If you’ve ever stepped foot outside of your car to get from one place to another in Lubbock Texas. The last thing you want to do is walk. It’s either too hot, too cold, too windy or too dusty to hoof it of any significant distance in this city. Lubbock like many Texas cities is known for being spread out and car centric. Making Texas Tech’s bold new initiative of creating a more walkable campus even more noteworthy.

For some background, in 2024, Texas Tech adopted a new strategic alignment plan. The university is proposing a slew of new projects aimed at qualifying the institution for AAU status. AAU is the Association of American Universities, which is a top-tier invite only league of public and private research universities. Two of the projects have already been green lit. The first one is primarily focused on consolidating multiple architecture, engineering and construction colleges into a design school housed in one building; known as the “The Design Village”. While the other is an expansion of the facilities for the college of agriculture and natural resources. Both of these projects are advancements in their own right, however as the growth of Texas Tech continues to be the driving force of economic change in the historic core of Lubbock. There is another set of projects that have the potential to influence the region and Lubbock as a whole in one of the most important areas of public safety. Walkability.

Like I said earlier the last thing anyone in Lubbock wants to do is walk, it’s usually the last resort option for most trips. Good news for you the major projects on walkability would take place on Tech campus where the university would build, maintain and upkeep the walkways. As a whole, the historic core of Lubbock is already one of the more walkable areas of the city, with narrower streets, wider sidewalks and a culture of Tech students and locals accustomed to getting around town by foot, bicycle or electric scooter. To clarify, the use of traditional bicycles, electric scooters, ebikes and the like is formally known as ‘micro-mobility transit’. However for the sake of time and cutting to the chase. I like to call everyone who traverses the city outside of a car or large vehicle a pedestrian or ‘walking’. That being said here are the three ways Texas Tech is leading by example in Lubbock with public safety and pedestrians.

Way #1: Less parking lots with the ‘Park First’ mentality

The philosophy driving this new initiative at Texas Tech, is called ‘park first’. Particularly in the central part of campus; the goal is to create an environment that reduces the amount of large parking lots the university uses overall. Encouraging visitors and students to park their cars in one of the outlying garages or parking lots. Then using the university’s shuttle services and walking to get around. One of the best design elements of this new plan is to create campus wide pedestrian corridors with a large number of trees planted on either side. Helping to cool the city down with shade and creating more habitat for local wildlife. 15th Street and 18th Street themselves in central campus would be converted into the pedestrian corridors. And would most likely be the main areas for pedestrian traffic and the project’s emphasis.

Way #2: Redesigning the campus for walking

Running East to West and both framing either side of the Student Union Building and the Library. 15th Street and 18th Street would both serve as the main arteries for foot traffic connecting central campus to South Overton to the east and into Urbanovsky Park and the Texas Tech Basketball Arena to the West. Hopefully with the goal of creating a stronger pedestrian link to one of the university’s most visible street corners. The lengthening of 18th Street is being proposed to connect the campus to University Avenue. In addition to the pedestrian pathways, the portion of campus facing University Ave. between 15th and 19th Street; the plan also suggests building a parking garage, a visitor center and a second recreational facility for students. This southeastern section of the university’s footprint, despite being surrounded by two major roads, a prominent city park, a large office tower and within the next few years two high rises for students. Has been left almost fully undeveloped by Texas Tech and offers a great opportunity for the university. To not only work towards it’s goals to qualify for AAU status. But also to promote a new development pattern in central Lubbock that focuses on more pedestrians and less cars.

Way #3: Changing central Lubbock

Much like the world over in big city downtowns where vehicle traffic is prohibited. Texas Tech is recognizing that the entire Lubbock campus doesn’t have to prioritize vehicle traffic. Which is a model that I personally believe should be implemented citywide. Walkability and safety for pedestrians in the historic core of the city will be crucial to the growth of Lubbock in a future where more students and residents are tightening their belts to offset the high prices of car ownership and living expenses. By maintaining an urban feel in an affordable city like Lubbock without the huge city price tag. Stakeholders in our community can help create an environment that allows businesses, individuals and families to thrive in a city off the beaten path; working towards a brighter future in a place that is striving to live up to it’s full potential. With much of the progress Lubbock is seeing in downtown over the next few years there is no better time to focus more on walking than driving than now.