Enhance the Quality of the Visual Environment

 
The visual quality of the campus has a profound influence on the quality of people's experiences at the University of Iowa. In addition, the visual quality of the campus contributes significantly to the University’s ongoing efforts to attract and sustain the best students, faculty and staff, and to reflect its social purpose in a positive way.

Landscape
 
The landscape spaces between buildings should be understood to be as important as the buildings in defining the overall character and atmosphere of the campus. Outdoor spaces should be consciously designed rather than being the leftover spaces after buildings are constructed.

Open Space

Open space proposals include measures that will help to unify the campus through a connecting fabric of landscape. Open spaces are a necessary balance to the construction of roads, parking lots and buildings. As the campus continues to grow, it will become increasingly important to provide the relief and contrast of a well thought out campus landscape. The intent is to establish an attractive, continuous network of purposeful outdoor spaces that will endure.

Proposed Open Space Framework

 

Protect and Enhance

The plan calls for the protection and enhancement of campus natural areas
and their environmental benefits related to erosion control, stormwater management, habitat enrichment, and educational value. The plan also
protects the historic landscape and architectural resources that positively contribute to the unique identity of the campus. The naturalistic scenic
quality of the Iowa River must be protected and enhanced.

Streetscape

Campus streets are important visual spaces that define the image of the campus and serve as pedestrian links. Street trees contribute to the quality of campus street spaces by defining a human scale, enhancing the visual unity of the street, and the addition of the rich pattern of branching and foliage.

It is recommended that in the East and West Campus areas, rows of trees be added along all major vehicular streets to enhance their quality. Major proposed plantings include extension of the Sycamore plantings along the east side of Riverside Drive, strengthening the Park Road edge, unification of Hawkins Drive, and the completion to the extent possible, of plantings on East Campus streets.