[WestsideLA]

An indirect comment here... Going back to my recent harping on the campus plan or land use, I do think there has been some improvement in this regard in recent years.

For instance, when the Biological Sciences Learning Center was built, it was just kind of stuck in the middle of a back alley. Now the University has taken steps to turn that block into the North Science Quad.

And the Crerar Library was just plopped down in the middle of the Science Quad. I think both were just examples of budget constraints and a desire to save money. But recently, the University knocked down that old Post Office building and took steps to improve the area by extending the 58th St. Pedestrian zone. (Finally they were willing to knock down Phemister Hall and replace it with the Gordon Center.)

These observations have some bearing on the Medical Center complex because I think for a while the plan was to just stick as many buildings into Maryland Avenue as possible. But even things like that pocket park by the Cancer Hospital show some desire to get away from this. Although the problem now is that there is a history you have to live with in that area.

Elsewhere on campus the University has shown a willingness to spend money to knock down obsolete buildings. For instance, Mott got knocked down and The Rube and The Study got built. They didn't just stick those behind Mott to save money. Similarly, they are knocking down the old research institute building to build the New Science and Engineering Building.

So I hope the overall mentality is improving...