University’s outdoor spaces offer potential

A prospective student understands when applying and enrolling at the University, they will be attending what the University calls a “vertical campus.” Yet that is not to say that the campus does not have outside space.

The view of the University and its outside exteriors is the courtyard, the small grass lawns with statues on Gold Street, the front of One Pace Plaza as well as adjacent gated picnic tables and of course the fourth floor east wing roof. 

The front of One Pace Plaza and the court-yard are two University areas currently being used as a public space, but some students wonder if the University is utilizing its limited outside space to the best of its availability.

The most prominent area that most NYC students think of is fourth floor roof. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) thinks so as well. In 2005, the EPA suggested that the 32,000 square foot roof could be built into a green roof, a project that would benefit both the University and the public. 

The EPA granted the university a $60,000 grant to conduct the project. Dr. Richard Schlesinger, a professor of biology and health sciences, spearheaded the project and also taught "The Urban Green Roof," a special topics course.

The project later fell apart, “In 2005 the University saw potential for the green roof; they used most of the grant to collect research on the project.

They then realized that it would be quite an expensive endeavor including the installation of a membrane required for planting, safety precaution to ensure student safety, they reluctantly gave up the project and returned left over amounts of the grant.”  Head of Public information for the University, Christopher Cory said.

Professor Robert Chapman, Director of the Pace Institute for Environmental & Regional Studies, feels more could be done to utilize the University’s outside space.

“A roof garden would be a wonderful addition to the environmental studies program—providing educational opportunities in botany, green design, climate studies, urban ecology, etc., while improving the environment of lower Manhattan. This was the original intent of the project when it was proposed and accepted by the EPA.

"The past Administration lacked the foresight and interest to pursue such a valuable project the present Administration is likely to look favorably upon such an academic enterprise, if approached by committed faculty and concerned students,” Professor Chapman said.

Alumna Rosie Hudson, who graduated last spring, wrote a sociological ethnography, doing research observation on the front space.

“I looked at how the design of the space created a deliberate line between private and public land even though there isn't an actual gate and how students pretty much stay in the Pace property area and only a small percentage of public crosses the line (and only people who live or work in the area, since they are familiar with the space),” Hudson said.

At the end of her project last year, Hudson hosted a Peace and Love Rally where students used the space as a social gathering spot by eating, drawing on the cement with chalk and dancing.

The courtyard, the official outside space of the University is landscaped with trees and shrubbery. 

Although some dislike the little sunlight and the constant smoke, others find it as a perfect escape from their hard classes.    

“Unfortunately at school I stay inside, as a woman with severe asthma there is no outside place at this University that is not contaminated with cigarette smoke,” sophomore Irene Jacobs said.

Dyson Green House Don and political science professor, Dr. Meghana Nayak gave her opinion on the University’s public space. “I think we could be doing a lot more to create open spaces at Pace, since we do not have a traditional college campus.

Frankly, many people I know avoid these outside areas because of all the smoking.
But, I would support any ongoing or new efforts to make the most out of these outside areas: create smoke-free zones, community gardens (with composting), tree planting, etc.”