Campus Progress: Planning

Planning for sustainability requires long-range views on campus development and operations. UC Davis currently has three major documents that focus on campus planning in relation to sustainability: the Long Range Development Plan, the Physical Design Framework and the Climate Action Plan.

Long Range Development Plan

The Long Range Development Plan (2003) is a comprehensive land-use plan that guides physical development on campus to accommodate projected enrollment increases and program initiatives through the 2015-16 academic year.

This plan establishes three major principles in UC Davis planning, which can be summarized as creating supportive, connected and sustainable places. According to these principles, campus should support learning, enrich student life experiences and steward resources for the future.

An environmental impact report was prepared to evaluate the environmental effects of growth under the 2003 Long Range Development Plan. The plan and its EIR were approved by the Board of Regents of the University of California on November 20, 2003.

Documents associated with the 2003 Long Range Development Plan include:

• Long Range Development Plan
• Neighborhood Master Plan (NMP)
• Research Park Master Plan (RPMP)
• Long Range Development Plan Environmental Impact Review (LRDP EIR)
• Amendments

Physical Design Framework

The Physical Design Framework (2008-2009) addresses the goals, principles and objectives established in the LRDP at an intermediate scale that provides more specific direction for site planning, landscape design and architecture. The framework identifies geography that makes UC Davis distinctive and building elements that make the campus cohesive. It also defines five organizational goals to guide campus development, including strengthening the north-south civic core, amplifying Hutchison Drive’s east-west pathway, connecting to the Arboretum, creating an identity for various campus districts and connecting campus to the greater Davis community.

Six additional documents were used to inform the Physical Design Framework, with more specific standards and plans for portions of campus. These appendix documents include:

• West Village Neighborhood Master Plan
• Bikeway and Transit Network Study
• GATEways Concept Plan
• Campus Standards and Design Guide
• 100 Year Tree Plan (PDF)
• Landscape Standards (PDF)

Climate Action Plan

Each University of California campus is required to have a climate action plan to achieve the university's emission reduction targets of year-2000 levels by 2014 and further reduction to 1990 levels by 2020.

The UC Davis 2009-2010 Climate Action Plan analyzes the issues around greenhouse gas emissions reductions, energy use and energy sourcing. The document includes current and past greenhouse gas emissions, the campus greenhouse gas emission reduction goals, characterization of options to reduce emissions and a blueprint for future action.

UC Davis has already met the goal of 2000-level emissions, almost five years ahead of the original 2014 deadline. Instead the campus Climate Action Plan calls for a more ambitious goal by 2014, reducing campus greenhouse gas emissions almost 15 percent below 2000-level emissions.