Section 2 - Home | Capital Strategies · the pattern set by Professor Gregg up to the 1950s,at...

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Design Framework Design Context Design Systems Natural Systems Views Open Space Elements Circulation Systems Perimeters and Gateways Section 2

Transcript of Section 2 - Home | Capital Strategies · the pattern set by Professor Gregg up to the 1950s,at...

Page 1: Section 2 - Home | Capital Strategies · the pattern set by Professor Gregg up to the 1950s,at which time the University experienced rapid expansion with both positive and detri-section

Design FrameworkDesign Context

Design SystemsNatural SystemsViewsOpen Space ElementsCirculation SystemsPerimeters and Gateways

Sect

ion

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young college's inspirational ideals. Using theprinciples of picturesque landscape design,Olmsted aligned the campus axis with the sym-bolic Golden Gate while utilizing the naturaltopography to site proposed buildings. The firstcampus buildings were sited on an upland plain,among trees lining the main fork of StrawberryCreek. This approach set the campus apart fromits surroundings while providing views to theGolden Gate.

Through the late 1800s, there was considerableemphasis on agricultural and horticultural devel-opment of the campus. This included farm crops,an agricultural experimental station, a forestryplantation, a botanical garden and conservatory,and the establishment of large groves of treessuch as the Eucalyptus Grove.

The Phoebe Hearst Competition of 1900brought a synthesis of landscape and architec-ture conceived on a grand scale. John GalenHoward envisioned Berkeley becoming the"Athens of the West," and his Plan establishedthe framework of the future campus form. Thetwo main east-west axes were Campanile Wayand the Central Glade, with a minor north-southaxis along Sather Road. In contrast to the Plan'sgrand formality of neoclassical buildings set onascending terraces, buildings near the creekswere designed and arranged with an informaltheme. Professor John Gregg guided the land-scape development during much of this periodand under his direction, the design was based onformal and picturesque relationships.

Campus landscape development largely followedthe pattern set by Professor Gregg up to the1950s, at which time the University experiencedrapid expansion with both positive and detri-

s e c t i o n 2 9

The University of California, Berkeley isknown for its academic eminence, its physicalsetting, and the character of its open spaces. The178-acre academic core known as the centralcampus is densely developed, with an averagedaytime population of 44,000 students, facultyand staff. While the campus has a prominentarchitectural heritage, it is the landscape thatfirmly establishes the image of the University.

The campus landscape has changed dramaticallyover the 135 years of its service to higher edu-cation. The once sloping, grassy plain embracedby the wooded forks of Strawberry Creek hasevolved into a descending chain of glades framedby buildings on terraces and mature trees. As theCity of Berkeley developed around it, the campusbecame a park within the city. Increases in theUniversity’s urban population and built densityover the last half century have changed the roleof the campus open space, and greatly increasedits value to the campus and community.

The 160-acre rural sitewas chosen in 1858 by the College of Californiafor its hillside location framed by the woodedforks of Strawberry Creek, the rolling open land-scape, and the primary views to the GoldenGate. The University was established in 1868through a merging of the College of Californiawith an institution formed by the Morrill Act landgrant. The campus and adjacent townsite hadbeen named for George Berkeley, Bishop ofCloyne, who had visited the colonies in 1729with the intention of founding a university.

In 1866 Frederick Law Olmsted was invited todesign a plan for the new campus, reflecting the

Design Context

The campus landscape is comprised of a

typoplogy consisting of five types, used to

describe and organize the physical attrib-

utes and historic context of the campus

open space system. The order of the types

below reflects the chronology of their

development.

Rustic type - The original campus landscape

character featuring native plant dominance,

rustic character, low maintenance require-

ments, and relating to neoclassical or rustic

architecture. Example: Founders' Rock

Natural type - A landscape that appears natu-

ral in the campus, but has been altered.

Native or indigenous plant dominance, low

maintenance requirements; may support neo-

classical or rustic architecture. Example:

Grinnell Natural Area

Picturesque type - The picturesque Olmsted-

style landscape of rolling pastoral lawns,

informal mixed tree borders, mixed exotic

and native plants, high maintenance require-

ments, and not directly related to particular

architectural styles. Example: Faculty Glade

Neoclassical type - Rigid architectural land-

scape framing neoclassical and Beaux-Arts

campus buildings, with typically exotic plants

selected to enforce the architectural styling

and moderate to high maintenance require-

ments. Example: Campanile Esplanade

Urban type - Typically exotic landscape plant-

ings in contemporary, geometric urban plazas

- popular as places of interaction - with build-

ing forms dominant and moderate mainte-

nance requirements. Example: Sproul Plaza

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mental effects. During this growth phase, impor-tant views were blocked by the insensitive designand siting of buildings such as Barrows and EvansHalls. However, campus planning became adepartment and a number of significant planningstudies occurred including the first (1956) LongRange Development Plan (LRDP), which proposeda program to regain the "green heritage" of thecampus. This commitment to open space on thecentral campus instituted a land acquisition pro-gram to accommodate campus auxiliary uses,such as student housing, parking and other serv-ice facilities, off-campus. In addition, the planendorsed a specific commitment to open spaceprotecting Strawberry Creek, Faculty Glade, theEucalyptus Grove, Observatory Hill, and theCentral Glade; while recognizing pedestrianneeds by describing pedestrian routes as "theprimary circulation network of the campus.”

Since that time, the University has continued toproduce LRDP’s (1956, 1962, 1990) and is nowpreparing its fourth to direct campus develop-ment to 2020. Building replacement and infillprojects have continued throughout the campus,with landscape improvements generally limitedto the areas immediately surrounding buildings.As a result, landscape development has not beenguided by an overall landscape planning concept.The current program of large-scale seismicupgrades to University buildings imposes a pro-tracted period of heavy construction throughoutthe campus. These projects present an opportu-nity to jointly install landscape initiative improve-ments in accord with this master plan.

The landscape of theBerkeley campus is composed of unique naturaland designed open spaces. Those of the natu-

ral environment include natural systems andviews, which have evolved from the native, orig-inal landscape. The designed systems includeopen space elements, circulation ele-ments, and perimeters and gateways. Thecontrast and interlacing of the natural anddesigned systems is a powerful signature of theBerkeley campus.

Natural Systems The campus' physicalform and image resulted from the extraordinaryrichness of its natural setting. The natural sys-tems are the elements of this setting: the forks ofthe creek, the upper and lower tree canopy, andthe topography of the land. The natural qualityof these elements enhances the vitality of thecampus environment.

Strawberry Creek and its riparian corridorsprovide unity to the campus organization. Thecreek was the key element in the siting of thecampus, considered a visual, recreational andresource amenity since the early history of thecampus. As the creek wends its way throughcampus, it links and defines a variety of campusopen space elements, structuring a dramaticspatial experience. Primary campus pathways,which follow and cross over the creek, derivetheir gently meandering forms from the creek'scourse. The creek banks provide places for gath-erings as well as secluded spots for reflection orstudy. Culturally, the creek functions as a linkbetween the present day and past generations ofcampus users.

The biological habitat associated withStrawberry Creek and the designated NaturalAreas is irreplaceable and of special public valuein the visual and experiential environment of the

Design Systems

D S C A

Rustic type

Natural type

Picturesque type

Neoclassical type

Urban type

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campus. The creek and its environs providewildlife habitat, ecological diversity and are thefocus of field studies for students to learn theworkings of an aquatic ecosystem. To perpetuatethe health of this valuable resource, this planproposes a management system for the creekand its associated natural areas.

The natural areas of Strawberry Creek are partof the campus' Natural Preserves established bythe New Century Plan in order to implement amanagement and phased restoration plan for thecreek and its riparian landscape. The naturallandscape along the two forks of the creekrequires careful ecological management and pro-tection from the impacts of adjacent campusdevelopment. The phased plan is based on thecoordination of two creek zones. Zone 1, theriparian zone, is defined as a section of at least100' in width, centered on the stream coursealong the entire length of the creek (this widthmay vary due to local conditions). The vegeta-tion includes native and naturalized plants thatform dense woodlands along the stream course.Zone 2 is a broader zone and includes other rus-tic woodland areas adjacent to the riparian land-scape, which have a strong complementary rela-tionship to the creek and also often have astrong historic and symbolic identity in theirown right, such as the Eucalyptus Grove. Thiszone consists of large trees with a naturalizedunderstory.

It is proposed that the management and renew-al of zones 1 and 2 be based on ecological prin-ciples, including replacing invasive exotic plantswith native plants suited to their biotic zone,replacing unhealthy plants and plants at the endsof their natural lives and preserving and enhanc-ing the habitat value of the zone.

In some cases, Zone 2 includes campus gladesadjacent to the creek. Glade-creek interfacesshould be designed and managed with specialcare in terms of both plant selection and designfeatures. An example would be when an adjacentglade provides direct access to the riparianwoodlands and creek bank, the creek banks mustbe protected through erosion control and filter-ing systems.

One of the campus' greatest assets is its maturetree canopy. In addition to the bands of vege-tation following the forks of Strawberry Creek,a legacy of established native and specimen treesconstitute a significant part of the campus land-scape. The tall tree canopy imparts a sense ofspatial order, visual clarity and a sense of timeand grandeur to the campus. A few distinctivetrees and groves such as the Eucalyptus Grovehave become campus landmarks based on theirhistory and visual prominence.

Much of the campus' tree canopy has reachedthe end of its natural lifespan. In particular, theEucalyptus Grove, planted in the late 1870s, theMonterey pines planted in the 1910s, and manyolder California live oaks are in serious decline.Frequently trees fall into poor health due to theimpacts of construction and other human activi-ties. By comparing early campus photographs ofFaculty Glade with it's appearance today it iseasy to see that the number of California liveoaks has dwindled through age, disease, summerirrigation, grading and other disturbances. Anadditional impact is the proliferation of indige-nous species that were not native to the originalcampus. The dominance of coast redwoodsalong Strawberry Creek exemplifies this trend,where many of the native species are in declinedue to crowding.

N A

Creek canopy

Terrace slopes

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The broad species diversity of the campus treecollection is an outgrowth of the early interest inagriculture and the worldly travel of the faculty.In the last forty years, the collection has droppedfrom 300 to 200 species due to building expan-sion and declining campus interest in the collec-tion. New interest is needed in attracting uniquespecimens to replenish the international charac-ter of the arboretum, and install the next gener-ation of successful campus trees.

While the tall tree canopy is visually significant,the lower canopy arrangement of groundcov-ers, shrubs and small trees has a direct impact onour perception of the landscape. The campus'unique sense of place owes much to the repeti-tion and blending of a broad species mixture ofMediterranean, Australian, Asian, and nativewest coast plants. Certain plant palettes rein-force the landscape types: the neoclassical typeuses plant materials commonly found in formalEuropean landscapes accentuating architecturalforms; the picturesque type features plants withnaturalistic forms; the natural and rustic typesare composed of remnants of native vegetationmixed with drought tolerant imports.

While helping form the character of campusopen spaces, low vegetation plays an importantrole in screening unsightly areas. The shrub andsmall tree layer mask incongruous buildings, util-ity and service areas and forms appealing barri-ers. The care of new and established vegetationon campus is, however, compromised by a lack ofclearly defined practices, chronic low staff levelsand funding support that lags behind comparableinstitutions. Although the maintenance of thelandscape is generally repetitious, plants requireconstant adjustments for the changing campususes and horticultural requirements at various

stages of their lives. Emphasizing good mainte-nance practices is critically important to thehealth and longevity of the campus landscape.

The campus' impressive topography heightensthe visual impact of natural and architectural fea-tures, and affords a dramatic westward vista tothe Golden Gate. This provides the Universitywith an inspirational connection to a landscapegreater than the extent of its own boundaries.Through the 1920s, neoclassical campus build-ings were placed atop grassy man-made terracesthat accommodated the campus' natural topog-raphy and created a dignified series of plinths forbuildings. This technique of stepping down ter-races through the campus, allows for the cre-ation of dynamic open spaces and framed views.While some of this terracing practice has dimin-ished due to the density of campus buildings, it isstill an evident attribute of the campus. A chal-lenging aspect of this topography is the adaptionto a universally accessible environment.Providing for these needs while preserving theexperiential quality of campus topography is animportant aspect of planning for future develop-ment on campus.

Views Given the spectacular setting of thecampus on a gentle west facing slope at the baseof the Berkeley Hills, views have always been adefining element of its plans. The primary exam-ple is the alignment of the campus' historic corewith the view of the Golden Gate. The growthof the campus in terms of building density, place-ment, and mature tree cover has reduced oppor-tunities for views down to a few key corridors.Many views are now only enjoyed from theupper floors of buildings in comparison to theearly days on campus of ground-based views.

The grove of California live oaks near Faculty Glade

enrich this area of the campus.

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s e c t i o n 2 13

While many inspiring views have been compro-mised over the years, several remain and must beprotected. Views are categorized as: views intothe campus from the community; views withinthe campus as internal wayfinding devices; andthe views out from the campus. The campus willcontinue to look for opportunities to re-openviews that have been closed, while actively man-aging current and future projects to retain andenhance available views.

Views into campus from its gateways andbeyond define the University image, and help ori-ent visitors. Sproul Plaza is a front door of thecampus and the most heavily used gateway. Thevista through Sproul Plaza and along Sather Roadis defined by classical architecture, formal ter-races and axes of pollarded London Plane trees.The view of campus from the West Crescent iswhere the image of the "campus park" is thestrongest. The view includes stately trees, aglimpse of the Central Glade and the woodedhills forming a dramatic backdrop. The viewthrough the formal North Gate invites visitorsto the primary pedestrian route downObservatory Hill into the heart of the campus.The views in from East Gate and College Avenueare less significant than other gateways, butclearly draw the observer’s eye into the campuscore.

Views within campus emphasize orientation,scale, sense of space and the framing of impor-tant elements. The vista through the CentralGlade encompasses many of the campus' historiclandmarks as well as some of its principal aca-demic facilities. The view corridor from the footof Sather Tower, down Campanile Way, defines aprimary route of travel through campus andemphasizes the tower's central place as a cam-

pus landmark and wayfinding device. The view ofSather Tower from Faculty Glade enhances thiskey campus historic and ceremonial open space.An expansive view from inside North Gateserves as an important wayfinding device -encompassing Memorial Glade, Doe Library andthe Campanile - it frames the campus' spatial andsymbolic core.

Views out from the campus lead the viewer tothe connections beyond the campus. The viewfrom the base of Sather Tower towards theGolden Gate serves to set the campus in itsregional context. This breathtaking vista of thebay was one of the primary amenities consideredwhen the site was selected in the 1860s. A sec-ond important view from the upper CentralGlade also aligns the viewer with the GoldenGate, creating a powerful connection to theworld beyond. This ground view has been com-promised by Evans Hall, Moffitt Library and thegrowth of redwoods from Strawberry Creek toMemorial Glade.

Open Space Elements Campus openspaces provide settings for a variety of activitiesas well as the common social fabric for the cam-pus community. These elements are part of thedesigned systems on campus. The types of openspaces are categorized broadly as glades, wood-lands, places of interaction and greens. Oneexperiences the campus as a sequence of diversespaces, linked by paths and roads, which contrastdramatically in their scale, mood and materials.Even the briefest walk on campus can take onethrough dense urban plazas, leafy woodlands,open glades and serene formal esplanades. Thiscareful sequencing of contrasting spaces is adefining quality of the campus experience.

Views out of campus

Views within campus

Views into campus

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Traditionally, a glade is defined as a grassy clear-ing in a forest. Glades on the Berkeley campusare characterized by open expanses of lawndefined by a naturalistic perimeter of trees.Berkeley glades typically have an organic form inplan, framing gently rolling topography. Theglades are key elements of the campus land-scape. They have been a constant unifying ele-ment in all major campus landscape plans. Theyprovide a place for individual passive recreation,informal and ceremonial gatherings and a settingthat complements the campus' diverse architec-ture. The Central Glade, including the WestCrescent,West Oval and Memorial Glade, formsan axial sequence of open spaces that define andspatially unify the central campus. Faculty andGrinnell glades are more intimate spaces sepa-rate from this central axis. They have a distinctand rich sense of place about them whichderives from their topography, venerable plant-ings and the high quality of the surroundingarchitecture.

The campus woodlands function both as ele-ments of the campus' picturesque park land-scapes and its more rustic natural areas. Threemajor woodlands have been designated as natu-ral areas: Grinnell, Goodspeed and Wickson.These natural areas follow the course of the twoforks of Strawberry Creek as it runs through thecentral campus. Campus woodlands incorporateremnants that approximate the appearance ofthe landscape before the advent of theUniversity, as well as some exotic survivors fromthe campus' first Botanical Garden. Theseinclude groves of coast redwoods and giantsequoias brought from their native coastal range,and exotics planted by the agricultural station -which includes the landmark Eucalyptus Grove.Campus woodlands are utilized for field studies

by a variety of undergraduate and graduate levelcourses. They serve as buffers between thecreek and the campus helping to maintain its via-bility as a natural habitat and preserving its senseof calm respite. Spatially, the woodlands functionas screens that create distinct landscape ele-ments, and mitigate the impact of large buildingson the campus landscape.

The campus' places of interaction are archi-tectural and social spaces, including plazas andesplanades. Plazas are defined as centrally locat-ed paved open spaces that facilitate social inter-action. Esplanades are unique to the ClassicalCore and are circulation spaces with a formalstructure of pathways and plantings. Places ofinteraction play a vital role on campus by creat-ing a sense of community, fostering new academ-ic initiatives through casual interactions and facil-itating campus safety through the activation ofoutdoor spaces.

Neoclassical places of interaction, such as theCampanile environs and Gilman-LeConte Way,derive their character from the work of JohnGalen Howard and his collaborator, John Gregg.They feature elements from traditional Europeanlandscapes such as axial pathways, terraces, flatplanes of lawn and allées of pollarded LondonPlane trees. These spaces accommodate heavyfoot traffic and limited service access withinwell-defined areas of hardscape complementedby regularly placed plantings.

Modern places of interaction, such as DwinellePlaza, the Sproul Plazas, Spieker and CollegeAvenue Plazas, serve as entry courts and casualbreakout spaces for large modern academic facil-ities. These places of interaction provide ampleopportunities to sit with café amenities and

Woodlands

Glades

Places of interaction

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direct adjacency to important pedestrian path-ways. These spaces generally feature broadpaved areas, with limited plantings confined tobeds or raised planters. They successfully pro-mote a lively sense of common space andexchange, which is often lacking within adjacentlarge, vertically organized buildings. Designed ina format similar to urban plaza prototypes, mod-ern spaces of interaction support the density ofcampus gatherings.

Campus greens are the recreational play fieldsintermixed within the central campus. Some ofthe greens are located within the larger athlet-ic/recreational zone of campus and others areremnants of historical uses. Edwards Stadiumand Evans Diamond are within walled structureswhile Maxwell and Hearst North are open fields.The greens may consist of natural or artificialturf and often make use of field lighting.

These greens are vitally important to the healthof the campus population, including the physicaleducation program, intramural sports, clubsports, intercollegiate athletics and the marchingband. Access to these facilities is limited and inhigh demand.

Circulation Systems Berkeley's campuscirculation system includes pedestrian, universalaccess, bicycle, vehicular and service routes.Providing convenient and safe access to campusfacilities while enhancing the campus landscape isbecoming a greater challenge as the campus den-sity and hours of operation increase. The safetyand convenience of the pedestrian is the primaryconsideration in campus circulation. Bicycles area convenient and sustainable mode of travelwithin campus and their use should be encour-

aged on designated routes. Private vehicularaccess to the campus is limited by traffic controlbollards.

The meandering character of many pedestrianpathways on campus belies the inherent logicand flow of the network. The serpentine formsof many campus paths are an important link tothe picturesque type. In contrast, the axial path-ways and avenues of the Classical Core are thelegacy of the campus' classical type. Togetherthese two systems create a very diverse visualexperience. The pedestrian paths are comprisedof a variety of materials, but there are a largenumber of asphalt paths intermixed with special-ized paving in areas of higher significance. Thedominant use of asphalt for pedestrian pathwaysis based partly on its original use for roads, butalso because of its uniformity, low cost and con-venience. The landscape would benefit from aconsistently applied hierarchy of surface materi-als that clearly define plazas, pedestrian path-ways, vehicular and shared routes. Use of mod-ular, replaceable materials for campus pavingapplications is desirable to support sustainabledesign.

Two major pedestrian paths cross the campusfrom south to north: one from Sproul Plaza toNorth Gate, and the second from College Plaza,past the Campanile Esplanade to North Gate.The major west/east artery runs from the WestCrescent, through the Grinnell Natural Area,along Campanile Way and South Drive to HaasSchool of Business. The second west/east arteryruns from West Crescent to West Circle, skirt-ing to the south of the central glades, to EastGate. Dozens of secondary routes expand off ofthese major arteries, or traverse corners of thecampus completely distinct from them.

Sproul Plaza - the heart of the campus and a vibrant

place of interaction.

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The provision of ADA access within a hilly his-toric campus environment is a challenge. Thecurrent campus condition includes provisions fordisabled access, but the system is by no meanscomprehensive and is in need of improvement.The University has completed a detailed study(2002) to address this challenge through a pro-gram of measures that will be implemented overtime. The focus of the program is to provideaccess to campus programs, services and activi-ties through the regular campus network ofpaths, parking facilities and transit services. Insome areas of the campus, primarily the north-east quadrant, steep topography and a lack ofopen space require the use of building elevatorsto create accessible connections. This conditionis minimized to the extent feasible, so that ascampus facilities are renovated and constructed,a passive accessible network can be incremental-ly implemented. These pathways, along with aninformative signage system, and a network ofaccessible parking spaces and transit service,provide the comprehensive system needed foruniversal access on campus.

Bicycles are an increasingly popular, practicaland efficient means of getting to and aroundcampus. The campus has a south to north desig-nated bike route from Spieker Plaza to TolmanHall and a second route planned from CollegePlaza to North Gate.The designated bike pathsdefine and encourage use on these cross-campuscollector routes in order to improve pedestriansafety on campus. The campus' bike system hasbeen planned to coordinate with the City ofBerkeley's extensive network of designated bikelanes and bike boulevards. Bicycle parking is pro-vided in lighted areas throughout campus.Where the parking demand is the greatest, suchas in the Dwinelle and Wheeler Hall area, con-

solidated bike parking is planned to alleviate clut-ter and congestion around building entrances.

Private vehicles have limited access to the cen-tral campus. The East and West Gate entrancesare controlled by gatehouses with UniversityDrive forming the connection between them forshuttle buses and service traffic. Along thisroute, limited private vehicular traffic is allowedfor access to parking areas. Four major cityroutes form the edges of the central campus andtraffic is routed around the campus on thesestreets. The limited vehicular access systems aremanaged through an arrangement of removabletraffic controls, which allow for extended accessfor fire and other emergency service vehicles.

The campus shuttle system circulates on thefour major routes surrounding the central cam-pus, University Drive through the core, andextends to adjacent residential and researchcampus properties such as the Clark Kerr resi-dential campus, the Hill research units andStrawberry Creek recreational area. The campusshuttle is supplemented by an extensive networkof AC Transit buses, which serve the regionalarea surrounding the campus. Campus access tothe larger Bay Area is provided by BART, the BayArea Rapid Transit system.

Service access is provided by the four majorroutes surrounding the central campus, com-bined with the use of University Drive and addi-tional access points within the campus. Whilethe campus has extensive service needs rangingfrom small maintenance trucks to large deliveryvans, the current arrangement is problematicwhere pedestrian use and service access needsoverlap in confined areas. University policyrestricts service vehicles to a limited number of

R C U L APrimary pedestrian routes

Primary bicycle routes

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access points and destinations, however thecampus would benefit from better operationalmanagement. Not only do these vehicles pose ahazard to pedestrians and the disabled commu-nity, particularly on busy routes, they also dam-age paving and the landscape, which the campusrarely has resources to repair.

There are limited parking areas within the cen-tral campus; parking structures and lots are pro-vided on the periphery. The number of parkingspaces within and adjacent to the central campusfalls far short of the demand. While an adequatesupply of parking is critical to the effective func-tioning of the University, the limits of the urbansetting and available funding underscore theneed for alternative strategies. The evolutionfrom widespread vehicular access to limitedparking mainly at the perimeter of the core, hasenhanced the park-like and pedestrian-friendlyqualities of the campus. The overall access strat-egy is addressed in detail in the New Century Plan.The essential elements include:

Ensuring housing and access strategies are integrated

Collaborating with the city and transit providers to improve service to campus

Providing additional incentives through trip-reduction and car-pooling systems

Addressing replacement and consolidation though limited parking construction

Implementation of the campus bicycle plan

Perimeters and Gateways The centralcampus is the academic center, while auxiliaryuses such as housing are sited within the larger

campus context. This separation of academicand residential facilities differs from the tradi-tional paradigm of the residential campus wherethese facilities are intermixed. To support therelationship between the academic center andauxiliary uses, the campus edges are porous andopen to the surrounding community. Today thecampus edges form an intensely used spaceaccommodating a constant flow of people enter-ing and leaving through the campus gateways.The commercial districts adjacent to the edgesat Bancroft Way, Center Street and EuclidAvenue, have assumed a central role in the day-to-day life of the University.

The perimeter of the central campus is estab-lished by public roads on four sides. The campusfaces a different context on each edge. To thenorth and south are neighborhoods that are pri-marily residential. Northside maintains the leafyappearance of an Arts and Crafts community,while the Southside has developed a livelymixed-use character with small stores and largeUniversity housing complexes. To the west isBerkeley's central business district, with largebuildings on a city grid. To the east of the cam-pus are wooded foothills with University housingand the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.

The campus' gateways define the University'simage and emphasize the campus' sense of place.The Southside gateways along Bancroft Wayreflect the lively context and the intensive flowof pedestrian traffic accessing the campus.Sproul Plaza and College Plaza are broad openspaces with heavy foot traffic. The gateway atSpieker Plaza is greener and less frenetic. Thewest gateway is a ceremonial entrance with lushplantings and mature trees which screen theUniversity from downtown Berkeley. This formal

C AGateways

Woodland edge

Neighborhood edge

Downtown edge

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entrance retains the park-like character envi-sioned by early plans for the campus. On thenorth side, the gateways at Tolman Plaza andNorth Gate reflect the quieter, residential flavorof the neighborhoods they face. A recentlyadded neoclassical gateway and plaza at NorthGate give this entrance a stately appearance. Theeast campus edge along Gayley Road fuses thecampus' densely developed east end with therustic scenery of the foothills. East Gate haslower pedestrian use than other campus gate-ways and serves largely as a vehicular gateway.The east side's most accessible and well-articu-lated pedestrian gateway is the pedestrian routethrough the courtyard of the Haas School ofBusiness.

The preceding description of the natural anddesigned landscape systems summarizes theircurrent composition, condition, use and issuesfacing management of the campus's outdoorenvironment. The following sections, PolicyFramework and Landscape Initiatives, presentpolicy guidance and the future vision of renew-al for twenty-nine initiative areas on the centralcampus.

The impressive view of Sather Tower dominates the

vista along Campanile Way.