Educating The Edge City: Anchoring a Mixed Use Neighborhood with a College Campus

Abstract

A variety of uses are stronger when integrated together than apart. By integrating a community college into a mixed-use redevelopment of a strip mall, I am resolving two distinct problems: fragmentation in edge cities and the town-gown isolation of conventional campus planning. I propose that the design of a hybrid mixed-use public space and college quad condenses this dual problem into a singular social space. This will allow for a variety of people with different backgrounds and experiences to interact within a dynamic environment elevating both the college and the community.