In 1996, the University of Pennsylvania’s sprawling campus in Philadelphia was in the grip of an unprecedented crime wave.
While other universities chose to wall themselves off from their surrounding neighborhoods, Penn’s administrators, led by then-President Judith Rodin, decided that such a strategy wouldn’t work for their 280-acre campus. “The notion back then was, ‘If West Philly goes down, Penn would go down with it,’” says University Architect David Hollenberg, AIA.
So Penn doubled down on its investment in public safety. More important, it launched initiatives that addressed quality of life and security issues as well as housing and economic development in the surrounding West Philadelphia neighborhood.
For more on university security, read BD+C's Special Report: "How security is influencing campus design and construction"
The results have been striking. Crime in the 2.5-square-mile Penn Patrol Zone—which stretches from 30th to 43rd Streets, and from Market to Baltimore Streets—was down 49% from 1997 through 2012, says Maureen Rush, Penn’s Vice President for Public Safety and Superintendent of Penn Police. The last fatal shooting close to campus occurred last April, outside a bar unaffiliated with the university. For eight consecutive years, Security magazine has ranked Penn first among colleges and universities for public safety.
One bonus, says Rush, is that “all this produced community relations that Penn did not have before.” The campus holds monthly town meetings that are regularly attended by 60–70 local residents and business owners.
In a recent interview with BD+C, Rush, Hollenberg, and Michael Dausch, Executive Director of Design and Construction Management for Penn’s Facilities and Real Estate Services department, recounted the steps Penn took to secure its campus.
While other campuses were fencing themselves off from communities to thwart crime, the University of Pennsylvania created a public safety buffer zone beyond its campus into adjacent neighborhoods and formed security alliances with Philadelphia’s police force and other local colleges. Courtesy University of Pennsylvania
In 1996, the university hired 19 new police officers, installed 102 new blue light phones, and integrated its policing strategy with that of the Philadelphia police force. (The Daily Pennsylvanian reports that Penn spent $7 million on these actions alone.) Penn’s 180-building campus now has over 500 emergency phones and 116 sworn officers, according to its 2014 Annual Security and First Safety Report, which covers 2011 to 2013. Its PennComm Communications Center processes over 106,000 calls a year, including Walking Escort requests.
The university beefed up its security presence in 1996 by contracting with Allied Barton Security, which stations officers around the campus. (There are now more than 550 guards on site.) Penn created a buffer zone beyond the campus’s patrolled area, which is supported by safety “ambassadors” who escort students and faculty to their cars and homes. This University City District includes security and communications partnerships with nearby Drexel University and the University of the Sciences.
But policing alone could not be the only answer to Penn’s crime problems, says Rush. Equally critical was the introduction of its West Philadelphia Initiatives, which focused on making surrounding neighborhoods safer and better places in which to live and work.
Those initiatives, says Hollenberg, included mortgage assistance programs for graduate students and faculty; the construction of a K-8 school, which Penn continues to support financially with a per-student donation of about $1,300 a year; and a $140 million investment in commercial development that drew retail stores and groceries to the community.
Penn is still improving its campus security. Rush says the university is in the midst of “Operation Building Safe,” a university-wide communications system that includes “virtual concierges”—a video camera/intercom combination that allows Public Safety to remotely verify the identity of a person seeking entry to a building.
Rush’s department also oversees “Penn Ready,” an emergency preparedness and notification program that includes SMS and email messages, and 29 discrete sirens placed around campus for alerts. The ultimate goal: emergency lockdown capability, via Public Safety control of every door on campus. “We’re moving toward that,” she says.
Related Stories
University Buildings | Apr 11, 2023
Supersizing higher education: Tracking the rise of mega buildings on university campuses
Mega buildings on higher education campuses aren’t unusual. But what has been different lately is the sheer number of supersized projects that have been in the works over the last 12–15 months.
Contractors | Apr 10, 2023
What makes prefabrication work? Factors every construction project should consider
There are many factors requiring careful consideration when determining whether a project is a good fit for prefabrication. JE Dunn’s Brian Burkett breaks down the most important considerations.
Smart Buildings | Apr 7, 2023
Carnegie Mellon University's research on advanced building sensors provokes heated controversy
A research project to test next-generation building sensors at Carnegie Mellon University provoked intense debate over the privacy implications of widespread deployment of the devices in a new 90,000-sf building. The light-switch-size devices, capable of measuring 12 types of data including motion and sound, were mounted in more than 300 locations throughout the building.
Architects | Apr 6, 2023
New tool from Perkins&Will will make public health data more accessible to designers and architects
Called PRECEDE, the dashboard is an open-source tool developed by Perkins&Will that draws on federal data to identify and assess community health priorities within the U.S. by location. The firm was recently awarded a $30,000 ASID Foundation Grant to enhance the tool.
Architects | Apr 6, 2023
Design for belonging: An introduction to inclusive design
The foundation of modern, formalized inclusive design can be traced back to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. The movement has developed beyond the simple rules outlined by ADA regulations resulting in features like mothers’ rooms, prayer rooms, and inclusive restrooms.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Mar 30, 2023
New University of St. Thomas sports arena will support school's move to Division I athletics
The University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Minn., last year became the first Division III institution in the modern NCAA to transition directly to Division I. Plans for a new multipurpose sports arena on campus will support that move.
Designers | Mar 28, 2023
Inclusive design requires relearning how we read space
Pulling from his experience during a campus design workshop, David Johnson, AIA, LEED AP, encourages architects to better understand how to design spaces that are inclusive for everyone.
Healthcare Facilities | Mar 26, 2023
UC Davis Health opens new eye institute building for eye care, research, and training
UC Davis Health recently marked the opening of the new Ernest E. Tschannen Eye Institute Building and the expansion of the Ambulatory Care Center (ACC). Located in Sacramento, Calif., the Eye Center provides eye care, vision research, and training for specialists and investigators. With the new building, the Eye Center’s vision scientists can increase capacity for clinical trials by 50%.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Mar 15, 2023
Georgia State University Convocation Center revitalizes long-neglected Atlanta neighborhood
Georgia State University’s new Convocation Center doubles the arena it replaces and is expected to give a shot in the arm to a long-neglected Atlanta neighborhood. The new 200,000 sf multi-use venue in the Summerhill area of Atlanta is the new home for the university’s men’s and women’s basketball teams and will also be used for large-scale academic and community events.
Sponsored | Cladding and Facade Systems | Mar 15, 2023
Metal cladding trends and innovations
Metal cladding is on a growth trajectory globally. This is reflected in rising demand for rainscreen cladding and architectural metal coatings. This course covers the latest trends and innovations in the metal cladding market.