A Public Space: University Village

Today I visited USC's University Village, located across Jefferson St. from campus. The Village is modeled on a quaint, old European village, but with thoroughly modern American shops and stores.

A great variety of goods and services are offered, but the Village caters mainly to the stable lower class, not to the derelict homeless, nor to anybody approaching the upper class. There are fifty-four shops in five categories, and many that offer low-cost products.

Consequently, there are a great variety of people that were there. I observed people of all the predominant ethnicities in this part of California. Group structure was also varied: I observed people there alone, as couples, in large, non-family groups, and as families. They were mostly walking around functionally instead of recreationally, although there were a few exceptions.

The Village is designed to be an accessible oasis of cleanliness and relaxation in the middle of a city, and to serve college students. In terms of cleanliness, it far outstrips its surroundings; the only noticeable urbanity about it was the graffiti in the bathroom. The flora are well tended and trash cans and ashtrays are provided plentifully. There are numerous places for people to congregate and socialize. Finally, there are many entrances from four different streets, so accessibility is not a problem.