U-Med District: expanding from within: as Anchorage continues to grow, so will the U-Med District. Both the city and the district try to anticipate the potential concerns and problems that may arise.

• Author: Ellis-Knapp, Jody
• Position: HEALTH & MEDICINE

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In a city of more than 291,000 people, it's hard to believe a substantial percentage of Anchorage's employees exist in a fairly tight niche of space. That space, known as the U-Med District, includes the area from the University of Alaska Anchorage over to the Alaska Native Medical Center. U-Med includes UAA, Providence Alaska Medical Center, Alaska Psychiatric Institute, McLaughlin Youth Center, Alaska Pacific University, Alaska Native Medical Center, as well as a host of health care providers and facilities along with other businesses both within the district and in outlying vicinities.

U-Med is an active hub, employing about 16,000 people--11 percent of the Anchorage work force-the highest employment density in the Municipality of Anchorage, according to a recent DOWL HKM study. And there are the thousands of students attending UAA and APU plus the thousands of people seeking health care in the 1,130 acres of U-Med. UAA and Providence are two of the main players, providing a large percentage of the area's employment and consistently working together to ensure the district continues to grow in a way that is beneficial to the public, clients and work groups.

Bill Spindle, vice chancellor for administrative services at UAA, says UAA strives to maintain close relationships with all members of the U-Med District. "We have a very close relationship with Providence." He says "We have regular meetings about mutual concerns such as parking, construction and medical education, and have been long-time partners in improving medical education around the state. We also have varying degrees of interaction with other members of the U-Med District, including Alaska Pacific University and the Anchorage School District, which is not directly in the district but has some schools that fall within our perimeter."

TRAFFIC & PARKING WOES

Parking and traffic are two big concerns for U-Med, with the district continuing to grow and more people accessing the facilities and services each year. The possibility of a new road being punched through UAA and APU land to connect the campuses with Northern Lights Boulevard has been raised, with D OWL HKM conducting a reconnaissance study report for the city that provided an overview of various concepts to improve traffic congestion. While a road may be inevitable, many of the members of the district are concerned about preservation of the campuses.

"We have lots of wetlands, skiing and hiking trails...