Completed over summer 2016, the Einhorn Family Walk, which was supported by a gift from Steven ’64, G’67, and Sherry Einhorn ’65, is a pedestrian-friendly promenade that replaced part of University Place and eliminated a traffic area in a busy section of campus. The gently sloping walkway—featuring inviting sitting and conversation terraces, increased landscaping, and greater ADA accessibility—allows for more connectedness and has created a new spot to meet up. “As alumni of this great University, Sherry and I take great pride in knowing this gift will benefit Syracuse University students, faculty, and staff for generations to come,” Steven Einhorn says.
Stretching from the Newhouse complex to Bird Library, the walk was developed to support the goals of the Academic Strategic Plan to enhance the student experience and build a sense of “One University.” The project includes a heated pathway that leads to the plaza with the Syracuse University gateway sign, just north of the Place of Remembrance, making it accessible to those with mobility issues.
Since its completion, the Einhorn Family Walk has already transformed that area of campus, says School of Architecture Dean Michael Speaks, a member of the Campus Framework Advisory Group. “The Einhorn Family Walk has literally stitched together, activated, and extended the campus,” Speaks says. “The walkway is a wonderful piece of public event and circulation architecture. But it is also important because it activates and transforms the spaces and buildings that surround it into distinct places with their own character and uses.”