A physical transformation that has enriched the campus and community well beyond the university’s borders, the Nord Family Greenway is the result of a construction project unlike any on campus in recent history.

The 2,200-foot-long expanse has no doors, no rooms, no food service, but few would argue that the green space and paths that stretch from the Tinkham Veale University Center to the Maltz Performing Arts Center have had a dramatic impact on the walkability and beauty of the campus.

Created as the result of a design competition in which architects were challenged to link various sections of campus and give pedestrians better access, the winning entry showed that the goals of the project could be achieved not by building raised paths or tunnels, but by smoothing out the distance from one point to another. Community organizations and donors who also saw the benefits of a beautiful, open space quickly came on board with funding and other support. Notably, the Cleveland Museum of Art enthusiastically agreed to allow the greenway to pass through its property and helped make the museum’s Fine Arts Garden and “Fountain of Waters” part of  the greenway experience.

Completed in 2018, President Snyder called the project “a landmark space expressly designed to bring people together with nature—and with one another.”

A true example of the way Case Western Reserve interacts with the University Circle community, the greenway received congratulations from community organizations and neighbors.

“This project is not only useful and beautiful, but it also advances the guiding principle of the Greater University Circle Initiative: to connect residents from neighborhoods including Upper Chester and Hough to the cultural, economic, and educational opportunities in University Circle,” Cleveland Foundation President and CEO Ronn Richard said at the opening of the greenway in 2018, adding that it also will “allow University Circle institutions and employees to benefit from the wisdom, gifts, and energy of their neighbors.”