How are College Campus Layouts?

Hey folks, I am looking forward to touring some colleges next summer before senior year. In your experiences, how walkable are some college campuses? Do some colleges tend to have more compact, foot-friendly layouts compared to others? I'd appreciate if you could list some examples.

Hello! Great question, as the layout of a college can certainly impact your day-to-day experiences there. Generally, colleges do strive to design their campuses to be walkable to minimize the need for vehicular transport. Getting a feel of the campus during an in-person tour is a great idea and will allow you to gauge the vibe and convenience of the place.

However, there are different styles of campus layouts which can affect how "foot-friendly" they are. For example, some campuses, like Brown University, are designed in a "compact" style. All academic buildings, residence halls, dining spaces, and student life facilities are grouped together, which can make getting round the campus on foot or by bike quite quick and easy.

On the other hand, a sprawling campus like Stanford University, known for its large land area, might require a bit of a bike ride from one place to another. However, Stanford's campus is designed to be bike-friendly, with dedicated bike lanes and numerous bike racks to enhance mobility for students.

Some schools, like Boston University, are designed in a linear fashion, extending along a single major roadway. This can lead to longer walks but is typically straightforward and easy to navigate.

Then there are "urban campuses," like New York University (NYU), which blend into the cityscape. While the buildings are concentrated in certain sectors of the city, they are dispersed among public and private structures which can make walking distances variable.

Again, it boils down to personal preference. Some students like the convenience of compact campuses, while others enjoy the exploration that comes with a larger, more spread-out campus. Best of luck with your tours!