To the Editor:
I wholeheartedly support Peter Mackie’s ’59 suggestion to complete the brilliant campus improvement project Brown began 13 years ago but inexplicably abandoned. Pedestrianizing sections of Brown and Benevolent streets would tremendously benefit our campus, enhancing its coherence, accessibility, sustainability and safety. I’ve lost count of how many times students, absorbed in their phones, have crossed the street right in front of my bicycle or car without ever glancing up.
Our central campus and its buildings were designed before the automobile reshaped urban environments, and the sidewalks function significantly better without being obscured by parked cars. Eliminating traffic on sections of Brown and Benevolent streets would not only benefit the University but would also enhance the surrounding neighborhood. This intervention — primarily replacing asphalt with grass, trees and walkways — would have a substantial impact at a relatively low cost. At a time of financial uncertainty, it could be an affordable, high-reward initiative.
Brown’s uniquely beautiful campus is one of its greatest assets, and its ongoing maintenance and improvement should remain a priority for the administration. Acquiring streets from the city for pedestrianization could eventually lead to closing George Street between Thayer and Prospect streets, seamlessly unifying the core of our campus. For now, the creation of Paxson Way and Simmons Way has a nice ring to it.
Dietrich Neumann is a professor of the history of modern architecture and urban studies. He can be reached at dietrich_neumann@brown.edu. Please send responses to this column to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
