University of California, Merced
PAE-3: Physical Campus Plan

As a new campus, UC Merced Long Range Development Plan had the once in a generation opportunity to hardwire environmental, social and economic sustainability into the fabric of its physical plan for development The plan was "phased" over a number of years, includes a commitment to be zero net energy, zero waste and zero net emissions and includes the following features: • Pedestrian friendly: for reduce emissions and increase social interaction: 
The core of UC Merced plan is compact and designed to encourage walking and biking. Many walkways are shaded with building overhangs to shelter pedestrians from the hot California sun. Service roads are located at the perimeter to minimize vehicles in the campus core. • Nearby housing and transportation
: The campus plan houses 50% of student body on campus – thus reducing the need for cars. An adjacent University Community includes mixed uses: housing, a research and development "Gateway" district, a performing arts center, and commercial businesses. Mixed-use "Main Streets" bring diverse activities into the heart of the campus. The plan includes a regional, multimodal transit center all within a 10 minute walk to academic functions. • Low-energy design
: The siting and orientation of each building in the planb consider energy impact. For example, many buildings are oriented east to west to allow maximum production from rooftop solar energy systems. Distributed energy centers and a 2-million gallon central chilled water storage tank allow buildings to cool using electricity produced during off-peak hours.