Vibrant community spaces are coming to life around Wichita State University’s growing campus. The university’s Placemaking Initiative and a $61,950 grant from the Knight Foundation Fund at WF are the expressive vehicles behind activating seven placemaking projects that create enjoyable and explorable places on college grounds.
“Placemaking is about transforming a public space into a meaningful place where students and people who visit feel an attachment,” said Kristin Beal, WSU’s placemaking coordinator. “These projects cultivate a sense of place and invite people on campus to linger longer.”
Beal leads the placemaking efforts across the university and constantly finds ways to collaborate with others such as Shocker students, local artists and WF.
The projects are designed to draw students, faculty and staff to a particular spot on campus and encourage the public to also explore these areas:
- Belonging Plaza – A pop-up gathering and programming tool allows students to highlight underrepresented or marginalized trailblazers. The plaza’s first honoree is Kristi Parker, a Wichita State alum and the founder and publisher of Liberty Press.
- Community garden – The garden creates a space where the campus community can grow and harvest fruits and vegetables.
- Clinton Hall Stairs Activation – To bring visual interest to the outdoor steps of Clinton Hall at the Barton School of Business, Wichita State student Sarah Myrose painted a mural called “Dreams and Wishes.”
- Hammock Lounge – Permanent hammock clusters provide a place for students, faculty, staff and visitors to hang out and relax.
- Outdoor learning spaces – In an effort to have class in a socially distant and safe way, Wichita State arranged six different outdoor classroom locations for students.
- Predictions 2045 – Predicting what the next 25 years will look like is a long-standing Wichita State tradition. To celebrate the university’s 125th anniversary, a cohort of 36 people virtually gathered for a design thinking exercise to predict where Wichita will be in 2045.
- Campus Audio History Tour – In partnership with KMUW, an audio tour will focus on the history of eight different sites on campus. The program is in development and will launch later this summer.
"The gift from the Knight Foundation Fund at the Wichita Community Foundation has been instrumental in helping Wichita State's mission," said Beal. "It's about creating a ripple effect that will have a sustaining impact on the student experience and provides community members a destination at Wichita State."
