The Office of Facilities Management on Friday, Feb. 15, posted the final version of the Pittsburgh Campus Master Plan. A framework for future campus development, the plan will serve as a strategic roadmap for campus-wide renewal and growth.
Campus Master Plan
The Pittsburgh Campus Master Plan is intended to be a flexible roadmap for future development of the University’s Pittsburgh campus in alignment with five core ideas:
- A place of academic excellence and innovation
- An enriching student experience
- A distinctive, welcoming and attractive campus
- A more connected, outward looking and engaged University
- A place that seeks synergy and efficiency
The plan was developed over the period of a year and a half in collaboration with multiple constituents. At various stages, Pitt held community meetings and invited faculty, students and staff, as well as neighbors and local leaders, to provide feedback. Feedback from online comments was also accepted.
Informed by that process, the plan illustrates how the Pittsburgh campus can evolve over time in a way that supports academic excellence, the student experience and a connection to the community. Read responses to frequently cited topics from more than 200 comments submitted online.
With the overarching plan completed, the Office of Facilities Management is now seeking input to develop the Institutional Master Plan (IMP), which is a formal, legally binding document the University will submit to the City of Pittsburgh.
Institutional Master Plan
Informed by the Pittsburgh Campus Master Plan, the Institutional Master Plan establishes project and campus-based standards for details including building height and mass, parking and neighborhood enhancement. Designed to give the community an understanding of the potential growth of institutions, it also documents the University’s commitment to engagement with the community as the Campus Master Plan is implemented within its framework.Providing details related to City regulations, including logistical information like building height and mass, parking, urban design and neighborhood compatibility, IMPs in general are designed to provide detailed information about large institutions to the community and public.
“While the Pittsburgh Campus Master Plan focuses on a far-reaching vision of the University in terms of both timeline and scope, the IMP specifies details required for urban planning, development and construction on a shorter-term basis,” said Owen Cooks, assistant vice chancellor of planning, design and construction in the Office of Facilities Management.
Development of the IMP will include at least three community meetings with additional online feedback accepted. The first session was held Feb. 11 at the University Club and attended by about 60 people. Upcoming sessions will be scheduled in the near future and posted to the University Events Calendar and shared in @Pitt. Facilities Management expects to submit the IMP to the City of Pittsburgh for approval this spring.