A cornerstone for effective planning is the development and adherence to a master plan. These plans are often referred to as 'Land Use Plans' or 'Area Development Plans', however, a campus plan also attempts to describe potentials inherent in a particular site and orients a planning direction with the strategic vision of the institution. Physical space can be configured to support (or take away from) the activities a University is engaged in and affect other desirable aspects such as campus experiences, student retention and alumni support.
In early summer, 2011, CP+A initiated a new planning project to re-affirm and enhance the previous campus master plan. A new University Campus Master Plan (UCMP) was ratified in December, 2012. The master plan reflects the ambition of the University's strategic, capital and research plans, and will prepare the U of L for the inevitable changes and challenges to come. The 2012 master plan document provides a framework with a 25-year horizon of expansion describing the University's existing physical structures, circulation and relationships with development plans to create a 'Destination University' through successive capital expansion in core academic areas.
The University Campus Master Plan is a culmination of an extensive planning process that took place over the course of eighteen months beginning in May 2011. The proposed 25-year Campus Plan for the University of Lethbridge considers and builds upon the University’s previous master plans, while identifying immediate programmatic needs and establishing a long-term vision for core academic areas of the main campus. This ensures that the institution’s long-term goals are met so that the University can focus on the delivery of quality education, maintain high levels of student success, and enhance its profile as a premier destination institution for higher education and research. The Campus Master Plan harmonizes both the pragmatics and aesthetics of what constitutes a campus – securing the University’s long-term viability as a “unique-in-the-world” destination campus.
Visit the University Campus Master Plan (UCMP) main website to review the planning process, outcomes and history of campus planning at the UoL.