University of Alberta
PAE-3: Physical Campus Plan

The University of Alberta’s Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) (2002) is a board-approved document administered by the President, which provides a planning framework to accommodate and to guide physical development on university lands during the next thirty years. The LRDP identifies a set of Strategic Planning Principles that form the basis for the achievement of the goals, objectives, and strategies expressed in the UAlberta Comprehensive Institutional Plan. The LRDP serves as an overarching guiding document for informing campus development; it is supported by several detailed administrative plans for various geographic sectors of the university.

The LRDP meaningfully incorporates sustainability into the campus development process through its inclusion as one of the plan’s nine Strategic Planning Principles.
Strategic Planning Principle #5 states:

"The university will encourage and promote the precepts of smart growth and sustainability."
(p.16)

This objective is to be achieved through the implementation of the following corresponding strategic directions:

- The university should use its physical assets to their optimum potential. Facilities and land should be developed, operated and maintained in an efficient and effective manner.
(Strategic Direction 5.1, p. 16)

- "The university should respect its natural as well as built environment and should expand its facilities within a holistic approach to development."
(Strategic Direction 5.2, p.17)

- "Facilities should be designed with an eye to sustainable materials, practices and operations."
(Strategic Direction 5.3, p. 17)

In addition to identifying core Strategic Planning Principles, the Long Range Development Plan also includes more specific initiatives and guidelines that shape the campus development process (see Chapter 7). Several of these initiatives and guidelines pertain to sustainability. Examples of these directions and guidelines include:

- “A Travel Demand Management (TDM) Plan should be developed and implemented to reduce automobile traffic generated by the university and thereby to improve access.” (Strategic Direction 7.1.1, p. 35)

- “The Long Range Development Plan recognizes the importance of accommodating bicycles as a viable means of traveling to the university and as a mode for intra-campus circulation.” (Strategic Direction 7.3, p. 36)

- “The overwhelming majority of travel movements on campus are by pedestrians. Pedestrian access to and on campus should be accommodated in a safe and attractive manner.” Strategic Direction 7.4, p. 37)

- “Environmental studies should be applied when required to assess environmental impacts of building development including wind, sun, snow studies, light pollution and others determined to be necessary.” (Strategic Direction 7.6.4, p.41)

- “Environmental impacts associated with production, acquisition and distribution of campus utilities should be minimized.” (strategic direction 7.10.3, 43)

- “The university is committed to sustainable development and operations of its facilities and lands.” (Strategic Direction 7.11, p. 45)

For further information about the LRDP and sustainability, please refer to the full version of the plan, which is available on the website of the Office of the University Architect (link provided below).

See also the Capital Plan portion of the Comprehensive Institutional Plan (p. 85 onward).

URL: http://www.resourceplanning.ualberta.ca/en/Planning%20Tools/GreenBinder.aspx

Additional Responsible Parties:

Name: Pat Jansen
Department: Planning and Project Delivery
Position: Executive Director

Name: Ben Louie
Department: Planning and Project Delivery
Position: University Architect