Students have spoken loud and clear, and they want to see student housing grow as Penn's campus does.
According to the recently released results of an Undergraduate Assembly survey conducted in December, most students want to see undergraduate housing built in the 24-acre U.S. Postal Service property east of campus, which the University will acquire next year.
Forty-three percent of respondents to the survey indicated interest in expanded housing. Thirty-one percent of respondents said they were not interested.
Students also said they want to see restaurants, outdoor public spaces, study areas and entertainment venues on the postal lands.
The results of the survey were presented to top administrators last week.
Principal Planner for Facilities and Real Estate Services Mark Kocent and Penn associate vice president Michael Harris presented a condensed version of the UA survey report to the provost's development committee on Monday.
According to Wharton senior and UA Development Committee Chairwoman Cynthia Wong, administrators have been "really receptive" to student opinion on campus development.
"They've let us do our own thing, but they've given us feedback," Wong said.
Officials are exploring ways to develop the postal lands, 14 acres of which are available for construction. The other 10 acres are occupied by the Post Office building, which is a historical landmark and can not be torn down.
Survey respondents also said they support the broader "guiding principles" of continuing the pedestrian-oriented community on Locust Walk and promoting environmentally conscious design.
"I appreciated the guiding principals in terms of how future campus development should progress," Harris said. "We found those to be insightful."
Students also expressed interest in cross-campus transportation to provide easy access to the new property.
Wong agreed. "If we can get buses to the airport, then hopefully we can get buses around our own campus," she said, referring to UA efforts to bus students to the airport for Thanksgiving and winter breaks.
The student task force will also present the data it has collected on student opinion to Sasaki Associates Inc. -- the architectural firm that Penn has hired to plan development of the postal lands.
The provost's committee will present a final report on development to the Board of Trustees in June, so Wong is eager collect opinions now.
"This semester is incredibly key for us to get student feedback," she said.
The survey -- which was e-mailed to students last month -- drew over 2,900 undergraduate and graduate student responses.
The strong response "speaks a lot of the character of Penn students," Wong said. "Penn students love Penn."
Development of the postal lands cannot begin until Penn acquires the land next year, and the project is expected to be a long-term one. According to Harris, the University has a 10 to 20 year plan for full development.
Harris added that the University intends to save land for future needs that have yet to be identified.
Wong expressed excitement about the project's potential to transform campus. "I can't wait to come back 15 or 20 years from now," she said.
