Sustainable Placemaking Project Part 5 - Final Vision & Images, Video and Plan for Implementation
Final Vision
While the Washington Quad serves as a great example of
community place-making here on campus, I believe that there can be so much more
done with it to further develop its surrounding community. As I’ve written
previously, I think that there are several things that could be done to make
this area more communal and homely - a place where students choose to spend
their leisure time in. This place is inherently serene and is surrounded by a
lot of residents who do frequently spend their leisure time here. However, I think a further renovation could be done to further sustain the community that is already
present due to the surrounding residents.
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| Clean Barbecue grill |
I envision renovations that improve the area
both aesthetically and functionally so much that there is an increased frequency
of surrounding residents who choose to spend their leisure time outside in the
quad with their whole community rather than inside separated by their halls.
First and foremost, I think that removing the stone grills and installing new
grills such as in the picture to the right would increase the frequency of residents barbecuing with their friends.
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| All-Season Bonfire Pit |
One of my peers in my peer reviews addressed the problem that this area may not be very suited for the winter, and further, suggested that there be mini-bonfire pits near the grills for use during the winter. I very much agree, this is a great idea, however, to branch off on it I think the bonfire pits would get more use if they were centered in the grassy area rather than put on concrete. This would allow for students to sit comfortably on the grass in the Fall and Spring or move a lawn chair over during the Winter. In example, in the picture to the left, these bonfires could be a popular way to warm up during the winter.
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| Moveable Lawn Chairs |
This brings me to my next suggestion, I envision moveable
lawn chairs all over the Washington Quad. People intrinsically like to feel in
control of setting. Having setting control makes people feel more at ease and at
home when they are able to choose where they want to sit – in fact,
if given the option to move a chair they almost always will move it before
sitting down. One peer review I received addressed the fact that there is
no seating near the volley-ball court for people to spectate should they not
want to play. I think moveable lawn chairs would eliminate this concern. A
drawback to this suggestion is that there is concern that people may steal
these chairs. I agree, this is a tricky situation. Either they should get a lot
of inexpensive chairs and account for a few to get stolen, or they would have
to get chairs that are light enough for an individual to move, however, heavy
enough to deter any deviance. As shown in the photo to the left, these chairs would be free to move
Along with seating, in my renovation of the Washington Quad I envision the installment of new picnic tables that accommodate large groups of people. The tables that are currently installed accommodate no more than four individuals. Larger tables would promote more people to eat meals together which would ultimately build more community for the residents. I did not receive any explicit comment regarding my suggestion of these picnic tables, however, addressing the concern over a lack of use during the winter these tables could be made out of wood rather than the metal ones I suggested previously to accommodate to the colder temperature.
My vision of a renovated Washington Quad also includes
improving the gazebos. Currently, the gazebos are frequently used as a study or
meal spot. While they get their fair share of use, they look decrepit. Along
with the grills, they stand as an eyesore in a place surrounded by otherwise
beautiful scenery. Rebuilding them
entirely, or even a fresh paint job would make them look much better. The gazebo in the image below is a prime example of a larger, cleaner gazebo with tables that accommodate a larger group of people.
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| Improved Gazebos with Longer Tables |
My final improvement of the Washington Quad involves a replacement
of the volleyball net and a replacement of the turf with sand. It is evident
that neither the turf nor the volleyball net has been replaced in a while. While
residents often play through the courts wear-and-tear without issue, some fresh turf
and a new net would make this area more overall appealing both aesthetically
and functionally. A peer review I received noted that inspiration could be
drawn from La Plata’s set up, as shown in the photo below. La Plata field is directly outside of Eppley
Recreation Center and encompasses a large area with a sand volleyball court and
a turf field for people to play other sports. I think this is a fantastic idea.
I think replacing the turf with sand will promote new people to pick up
recreation. I think a sand volleyball court is more inviting than a plastic
turf court and that more people would be inclined to try it out if it were
sand. Additionally, adding an extra space of turf field would allow for people
other pick up sports year-round. This turf could be seasonally implemented as
the grass starts to die.
Plan for Implementation
Approval
I would absolutely need to get a majority approval from the
residents in the halls surrounding the Washington Quad. If a large group of
residents have a problem with this renovation and they contact the Student Government
Associations’ (SGA) Committee on Student
Affairs I may have to get SGAs on board in order to put the concerned residents
at ease. In addition, I will specifically need to get approval from Georgie
Jones who is SGA’s Director of Civic Engagement for funding reasons I will
explain below. Aside from student politics, I would have to get approval from
both the University of Maryland (as it is a part of campus) and the city of
College Park as well. The department in which I would contact would be the University
of Maryland’s Facilities Management which is responsible for the
planning, designing, construction, operation and regular maintenance of
buildings, infrastructure and grounds. I would attempt to get into contact
with William Olen, the executive director of the Department of Planning & Construction
at the University of Maryland. I would also have to get approval from the
Department of Resident Life, specifically
Funding
A small
portion of each student’s tuition goes into a fund that is used to pay for
improvements around campus. The Student Facilities Fund provides funding for
student suggested facilities projects and improvements that will benefit the student
experience at UMD. For the current year, $557,500 of their fund sources comes
from this student fee for capital improvements. The fund reports that they also
have $2,638,630 from prior years. As mentioned earlier, approval from Georgie
Jones serves a dual purpose. Ms. Jones is both in the cabinet of SGA and also
holds a position on the Student Facilities Fund. Not only would she play an
important role in getting overall SGA approval but she also would be able to
help secure funding for this project. The state of Maryland also has a Community
Development Block Grant program to award grants to projects that help
strengthen Maryland’s communities by expanding affordable housing opportunities,
creating jobs, stabilizing neighborhoods and improving overall quality of life.
This program wards grants to fund projects within two categories, Community Development and Special Projects. Prince George’s county
is within jurisdiction for these grants, additionally, this project falls under
one of the two funding categories – community development.
Long-Term Maintenance
This area is already generally maintained by the University.
The maintenance provided by the school should continue. While this would have a
cost, it will not cost any more than it already does to the University. I am
not sure how frequently this area is cleaned by maintenance staff, so students
will also be responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of this area. Student
upkeep efforts would cost virtually nothing and the surrounding residents would
be incentivized to keep this place organized as it is their responsibility to
clean up after themselves and in general within their community. Residents
could organize weekly upkeep sessions either as a community or rotationally by
hall in order to keep things tidy.
Marketing
I do not think this would need a whole lot of marketing,
residents in the surrounding halls will evidently see these changes happen
before their eyes. Flyers would definitely be distributed three months prior to
renovation in order to notify residents and allow a window for proper feedback.
The flyer I designed for this project incorporates before and after photos
illustrating my vision. The flyer also has concise descriptions on what
residents should expect to be renovated. I focused on using the word “new” a
lot, as often communities get excited about new renovations.
Placemaking Project Part 5 Video
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