Columbia University's Controversial Closure of College Walk Raises Community Concerns

Last spring, as Christine Ruyter was resuming her daily activities after hip replacement surgery, she encountered a new barrier just a block from her Morningside Heights residence. College Walk—a scenic, tree-lined pedestrian path crossing Columbia University's campus between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway—had been closed indefinitely to the public. In response to unrest linked to anti-Israel protests following the October 7, 2023 attacks, the university stationed uniformed guards at all entrances, permitting access only to those with a Columbia ID or authorized pass.

Columbia University, which has historically benefited from its integration into New York City, has recently been criticized for shutting out the city’s residents when it suits institutional interests.

The university asserts that control over College Walk was transferred to Columbia in 1953, when the city sold the segment of West 116th Street to the institution for $1,000. From Columbia’s perspective, allowing public passage through the area had been a generous courtesy rather than a legal obligation.

Opposing this narrative, Christine Ruyter and three other local residents are plaintiffs in a lawsuit contesting Columbia’s claim. Their attorney, Toby Golick, argues that the city never relinquished its right of way, citing a clause in the 1953 deed reserving “an easement over a proposed pedestrian walk to be constructed by the university,” along with rights for city infrastructure maintenance. Columbia counters that this easement pertains solely to utility access and emergency vehicles such as fire trucks—a position supported by the current city administration.

Notably, as recently as 2021, Columbia’s official alumni magazine described College Walk as a “tree-lined public walkway,” underscoring the path’s longstanding role as a communal space.

Reflecting on past campus tensions, Sid Davidoff, a former aide to Mayor John V. Lindsay during the tumultuous spring of 1968, recalls that while Columbia had the right to restrict access during emergencies, the intention was never to close College Walk permanently or for extended periods. He emphasizes that such closures were meant to be temporary measures responding to urgent circumstances.