Colorado State University
PAE-3: Physical Campus Plan

From the opening lines laying out CSU's land-grant mission, to the details of the physical plan, there is a clear commitment to sustainability in all it's dimensions. The following strategic goals are just some of the commitments to sustainability found in the physical campus plan: - The University is widely known for its research programs related to: water development, management and use; land management and use; natural resources management and use; animal reproduction; animal production, management, marketing and care; rural development; agricultural production and marketing; and the application of basic science to the solution of practical problems. Research activities are based on analysis of the trends and needs of the people of Colorado as viewed within the state, regional, national, and international contexts. Task forces involved in compiling the plan further identified a set of preliminary goals that define a new strategic direction for Colorado State. Together the goals are designed to recognize and enhance excellence at CSU in research, teaching and outreach: - Increase Colorado State’s Discovery investment in those interdisciplinary research where CSU can deliver world-class benefits: a) environmental sustainability; b) biomedicine and infectious disease; c) agriculture, nutrition, health and well-being; and d) information science and technology. - Emphasize undergraduate opportunities for experiential learning in all disciplines; maintain access as a core value; adopt an enrollment management plan that matches students to faculty resources and academic strengths. There is also a dedicated "Sustainability" section in the plan (page 25): "Efforts to develop a more sustainable structure are focused in the broad categories of: - Site selection (consideration of ecological features to minimize building impact on the land). - Water efficiency (natural landscaping, wastewater water use reductions). - Energy and atmosphere (optimize energy efficiency, reduce ozone and CFCs). - Materials & resources (facilitate recycling, use local and rapidly renewable materials, and emphasize building and material reuse). - Indoor environmental quality (increase ventilation effectiveness, low-emitting materials, maximize thermal comfort, and use of natural light). Additionally, the 2012 amendments to the master plan include specific recommendations including; expanded maintenance of the green quads and open spaces, establishing green setbacks at campus edges, expanding and reinforcing the pedestrian plaza, establishing pedestrian and gate gateways, establishing a mass transit center, preserving and reinforcing view corridors on campus.