Pedestrian Arteries | Facilities and Energy Management | SIU

The pedestrian walkways play an integral role to the Carbondale campus.  They act as the main arteries from east to west and north to south through the heart of the campus community.  The spaces created by and between campus buildings contribute as much to SIUC’s “sense of place” as the buildings themselves.  Open spaces can serve multiple purposes, often as stages for ceremonial, social, and educational functions.  In addition, they promote chance encounters that not only enrich Campus life, but also comprise a fundamental part of the learning process.  These open spaces provide a quiet, relaxing retreat from the hectic pace of Campus life.  They should develop a feeling of unity with the surrounding architecture and the natural beauty of the landscape.

This project created pedestrian mall areas located east of Faner Hall from Faner Drive to the Student Center and from Faner east to the north pedestrian overpass.  The work replaced the current sidewalks with artistic concrete walkways, established seating areas and raised planting areas, new landscaping, an active water feature, and.  The project included improvements to outdoor lighting, which contribute to improved campus safety and security.  The outdoor lighting was designed to incorporate a consistent appearance across the main campus.