Quality Of Place
The quality of place is all of those features of physical environment and qualities of
life that make a location a desirable, competitive, and economically vibrant place to
live. Quality of place is associated with the built environment and expressed in urban revitalization of older cities and new urbanism in suburban and rural locations.
It also includes the quality of architecture and the quality of transportation, housing, neighborhoods, and all the cultural amenities and recreation venues and programs of interest to present and future residents. Also included is the natural and outdoor recreational assets and tourism features. Quality of public education and health care also can be styled as elements of quality of place.
Indirect outcomes of the strategies and activities of Innovation Enterprises work to improve quality of place (and life) aspects in which UT can have impact toward making Toledo and northwest Ohio a desirable place in which to live, work, learn, and participate in civic life.
Toledo and the Region
Toledo is a great place to locate a business and live life. Our midwest attitude and values make it the place to live and raise your family. The greater Toledo area centered at Lucas County of northwest Ohio in the midwest United States includes Maumee, Perrysburg, Holland, Northwood, Oregon, Ottawa Hills, Rossford, Sylvania, and Point Place. Toledo is filled with things to do with a variety of cultural events, sports venues, entertainment, restaurants, museums, parks, and attractions including the University of Toledo, Toledo Zoo, Toledo Museum of Art , Imagination Station and downtown Toledo events.
Area sports highlights are baseball with the Toledo Mud Hens, UT Rockets basketball and football, hockey with the Walleye, golfing and golf courses, bowling, motorsports at Toledo Speedway, harness (horse) racing at Raceway Park, along with boating and fishing on the Maumee River. Area music is a dynamic mix of Classical from the Toledo Symphony Orchestra and Toledo Opera Association, Jazz in venues such as Murphy’s Place Jazz Club. Historical sites include the Wolcott House, Fort Meigs, or Fallen Timbers monument and park. Or if you just want to stretch your legs and get some fresh air, there are plenty of beautiful Toledo metroparks such as the Swan Creek Metropark, Sidecut Metropark, Wildwood Preserve, Maumee Bay State Park
Quality of Life – Arts, Culture, and Leisure
Among the many assets of The University of Toledo that contribute to quality of place are aspects of arts, cultural, and leisure and include:
- Center for the Visual Arts at the Toledo Museum of Art – The UT Center for the Visual Arts, designed by architect Frank O. Gehry, was completed in 1993. This four-story building is the home of the University's Department of Art, which since 1921 has been housed at the campus of The Toledo Museum of Art. The UT Center for the Visual Arts frequently showcases faculty and student art work.
- Theater and Film – The University’s Department of Theatre and Film frequently stages shows and screens films throughout the year.
- UT Planetarium – The Ritter Planetarium features weekly informational programs for general audiences, including children, related to astronomy and space.
- UT Rocket Athletics – Athletics serves as a unifying symbol for the campus, Toledo, and the region. The Rockets sponsor 16 varsity sports at the highest level of collegiate competition and compete in the Mid-American Conference. Recent years have been highlighted by conference titles across the spectrum of sports, national prominence on ESPN, and increasingly strong academic performance among student athletes. UT’s athletic facilities are among the best in the region. The recent renovation of Savage Arena, along with the construction of the Sullivan Athletic Complex and the Fetterman Training Center, puts UT on a par with some of the largest college programs in the Nation.
University City or Town
A term used for the area surrounding the University—University City, encompasses the 3,840 acres (six square miles) from Bancroft Street on the north, Secor Road and Byrne Road on the west, Glendale Avenue on the south, Detroit Avenue and Fearing Boulevard on the east and Parkside Boulevard north to Bancroft Street. University City includes the three largest campuses of the University, several existing neighborhoods, and areas targeted for redevelopment.
The University City area will be a planned mixed-use development area, with housing, recreation, retail, and business uses. The arts, health clinics, and pre-k-to-12 education will be significant features, as well as engineering, science, and technology. Commercial facilities will include incubators, multi-tenant buildings, and stand-alone, single-entity buildings. Various uses are organized in UT’s Strategic Land Use Plan.
This name creates a larger sense of place that incorporates not only the university’s properties, but all the surrounding areas in which it hopes to have significant positive impact.