Urban Sprawl

San Antonio mayor Julian Castro has worked with the community to develop an aggressive road map of the city's future called SA2020. The plan addresses important issues, including poverty, education, health, water and energy, and public transportation. A related proposal calls for the development of the Broadway corridor, which essentially runs from Alamo Heights to downtown. This is exciting news for Trinity and comes on the heels of the planned expansion of the north section of the San Antonio river. That expansion will essentially create a link from Brackenridge Park to the far south side.

The Broadway corridor, would it become reality, means that Trinity will have greater pedestrian and bicycle connections to a growing residential and commercial area. In addition, a streetcar system may be the centerpiece of this corridor. Up till now, most students have moved west and northwest of campus. In the next decade, seniors may find themselves moving to the east and southeast into a dynamic neighborhood that is on the verge of being adjacent to campus. The development may spill over to the North St. Mary's Street entertainment area as well.

While these changes may not impact any of us directly, given the long-term nature of the proposed changes, imagine Trinity with a stronger connection to the downtown area. Trinity has suffered the lack of a safe neighborhood area that students could routinely visit. (Think 6th Street in Austin.) The proposed changes would undoubtedly make the University's location in a big city, equally close to downtown and the airport, an even more attractive destination for future students.