I was searching for something else and came across this blog post by the Observer Editorial Board (of all people) from a couple of years ago about how the university doesn’t have a college town feel. Thought the comments were interesting.
http://obsdailyviews.blogspot.com/2008/04/uncc-college-but-no-college-town.html
The Observer saying Charlotte or U City is not a college town is like the NY Giants saying NY is not a Dallas Cowboy town.
When did the Observer’s opinion matter?
BTW, I was hoping this was somehow related ESPNU’s College Town and the fact that they added us on there.
It has always influenced the area’s opinion of us. It’s not rocket science.
[size=12pt]haha for once they are exactly correct… i am a huge proponent to making the university city have a college feel but with downtown so close its hard to keep students from wanting to migrate down there… Head to Penn State, Ohio State, Cornell or Syracuse for instance and you will really see what a “College Town” is…
What do all of these schools have in common… they are essentially in the middle of no where with little else to distract the students from having the time of their lives around campus…[/size]
[sub]oh that and they win championships too… [/sub]
Columbus, OH?
*Comment on championships duly noted
I thought that’s what the thread was about too. Need to figure out how to get our future stadium available on there as an upgrade. 
I quit reading by the 15th comment. So many supposed college graduates with no understanding of the concept of paragraphs.
It’s no secret that Charlotte isn’t a college town, the city was on its way to being a metropolis long before UNC Charlotte ever existed. The best college towns are where the college came first, ie College Station, TX.
[quote=“itsbraille49, post:9, topic:24333”]It’s no secret that Charlotte isn’t a college town, the city was on its way to being a metropolis long before UNC Charlotte ever existed. The best college towns are where the college came first, ie College Station, TX.[/quote]Best college towns are not in largely populated areas.
Although Austin is a great College Town, and the city has 1.75 million people in the Austin-Round Rock area. Though it is easier to be a college town in a small city, it is all about exciting the fan base.
Although Austin is a great College Town, and the city has 1.75 million people in the Austin-Round Rock area. Though it is easier to be a college town in a small city, it is all about exciting the fan base.[/quote]
Helps to have an iconic football team also. Of course, not so much this year.
To be honest, I think our campus is designed horribly. When we moved out here in 1964(?) there was NOTHING here. We could have master-planned the school to be set up like a town, with a grid of streets for easy access on and off campus and no real distinction between where the campus ends and the college town begins (if the rest of the area’s developers caught on, which I can’t see why they wouldn’t).
I think our campus is beautiful, the hills and plateaus make for some very nice vistas from certain places on and off campus. But the circulation is absolutely atrocious, there aren’t enough roads on campus and the ones that exist just basically circle the perimeter (with the exception of Cameron blvd that runs in front of the Union which will be closed within the next couple years.) We are boxed in by highways with minimal entrance and exit points, essentially making the campus a big island that is really hard to access. Had we actually had some vision and foresight (I know, I know, impossible for UNC Charlotte in any facet) we could have made this campus more accessible by foot or bus for commuters, alleviated the traffic problem, and given the U-City area a real “college town” feel before all the suburban sprawl caught up. There would be a higher likelihood of a “franklin street” type road emerging here too, which would do wonders for the “suitcase” problem we have.
Just another blunder in the long list of things this school could have nipped in the bud with a little vision. Oh well.
[quote=“jfickett, post:13, topic:24333”]To be honest, I think our campus is designed horribly. When we moved out here in 1964(?) there was NOTHING here. We could have master-planned the school to be set up like a town, with a grid of streets for easy access on and off campus and no real distinction between where the campus ends and the college town begins (if the rest of the area’s developers caught on, which I can’t see why they wouldn’t).
I think our campus is beautiful, the hills and plateaus make for some very nice vistas from certain places on and off campus. But the circulation is absolutely atrocious, there aren’t enough roads on campus and the ones that exist just basically circle the perimeter (with the exception of Cameron blvd that runs in front of the Union which will be closed within the next couple years.) We are boxed in by highways with minimal entrance and exit points, essentially making the campus a big island that is really hard to access. Had we actually had some vision and foresight (I know, I know, impossible for UNC Charlotte in any facet) we could have made this campus more accessible by foot or bus for commuters, alleviated the traffic problem, and given the U-City area a real “college town” feel before all the suburban sprawl caught up. There would be a higher likelihood of a “franklin street” type road emerging here too, which would do wonders for the “suitcase” problem we have.
Just another blunder in the long list of things this school could have nipped in the bud with a little vision. Oh well.[/quote]
Not to critique, you have some solid stuff here, but don’t you think part of the beauty of our campus is that it has so much walkability? I remember my freshman counterparts at other schools saying (NCSU and uncch imparticular) “man, it takes me forever to walk all the way across campus” and I would think “ha, our campus is really big but its compact”"
My point is that I think its 6 one way half a dozen the other. You either get better circulation and a more spread out campus or you get poor circulation and a more compact campus. I think its also hard to engineer positive circulation around campus in the best possible ways between construction blockades and because of the fast paced growth which ties to an issue that often lies outside of our universities hands - funding.
[quote=“zerogeneticsdc, post:14, topic:24333”]Not to critique, you have some solid stuff here, but don’t you think part of the beauty of our campus is that it has so much walkability? I remember my freshman counterparts at other schools saying (NCSU and uncch imparticular) “man, it takes me forever to walk all the way across campus” and I would think “ha, our campus is really big but its compact”"
My point is that I think its 6 one way half a dozen the other. You either get better circulation and a more spread out campus or you get poor circulation and a more compact campus. I think its also hard to engineer positive circulation around campus in the best possible ways between construction blockades and because of the fast paced growth which ties to an issue that often lies outside of our universities hands - funding.[/quote]
This is true. Personally, I’d rather have the campus more spread out. The walkability is awesome…after you wait in traffic, bumper to bumper to a parking lot, and find a place to park (none of which are easy tasks). I’d rather have the ability to walk to campus with ease from a little further away than have to go through all the b/s just to get here and have to walk anyways.
[quote=“jfickett, post:13, topic:24333”]To be honest, I think our campus is designed horribly. When we moved out here in 1964(?) there was NOTHING here. We could have master-planned the school to be set up like a town, with a grid of streets for easy access on and off campus and no real distinction between where the campus ends and the college town begins (if the rest of the area’s developers caught on, which I can’t see why they wouldn’t).
I think our campus is beautiful, the hills and plateaus make for some very nice vistas from certain places on and off campus. But the circulation is absolutely atrocious, there aren’t enough roads on campus and the ones that exist just basically circle the perimeter (with the exception of Cameron blvd that runs in front of the Union which will be closed within the next couple years.) We are boxed in by highways with minimal entrance and exit points, essentially making the campus a big island that is really hard to access. Had we actually had some vision and foresight (I know, I know, impossible for UNC Charlotte in any facet) we could have made this campus more accessible by foot or bus for commuters, alleviated the traffic problem, and given the U-City area a real “college town” feel before all the suburban sprawl caught up. There would be a higher likelihood of a “franklin street” type road emerging here too, which would do wonders for the “suitcase” problem we have.
Just another blunder in the long list of things this school could have nipped in the bud with a little vision. Oh well.[/quote]
For cars maybe but then again why would you want a bunch of traffic on campus? I like the “island” concept of our campus actually and I think it will only get better with time.
[quote=“jfickett, post:15, topic:24333”][quote=“zerogeneticsdc, post:14, topic:24333”]Not to critique, you have some solid stuff here, but don’t you think part of the beauty of our campus is that it has so much walkability? I remember my freshman counterparts at other schools saying (NCSU and uncch imparticular) “man, it takes me forever to walk all the way across campus” and I would think “ha, our campus is really big but its compact”"
My point is that I think its 6 one way half a dozen the other. You either get better circulation and a more spread out campus or you get poor circulation and a more compact campus. I think its also hard to engineer positive circulation around campus in the best possible ways between construction blockades and because of the fast paced growth which ties to an issue that often lies outside of our universities hands - funding.[/quote]
This is true. Personally, I’d rather have the campus more spread out. The walkability is awesome…after you wait in traffic, bumper to bumper to a parking lot, and find a place to park (none of which are easy tasks). I’d rather have the ability to walk to campus with ease from a little further away than have to go through all the b/s just to get here and have to walk anyways.[/quote]
Good argument. Looks like with the campus expansion plans we’ll be getting to try this out. CRI already gives you that experience, granted when you work out there you usually live out there. Job - can you make sure we get some dining in the stadium open to the CRI kids for lunch? Hot dogs get old - trust me.
[quote=“SteauA, post:16, topic:24333”][quote=“jfickett, post:13, topic:24333”]To be honest, I think our campus is designed horribly. When we moved out here in 1964(?) there was NOTHING here. We could have master-planned the school to be set up like a town, with a grid of streets for easy access on and off campus and no real distinction between where the campus ends and the college town begins (if the rest of the area’s developers caught on, which I can’t see why they wouldn’t).
I think our campus is beautiful, the hills and plateaus make for some very nice vistas from certain places on and off campus. But the circulation is absolutely atrocious, there aren’t enough roads on campus and the ones that exist just basically circle the perimeter (with the exception of Cameron blvd that runs in front of the Union which will be closed within the next couple years.) We are boxed in by highways with minimal entrance and exit points, essentially making the campus a big island that is really hard to access. Had we actually had some vision and foresight (I know, I know, impossible for UNC Charlotte in any facet) we could have made this campus more accessible by foot or bus for commuters, alleviated the traffic problem, and given the U-City area a real “college town” feel before all the suburban sprawl caught up. There would be a higher likelihood of a “franklin street” type road emerging here too, which would do wonders for the “suitcase” problem we have.
Just another blunder in the long list of things this school could have nipped in the bud with a little vision. Oh well.[/quote]
For cars maybe but then again why would you want a bunch of traffic on campus? I like the “island” concept of our campus actually and I think it will only get better with time.[/quote]
There are a bunch of cars on campus anyway! Why wouldn’t you try to make circulation easier? It doesn’t matter, moot point. We are an island and soon will be a campus of parking decks.
Parking is horrid on all college campuses. Try parking near Elizabeth Ave. any day of the week. The point is to get fewer cars on campus which is why most want to make Freshman NOT have cars on campus. I do think we need to do a better job with visitor parking because who in their right mind would ever “just visit” campus for $5+ a visit?
[quote=“jfickett, post:15, topic:24333”][quote=“zerogeneticsdc, post:14, topic:24333”]Not to critique, you have some solid stuff here, but don’t you think part of the beauty of our campus is that it has so much walkability? I remember my freshman counterparts at other schools saying (NCSU and uncch imparticular) “man, it takes me forever to walk all the way across campus” and I would think “ha, our campus is really big but its compact”"
My point is that I think its 6 one way half a dozen the other. You either get better circulation and a more spread out campus or you get poor circulation and a more compact campus. I think its also hard to engineer positive circulation around campus in the best possible ways between construction blockades and because of the fast paced growth which ties to an issue that often lies outside of our universities hands - funding.[/quote]
This is true. Personally, I’d rather have the campus more spread out. The walkability is awesome…after you wait in traffic, bumper to bumper to a parking lot, and find a place to park (none of which are easy tasks). I’d rather have the ability to walk to campus with ease from a little further away than have to go through all the b/s just to get here and have to walk anyways.[/quote]
Maybe if you lived on campus you wouldn’t have that problem 
Seriously though, most colleges have worse parking situations than ours. ECU, App, State, don’t even get me started on how retarded it is to drive to campus only to have to take a bus to get around it.