Placemaking

Placemaking projects help create a sense of place and enhance connectivity and walkability. The strategy calls for creating activations that fill spatial voids along the pedestrian walkway. Lingering longer will be encouraged by adding recreational elements such as Frisbee golf, hammocks and swings at the area east of Food Truck Lake.

The new unveiling of the Shocker Pods will also encourage students and visitors to sit and enjoy the scenery at Wichita State. There will be three Shocker Pods introduced: one centered around the theme of love and commitment, one with yellow & black stained glass, and finally one with vines of trumpet creeper (a native Kansas plant). This new space will promote interactions among the different cohorts using the area: residents of the Flats and Suites, community employees and food truck customers among others visitors.

This category is focused on encouraging people already on campus to linger longer and to attract new external audiences to campus. This is a campus-wide endeavor to partner and bring community members to our campus and WSU to the community.

Some exciting events include the now annual Pep Rally, which introduced our new Shocker Sound and basketball teams at the beginning of their season. Wichita State also introduced the Sip & See event, bringing together students, faculty & staff, and community members alike for fun, trivia, cornhole, and music to celebrate Braeburn Square. Finally, the installation of the Pet Pathway will bring more Wichitans and their dogs to campus to enjoy a scenic walk.  

 

Applied learning opportunities is a key part of the placemaking initiative. Students enrolled in Community & Social Practices in the School of Fine Arts have played an instrumental role in the Wulip Garden installation – building flowers and creating the unveiling event and related social media campaign.  A 3-D Sculpture class also assisted with building the flowers.

WSU's ShiftSpace hosted artist Delilah Reed who gave a presentation to painting students about transitioning from small-scale work to large-scale murals. Reed painted the electrical boxes (seen above) along the Innovation Campus promenade and has engaged three ShiftSpace students in apprentice roles to do prep work and background painting. Reed and Ty also met with entomology students to identify plants and bugs indigenous to Kansas for authentic inclusion in the artwork.