New York City's Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Corporation Counsel Steven Banks have officially shifted the city's position in a lawsuit concerning public access to Columbia University's College Walk. The city's Law Department filed a letter supporting the reopening of the thoroughfare, which runs along 116th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue. This change comes after the city previously argued that a 1953 agreement did not guarantee public right-of-way.
The gates to Columbia's Morningside Heights campus were initially locked in October 2023 following pro-Palestinian protests related to the war in Gaza. They have remained closed since spring 2024 after demonstrators established an encampment and occupied Hamilton Hall. Residents and local officials, including City Council Majority Leader Shaun Abreu, have criticized the closure, arguing it inconveniences the community, particularly the elderly and disabled, who use the walkway to navigate between a subway station and a medical center.
The lawsuit, filed in 2025 by residents against both Columbia and the city, claims the university violated the 1953 agreement. This agreement allowed Columbia to take ownership of the 116th Street stretch in exchange for maintaining a public walkway. Columbia has maintained that the walkway is private property and its closure was a safety measure, though new president Jennifer Mnookin has indicated openness to reviewing the issue, acknowledging the closure as "a loss for our community."
The city's reversal has been lauded by community groups and elected officials. Student Workers of Columbia, a union, has also been advocating for reopening the gates, citing impacts on their members' access to campus facilities and the university's connection to its neighbors. The city's new stance strengthens the legal challenge against Columbia's continued restriction of access to College Walk.
