2006 SCUP/AIA-CAE Awards

Pollock Road Streetscape and Utility Upgrades

Pennsylvania State University with Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC

Click to view a pdf presentation of the project.

Penn State's Pollack Road is the hub of the main campus, the street where everything—the new with the old, pedestrian and vehicles,—seems to converge and where change seemed most needed and least possible. The transformation of Pollack Road is the keystone in Penn State's broader vision to transform its main campus into a pedestrian-first environment—one that reflects its status as a premier public university.

This vision of street change was developed and implemented by a planning idea: The Intermodal Transportation Concept which reevaluated the campus wide parking and circulation patterns, pedestrian, bicycles, vehicles etc. to promote effective and safe ways of integrating travel around campus.

Pollack Road is the defining east-west street of the 40,000 student campus in University Park, PA. The well traveled, half-mile street is central to the university experience and accommodates a range of facilities. Despite Pollack Road's prominence, the existing street was uninspired, drab, and riddled with vehicular-pedestrian conflicts.

The purpose of the street project was to transform this area, aesthetically and functionally, and to provide a vital and uplifting center to the campus. This involved reduction of pedestrian-vehicular conflicts on Pollack Road, integration of utility and lighting upgrades, engage community support, and develop a manageable implementation plan to reduce street disruption as much a s possible.

Work on the project was approached as an integrated planning and design exercise. A workable timetable with project phases over several years (2001–2005) was organized. Implementation was scheduled during low peak times with major construction accelerated during spring break and summer. Broad based communication was thorough providing information to students and other road users. Frequent updates to the project website were helpful.

This transformation was no easy task. No campus plan can succeed with gaining support from stakeholders, and consensus; building among this group was an essential element in realizing a new Pollack Road. Consensus along with active leadership from the senior administration including the university president reinforced the institutional commitment to this vision.

The design team developed a series of recommendations that helped create a sense of place and reinforce campus order; the thrust of the project was to transform the street into a recognizable district with a distinctly civic and pedestrian-friendly ambience. Changes included traffic hours, realignment of parking access, road width reduction, staffed kiosks with "ambassadors" to assist visitors and others with road use, designated visitor parking, paving and other materials used to achieve design goals, new lighting, tree protection and planting, and distinctive plazas in key areas.

Notable results have contributed to the transformation of the entire campus and that have social impacts: fewer cars in the campus core make walking and biking safer and enjoyable, "gate-keeping " makes for better visitor and pedestrian experience, civic spaces encourage social activity. Pollack Road has become a part of public life on campus.

Today, Pollack Road is a place and not just a route. A comprehensive and rigorous planning, design, and construction process produced a road that has become the campus spine with a greater sense of place. As one distinguished Professor Emeritus noted to President Spanier, "Taken together, the campus now has a vastly greater sense of unity and dignity, and a real center, instead of the straggling congeries of random buildings, it has always been. Also, it includes many congenial gathering places to sit and contemplate. All credit to your vision."