Jordan Boudreau
he/theySanta Cruz, CA
Reflections on the UCSC Campus
I am applying to this position not only because of my passion for sustainable campus planning but also because UCSC’s campus holds a unique place in my heart. Since moving to Santa Cruz with my boyfriend—a UCSC alum—several years ago, I’ve come to appreciate UCSC as a living environment that reflects a rare sensitivity to place, where “the buildings are less important in the visual composition than the trees,” as Thomas Church prescribed in 1963.
Background Reading
In preparation for this application, I have read the 1963 and 2021 LRDPs in full, and am now working my way through the UC Facilities Manual (starting with Volume 2: Planning); CEQA, the Physical Design Framework; the Campus Sustainability Plan; and Gardens Are for People by Thomas Church.
To demonstrate how I would apply these documents and guidelines to a a site-specific problem, I’ve included a case study looking at an issue I have personally encountered on campus.
Case Study: Creating a Pedestrian Connection between UCSC and Pogonip
Pedestrian trails are an iconic element of the UCSC campus. The 2021 LRDP recommends that this network of trails “could be improved, and new connections provided within campus and to adjacent public lands surrounding the campus” (142; bold added). The potential to better connect campus trails to surrounding public lands is an exciting opportunity, as existing trailheads near campus help connect the campus to the local community and provide opportunties for the UCSC community to explore the natural world.Spring Box TrailheadHowever, several of these trailheads are difficult to access as a pedestrian, such as the Spring Box Trailhead on Coolidge Drive, which connects campus to the Pogonip Open Space. This trailhead comes within 500 feet of campus pedestrian paths, yet there is currently no safe pedestrian connection between these two networks of paths.
Serving as a fire road entrance, the Spring Box Trailhead does include signage for pedestrian use, but is located on Coolidge Drive such that there is no safe way to approach as a pedestrian.
A Personal AnecdoteWhen I first moved to Santa Cruz, I was a part-time environmental educator, leading elementary school students on hikes around Santa Cruz, including at UCSC. Frequently, we would take students from a drop off spot at Stevenson College to Spring Box Trailhead; or from the Spring Street Pogonip entrance to campus via the Spring Box Trail. However, getting from the trailhead to campus—or vice versa—always felt dangerous, especially with young children.
Existing Condition The maps below illustrates the two options pedestrians currently have. Both approaches pose dangers. One requires pedestrians to walk along the shoulder of Coolidge Drive, around a blind curve and near speeding cars; the other, while pleasant to start, requires a descent down a steep hillside followed by a short walk on Coolidge. Both routes require an unprotected street crossing across Coolidge to reach the trailhead.
The solution to this problem could be quite simple; I propose the following two interventions below.
- Install crosswalk: Install a 12’ wide crosswalk (pursuant to the UCSC Campus Standards Handbook), on Coolidge Drive at the Spring Box Trailhead. Ideally, pair this with pedestrian actuated Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) to alert cars to slow down.
- Improve and formalize the informal trail from Stevenson to Pogonip: Improve the existing hillside trail, including stairs and minor grade adjustments as needed. Be careful to site the trail in such a way that it ends at the crosswalk to the Spring Box Trailhead while not impinging on the privacy of the Stevenson Provost’s House. This could be accomplished by using a series of alternating contour trails and stairs following the fall line.
Assuming these two interventions were made, the following strategies could help highlight the connection between UCSC and Pogonip, helping to strengthen the link between the campus and community.
- Create on-campus trailhead and signage: Install trailhead signage at Stevenson, formalizing this short trail from Stevenson to the Spring Box Trailhead as the “Stevenson-Pogonip” trail, inviting the campus community to explore the Pogonip Open Space.
- Include wayfinding signage at nearby Mobility Hub: One of the four planned Mobility Hubs is sited at Cowell/Stevenson, a short walk away from the Stevenson-Pogonip Trailhead. Consider installing wayfinding signage from the Mobility Hub, through Stevenson, to the proposed trailhead.
Of course, closer site studies and collaboration with the City of Santa Cruz, which manages Pogonip, would be crucial. Off-campus collaboration is a key aspect of the Associate Planner Role, and one that I would be excited to dive into.
BIO
As a planner and designer with a passion for environmental education, I specialize in shaping places that foster conviviality, environmental literacy, social justice, and a love of the natural world.
CONTACT
jordanboudreau@me.com
1 603 560 9422