Page 564 - Sustainable Cities and Communities Design Handbook

The Power of Sustainability: The Story of Kent, Ohio Chapter j 26 533

that have been launched through KSU research activities. The Conference
Center provides the university with a venue for events relating to this
technology niche.

Tying Together the Campus and the Downtown: Haymaker
Parkway and University Esplanade

Improvements to Haymaker Parkway (left– KSU University Esplanade (below – looking from
looking toward campus from PARTA MultiOmodal) campus to PARTA and Conference Center)

Haymaker presented an accessibility challenge and physical barrier
between the campus and the downtown. The City Manager successfully
negotiated with the Ohio Department of Transportation to have the Parkway’s
limited access highway status removed. Pedestrian-friendly and pedestrian-
safe cross-walks were added to greatly improve access to the PARTA multi-
modal facility, University Hotel and Convention Center shopping, and the
main campus.
After the Bicentennial Plan was completed the University began
addressing the need for additional parking on campus to ease congestion in
city streets. Options included additional surface lots or a parking garage.
KSU’s Transportation Services Coordinator, who had been a member of the
Bicentennial Plan’s Design Team, partnered with the City of Kent to solicit
input from community leaders and residents on options to improve parking
and traffic congestion. These discussions, facilitated by OSU Extension and
held over a number of months, resulted in a different proposal than was
originally anticipated. Instead of adding more parking, which would require
space and investment, the advisory group suggested improvements to
enhance the use of alternative and public forms of transportation. The final
initiative involved the extension of a KSU Esplanade that would provide
dedicated pedestrian and bicycle access from the campus to the downtown,
crossing Haymaker Parkway directly across from the PARTA Facility and