Overview
- Columbia closed public access to its Morningside Heights campus in 2023 after large on-campus protests and the gates have remained locked with a literal chain and padlock ever since.
- This week the Mamdani administration filed a court brief supporting a neighborhood lawsuit that argues a 1953 easement makes College Walk public and should be reopened.
- New Columbia president Jennifer L. Mnookin announced initial measures this week including an access advisory committee, expanded limited guest entry, and service kiosks at the 116th Street gate while stressing a phased approach.
- Neighborhood residents, elected officials and faculty staged rallies calling for immediate full reopening and say the closure forces older residents to walk around the campus and cuts the community off from transit.
- With gates still shut, the dispute now hinges on the pending lawsuit and continued municipal pressure, and the outcome could reshape neighborhood access, campus security policies and how universities balance openness with safety.