Campus Structure
Physical Barriers to Connectivity
 Physical barriers to connectivity exist along virtually every edge of the campus and have significantly influenced the configuration of the campus, while also setting boundaries for its growth. Euclid Avenue remains the most obvious obstacle within the pedestrian circulation system. Although Euclid Avenue provides critical linkage between University Circle, the City of Cleveland and outlying suburbs, the volume and speed of traffic is detrimental to the pedestrian experience. Case’s two major pedestrian paths are tenuously connected at the crossing of Euclid Avenue and Adelbert Road. At this critical hinge in the campus, it is difficult for pedestrians to move from one side of campus to the other without losing a sense of connectivity. The 2001 Master Plan explored 14 different concepts for crossing Euclid Avenue at Adelbert Road. These studies show that an improved, at-grade pedestrian crossing provides the best linkage. Along with other improvements planned for Euclid Avenue, such as the addition of landscape median strips, on-street parking and narrowed streets, improvements to this intersection will mitigate some of the current pressures, as will the addition of other pedestrian crossings along Euclid Avenue at Cornell Road and Ford Road.
Other physical barriers also complicate the campus structure. The recessed train tracks that run continuously along the southern side of the campus divide this area from the academic core; MLK, Jr., Drive creates a formidable barrier between the City of Cleveland and Case along its western edge; and the Fine Arts Garden and Rockefeller Park separate the West Quad precinct and the main academic core.
The lack of an identifiable center of the campus and the absence of effective landmarks to orient and engage the pedestrian also contribute to the perception of the campus as disconnected and spread out.
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