On January 15, Shaun Abreu, New York City Council Member of Manhattan’s 7th District, and Victor Edwards, chair of NYC Community Board 9, published an open letter urging Interim President Katrina Armstrong to reopen college walk to the public, citing its historical significance to the community.

On January 15, Shaun Abreu, New York City Council Member of Manhattan’s 7th District, and Victor Edwards, chair of NYC Community Board 9, published an open letter addressed to Interim President Katrina Armstrong entitled “Admission denied: Columbia must reopen its gates” through NY Daily News. This opinion piece urges Columbia to reopen college walk—the stretch of W. 116th St. between Broadway and Amsterdam that lies at the center of campus—to the public, citing its cultural importance to the community of Morningside Heights. 

The letter details the history of the 1953 agreement between Columbia University, the Board of Estimate, the City Planning Commission, and the then-Borough President Robert F. Wagner to enclose college walk as a part of the University’s campus but to maintain its public status in service of pedestrian passage and the community at large. Abreu and Edwards state that in violating this agreement, “Columbia’s current actions feel like a profound betrayal of the community’s trust.” They also acknowledge the impact of this closure on people such as seniors and disabled residents, commenting on how this makes their commute less accessible and places unnecessary strain on these community members. 

Altogether, Abreu and Edwards express that they believe this closure leaves much of the community of Morningside Heights “completely out in the cold,” notably stating “Columbia cannot have it both ways. It is part of the City of New York when recruiting students and professors. It is part of the City of New York when it requires the intervention of the NYPD to maintain order. Yet, when a neighborhood resident tries to set foot on campus, suddenly Columbia claims the right to invoke private property.” When asked for their perspectives on the issue, many students echoed this sentiment.

One Urban Studies student offered their thoughts on Columbia’s gate closures and CUID-only access, saying that they “represent Columbia’s attempts to distance itself from the rest of Harlem and Morningside Heights” rather than engaging with the community they reside in.

“Often how we think about safety at Columbia is as a way to blockade Columbia from the city and ignore its context, and I believe that that leads to something more dangerous, which is the belief that Morningside Heights and Manhattanville and West Harlem is the danger that we are trying to separate ourselves from when we know that is not true,” they said. “It becomes a question of access and exclusivity and it forces us to reckon with the idea of who gets to be a part of this school and who gets to be a part of this neighborhood.”

A Barnard sophomore explained how the gate closures affect her everyday life, citing inconvenience when making her way around campus. The community feeling that an open campus facilitated is something she has felt the absence of in recent months. “I miss the little kids and the dogs,” she said. “I don’t feel as connected to New York.”

The large College Walk gates have been closed since April 2024 after the occupation of Hamilton Hall. The restrictions initially allowed only essential faculty and students living on the Morningside campus access. Throughout the remainder of the semester and the summer, restrictions eased, eventually restoring access for all CUID holders and allowing some guests. Now, the large gates remain closed, with CUID holders only able to access College Walk via the small gates on either side of 116th, where public safety officers require all individuals to scan their IDs or present a QR code granting guest access. 

In anticipation of several planned protests during the Fall 2024 semester, the University administration preemptively tightened restrictions and increased security and NYPD presence around campus. Both Barnard and Columbia instituted levels of campus access and restriction, sending periodic emails to students notifying them if there would be any upcoming changes regarding gate closures or guest access. 

In her January 24 email, Armstrong revealed that the goal “is to achieve as quickly as possible the conditions that enable us to open the Morningside campus gates and ensure a safe environment where everyone feels welcome on our campus” and that Columbia administrators have been “working–and continue to work–to create the conditions that will enable us fully to open the Morningside campus as soon as it is possible.”

News Editor Khushi Chhaya and Deputy News Editor Riley Stacy contributed to this report.

Image by Khushi Chhaya