2025 Campus Plan will guide physical development of campus Rooted in the University’s educational mission, the 2025 University of Richmond Campus Plan (URCP) will serve as the road map for the future physical development of campus over the near and long term. Campus plan elements can include campus buildings’ condition and space assessment, campus transportation and pedestrian navigation, and planning for an increasingly sustainable campus infrastructure. “The physical environment and infrastructure on our extraordinary campus is critical to advancing our mission and supporting a vibrant community both now and in the future,” said David Hale, executive vice president and chief operating officer. “When people hear ‘campus plan,’ they may immediately think that means new buildings, but that’s often not the case. A campus plan can and should include anything related to the long-term physical development of campus.” The University has retained architectural and planning firm Ayers Saint Gross to provide expertise in guiding this effort. A steering committee of more than 20 campus constituents, including University leadership, students, faculty, and staff, has been working with Ayers Saint Gross since January. The guiding principles include commitments to academic excellence, sustainability, belonging and community, well-being and safety, and campus connectivity. Ayers Saint Gross held more than 20 listening sessions with campus
constituent groups during the spring 2024 semester, engaging with about 1,000 faculty, staff, and students. “These listening sessions are important as we work to gather perspectives about our campus and its support of our educational mission,” Hale said. “While still in the early stages, themes that are emerging include space enhancements that reinforce the residential education experience, enhanced campus accessibility, an increasingly sustainable campus infrastructure, mobility, and lighting, along with an assessment of building conditions and ideas about long-term use and maintenance of unbuilt campus green space.” The last campus plan, released in 2011, resulted in several important changes and additions to the community, including the construction of the Queally Center for Admission and Career Services and the creation of the Eco-Corridor. The 2011 plan also resulted in the development of the south portion of campus near the River Road entrance and included rerouting a road to provide better campus access; building new student residences; and adding intramural fields. The planning phase for the 2025 URCP is a yearlong effort with recommendations executed over the next two to 20 years. “It’s exciting and also very important to plan for and envision the future of our campus,” Hale said.
“A campus plan can and should include anything related to the long-term physical development of campus.”
AROUND THE LAKE
A Road Map for the Future
URCP TIMELINE December 2023– August 2024: Observe, Assess, Research, and Innovate During these initial phases, a space analysis was completed, and about 1,000 campus constituents provided input. September–December 2024: Envision, Test, and Refine For the next few months, Ayers Saint Gross will hold additional meetings with the campus community; work with the URCP steering committee to create a framework for the campus plan, taking the space analysis and constituent input into consideration; and begin to make suggestions for changes and additions to our campus infrastructure. January–April 2025: Synthesize and Begin During this phase, the 2025 University of Richmond Campus Plan will be finalized and begin serving as the framework for the physical development of campus in the next two to 20 years.
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