Campus Master Plan Topic of Open House
March 15, 2012 - Campus Bulletin
Members of the campus community are invited to an open house about the University's campus master plan March 22, 2 to 6 p.m., in Peter Clark Hall in the University Centre.
A website designed to keep the University community updated on the campus master plan is now online at www.uoguelphcmp.com. The site is intended to engage the U of G community in a discussion about the future of the Guelph campus and communicate project findings and updates. It’s being administered by Urban Strategies, consultants who are working with the master plan steering committee. The U of G committee is made up of representatives from academic, administrative and student groups, and is headed by Kevin Golding, chair of the physical resources and property committee of the Board of Governors.
Organizers will discuss the planning process, review themes and directions from the campus vision workshop, and invite comments on the draft planning principles and emerging vision for the campus.
The University’s original master plan was completed in 1964. Updates to accommodate growth and change have occurred about every five years. The most recent review in 2002 came during a building boom that saw construction of the science complex and the Rozanski Hall classroom cluster.
Don O’Leary, vice-president (finance and administration), said extensive changes since then have included expansion of the Thornbrough Building, the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario and the University Centre bus loop, renovation of the newly named Alexander Hall and removal of the former textile building.
“We need to revisit the current vision and take it to the next level to reflect the evolution of the U of G campus,” O’Leary says.
The master plan committee will meet with U of G colleges, the Office of Research, campus residences, academic support services, student affairs, campus police, accessibility and landscape advisory committees, real estate, health and safety, and faculty, staff, students and alumni.
The group will identify key challenges, especially for physical facilities, and will examine the use and role of buildings, urban design and landscaping, land use, parking, safety and security, accessibility, utilities, and waste management and sustainability objectives. It will also consider current academic programs and current and future needs of students and faculty.
The review will likely take about a year to complete with the help of Urban Strategies Inc., a Toronto-based planning and urban design firm.
