The designer of a modern community college must concomitantly meet the needs of those who expect a college to fit their traditional perceptions of a suitable physical plan, and not repel the great numbers of nontraditional students the community college is expected to serve. Many community colleges have been built as an uneasy compromise between these two requirements. The selection of the site for West Los Angeles College took place between 1958 and 1967. Site development began in 1966 and is still going on. Only one plan was considered for site development, and underlying this plan were the following assumptions: a campus should look more like a campus than like the buildings in its vicinity; the campus will collect people from a commuting range of five miles or so, and everyone will drive to campus; stand-up live teaching of liberal arts courses will be the dominant pedagogical form. Planning a practical setting for a modern community college should be influenced by a philosophic commitment to offer direct community services, and programs to suit the needs of everyone in the community. Involvement of an urban design group as advisors to the Board prior to determination of college type, locale, emphasis, and site seems a minimal first step to meeting this philosophical commitment. (NHM)