Judge Keeps College Walk Closed to Public
Columbia students, staff, and approved guests keep sole access to the walkway while residents pursue an appeal.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Higher Education
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A Manhattan Supreme Court judge, David Cohen, denied a residents' petition to reopen College Walk, a pedestrian walkway at Columbia University, to the public. Residents in Morningside Heights plan to appeal the decision.
Why it matters
The ruling leaves campus access restrictions in place, which currently limit access almost exclusively to Columbia students, faculty, staff, and approved guests. Restrictions were first imposed during the spring 2024 protests over Israel's war in Gaza, and college officials said they were meant to restore order and protect student safety.
The court found that nothing in a decades-old agreement granted unrestricted public access to College Walk, though that agreement preserved public access to certain facilities such as fire hydrants. The 116th Street segment is privately owned by Columbia University.
The players
Columbia University
A private Ivy League research university in Manhattan that controls College Walk and set the campus access restrictions.
The details
A decades-old legal agreement sold the pedestrian walkway between Amsterdam and Broadway, known as College Walk, to the university. Neighborhood residents challenged the restrictions on the basis of that agreement, and Judge David Cohen ruled that it did not grant unrestricted public access. Columbia's Campus Access Advisory Committee has been tasked with recommending how access could be expanded, and the city's official position on the matter changed under Mayor Mamdani after former Mayor Eric Adams had opposed the lawsuit.
Timeline
Spring 2024: College protests over Israel's war in Gaza led to the initial access restrictions.
November 11, 2026: Judge David Cohen approved Columbia's closure and denied the residents' petition.
Education Landscape
The dispute traces back to the spring 2024 campus protests, when Columbia first restricted access to its grounds. The ruling now extends those restrictions into a legal fight over whether a walkway sold to the university decades ago must remain open to the public.
If you are a Columbia student, staff member, or prospective applicant, campus access rules affect how and where you move across the university. Questions about campus policies are best directed to Columbia's administration or student affairs office.
The takeaway
The ruling keeps College Walk closed to the general public for now, while the appeal and the access committee's recommendations remain pending. Students and families interested in campus policies should watch for the committee's recommendations and any appellate decision.
What happens next
Residents plan to appeal the decision, and Columbia's Campus Access Advisory Committee will continue work on recommendations to expand access.
Further reading
For more on how campus policies shape student life, browse our Higher Education coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Daily Item.
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