Pennsylvania State University
PAE-3: Physical Campus Plan

Penn State University consists of 19 campus locations across Pennsylvania with the 7,200 acre University Park campus being the largest. A Campus Master Plan was developed for University Park in 1999 and additional master plans for other campus locations have been developed and continue to be developed. The comments below address how sustainability was integrated into the University Park Campus Master Plan. The following goals speak directly to the university's inclusion of sustainability in our physical campus planning at a high level: "1.3.3 Protection and Extension of Open Space Quality While the core campus has historically been identified with an attractive and memorable landscape of broad lawns and mature shade trees, the perimeter areas of the campus lack these same placemaking characteristics. There is a need to improve the overall image of the campus by expanding the orderly open space structure of the core campus to include the campus perimeter areas. 1.3.4 Response to Environmental Constraints Given the increasing pressures of continued growth on the local environment, it is important that the University plan its facilities in a manner that responds appropriately to the need to protect the quality of surface waters, the University well system, and the natural environment." Much of the above is being accomplished through the designation of Environmentally Sensitive Areas that include groundwater recharge areas, natural heritage areas, and green space. We have mapped these areas and they are shown here: http://www.opp.psu.edu/about-opp/divisions/cpd/images/s-5-3%20Environ-1.pdf

In 2010, the Office of Physical Plant's Campus Planning and Design is updating the Guiding Principles for Campus Master Planning to include sustainability as an integrated priority through-out all principles as well as a stand-alone principle. More information on the current status of this effort can be obtained at the link provided above and/or by contacting the Penn State Office of Physical Plant's Campus Planning and Design office. Penn State has 800 acres designated as environmental resources; this is not an amendment, but part of the plan.