housing/safety – security – easy access to criminals
Also concern about some people impacting the community – crime/criminals
Lots of crossover activity – drinking, etc.
Not necessarily CSUN students, but acts as a magnet
Needs top quality performing arts center

TABLE 2
Increase security and lighting between main campus and university parks behind baseball field, BETTER LIGHTING all over campus (no dark corners)
Better security after 11 p.m. 24/7, safety is critical
Nice aesthetic improvements post 1994
Multi-level parking (more) that is aesthetically pleasing
Play bells on weekend (bell tower)
More/better directional signage
Shaded walkways/nice landscaping, misters

TABLE 3
More bicycle capabilities (pathways/storage)
Tear down “old nasty” buildings/Halsted
Keep open spaces/green space. Don’t pave it all over.

Also, toward the edges of campus for community to share.

Need standards for buildings (environmentally friendly)
Graduate student and faculty housing
Really good internal campus transport system
Community (external) use of the shuttle
Avoid multi-story (above 4)
Safety issues related to population increase

TABLE 4
Like the new buildings but growth feels unresponsive to “neighborhood”
Like “small, intimate, interactive space” idea/concept
Concerned with campus as an “overpowering presence”