Christine Ruyter, after her hip replacement surgery, found College Walk closed, a pedestrian path across Columbia University, restricted due to safety concerns after anti-Israel protests. The university maintains it has legal grounds from a 1953 agreement with the city that allows it to limit access. However, Ruyter and her neighbors, supported by their lawyer, argue that the city retains public access rights based on the original terms of land transfer. This conflict points towards broader issues of urban public space and institutional authority over it.
The legal dispute centers on whether Columbia University can restrict access to College Walk indefinitely, a key thoroughfare for the community.
Columbia asserts it can limit access based on a 1953 agreement, but the plaintiffs argue the city retains rights that preserve public access.
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