A sign of things to come
“The problem of insecurity cannot be solved by spreading people out more thinly, trading the characteristics of the city for the suburbs.”
-Jane Jacobs
There have been a few violent assaults/rapes in and around UB North this semester, starting to instill in people that just because its not the city-doesn’t mean that you’re completely safe.
In fact-some of the areas on and around UB North could become havens for rapes and assaults simply through poor and anti-social design.
Vast VAST surface lots with poor to little lighting, massive single use structures and complexes, discouraged sidewalk activity etc etc…
The city of Buffalo has to deal with the “stop snitching” movement, but in UB north there isn’t even any one around to “snitch”. Its hard to believe that there aren’t more crimes like this occurring.
UB is working on its “UB2020″ plan and with that should come some changes to the way UB North works as a mini-city of sorts. With much thought into making it mixed-use, well lit, pedestrian friendly and giving the place a sense of community…UB North can maintain its reputation as being the clean safe escape from the city campus.
December 4th, 2007 at 3:46 pm
The only place I have ever experienced crime is in the burbs. Being that I live in the city and rarely venture to the burbs the chance of getting victimized in Burbia seem very high
December 4th, 2007 at 10:50 pm
I frequently work on campus at the computing center and in Norton Hall. It’s amazing to me how poorly planned that entire campus is and how unfriendly it is to anyone wanting to walk outdoors. We were moving server from the CC to Norton the other night at 1AM and the solitude and vastness of the campus was really overwhelming. It’s a creepy concrete jungle out there.
December 5th, 2007 at 7:35 am
I heard once that the SUNY campuses like UB North and Purchase were specifically designed to deter student protests in the 60s/70s. I don’t know if that’s true, but it’s interesting.
Also - Steel, is it possible for you to write a sentence that isn’t just a hostile anti-suburb screed? Just once? G’ahead. Try it. Might be fun.
December 5th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
Pundit
I heard the same thing about the protest thing. I have heard that this is the true reason for its location in Amherst as well.
and
My comments are not not so much anti suburban as it is true. I have only been victimized by crime in the burbs. The area of Cheektowaga around the Galleria is ugly (something with which you and I agree) and you and your neighbors would not welcome a sex offender home on your street. then again you can find no faults with the suburbs at all. You even stated that the ugliness of Cheektowaga is OK in your book.
December 6th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
“I heard once that the SUNY campuses like UB North and Purchase were specifically designed to deter student protests in the 60s/70s. I don’t know if that’s true, but it’s interesting.”
This is a popular rumor about the layout of RIT as well. It too is a vast, expansive, ugly suburban campus with no center to it.
December 7th, 2007 at 8:30 am
At Cornell there are several dorms that were constructed right after the armed student takeover of the student union in ‘69. Much like at RIT and UB-North Campus, they were purposely designed to restrict student interaction.