Q&A
Many people say that the future success of the City of Davis is closely related to forging a Win-Win relationship with UC Davis.
- What would you see as the ideal City/UC Davis relationship going forward?
- What specific steps would you take to achieve that ideal relationship?
- Do you think UC Davis has a vested interest in housing prices and housing availability in the City?
[Don's response:] This is a tremendous time in the history of our community. This year we celebrate 100 years of shared successes since the University of California located a campus in Davis. As we prepare for the Centennial, lets reflect on our shared vision and core values that make this community and campus relationship special.
The University of California at Davis is one of the leading universities in the world. The teaching, research and community service roles of the land grant system are ever present at this campus. Our community and region are enriched by the location of this campus on our border. The UCD is a part of the UC system, established as an autonomous entity in the state constitution. As such, it is exempt from local governance.
Davis is a great place for families to call home, a great place for children to grow up, a great place for seniors to feel safe and connected and a great place to live, work and study. We are all of this because of the presence of UCD.
My vision for our ongoing relationship is one of synergy. The geography, culture and destiny of our campus and community are integrated in a special way in Davis. Davis has the unique role of serving as a nurturing host for a world class campus. This role includes collaborating in areas such as residential and business planning. The campus has a responsibility to preserve the very qualities of the community that its presence has engendered, even as the mission of the university continues to evolve. This responsibility includes, in my view, a shared commitment to ensure that campus affiliates have access to affordable nearby housing.
While we will inevitably encounter competing interests, there is much we can do to advance our shared interests.
- Continue the regular meetings between the Mayor and the Chancellor.
- Use the Centennial celebration year as a catalyst to conduct the first annual Davis specific "Town/Gown" workshop involving key campus and community officials and stakeholders. The first of these workshops should include discussion and development of shared interests built together over the past 100 years. We can also discuss those areas where we differ and find ways to work together despite those differences.
- Work on finding opportunities for the types of business we would like to have in our community that support the interests and goals of the campus and fit the character and identity of the community. Leverage the unique economic opportunities UC Davis presents to our community by supporting innovative, green, life science and other technology related businesses.
- Work together on campus/community connections so that both the Davis citizens and visitors to the campus and our community can enjoy the best of what we both offer. One of our common interests is in promoting the arts. We have a world class facility at the Mondavi Center with a visual arts museum planned next door. Soon the campus south entry will have a conference center and a hotel. A new music building with a performance hall is planned on Hutchison Drive just west of A Street. Downtown we have restaurants, theaters, galleries, and hotels. These venues complement each other. Together, we have completed a connections study to promote linking this part of campus to downtown. The next step is to implement the results of this study to add a shuttle, enhance the 1st and 3rd Street intersections with A Street and improve bike and walking routes.
- Finalize service agreements and annexation discussions related to West Village and execute a Memorandum of Understanding on these matters.
Yes, I think UC Davis has a strong interest in Davis housing prices and availability. Creating a campus community means that UC Davis students, faculty, and staff work and live here. Close community links promote common goals and synergy between the city and the campus. It means that faculty don't commute long distances like they must at Berkeley, UCLA, and San Diego. This situation is better for the faculty, better for the students because it promotes interactions, and better for the environment. Home prices that aren't affordable for new campus employees makes it harder for the campus to recruit the best and the brightest and weakens the links between the campus and community.
