On May 30, the University Board of Trustees approved the 2019 Campus Master Plan. The new Master Plan will serve as the physical framework for The Blueprint for Next, the University’s strategic framework, and will guide the growth and development of campus for the next 10 to 20 years. Unlike previous University master plans, the 2019 Campus Master Plan is not a “building program” but instead focuses on renovation and renewal and will help identify opportunities to create new spaces, encourage mixed-use facilities and bring people together.
The Master Plan is the result of a campuswide effort that began in 2016 to identify and address the goals, objectives and physical manifestations of The Blueprint for Next. Facilities Services and Real Estate Operations, together with consultants Ayers Saint Gross, worked closely with the Master Planning Executive Steering Committee and representatives from each Blueprint for Next Strategic Initiative group throughout the planning process to identify key problems and common objectives and to explore how mixed-use environments, new transportation resources and physical assets could be leveraged for innovative and efficient uses.
The Campus Master Plan identifies three “Big Ideas” that will drive transformative physical planning campuswide: Welcome, Connections and Hubs. These interrelated ideas will serve as a flexible framework for identifying opportunities for collaboration and connections and will serve as the foundation for implementing individual projects:
- Welcome: improve the visitor experience and communicate the unique and enduring qualities of Carolina.
- Connections: enhance a comprehensive network of pedestrian, vehicular, bike and transit connections.
- Hubs: encourage a dynamic mix of uses and programs in each building and within districts at key nodes on campus.
An initial draft of the Master Plan was presented to the Board of Trustees in May 2018. The planning team then engaged with campus and community stakeholders through a series of presentations and public community workshops to present the plan recommendations, address questions and receive feedback. A final version of the 2019 Campus Master Plan report is expected to be available August 2019.
For more information about the Campus Master Plan, visit facilities.unc.edu/master-plan.