UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State has kicked off its efforts to develop an updated University Park Campus Master Plan. A master plan is the aspirational basis that will guide future capital plan decisions. Now underway, the planning efforts aim to establish a vision to guide how the University Park campus grows and evolves over the next decade and beyond.
Led by the Penn State Office of Physical Plant, the planning effort will engage University Park stakeholders, campus subject matter experts, and the broader Penn State community throughout the 16-to-18-month process. This marks the first campus master planning effort in more than 25 years for the core of the University Park campus, which includes more than 2,000 acres, 600 buildings and 20 million gross square feet of space. The outcome will be a campus master plan that supports the goals and objectives of Penn State’s Strategic Plan.
“This master planning effort will guide how University Park can best serve the Penn State community with spaces that support learning, research, and daily life,” said President Neeli Bendapudi. “Our goal is to ensure that University Park remains a place where students experience transformative moments, where discovery thrives in labs and classrooms, and where the campus itself strengthens the Penn State experience.”
A primary goal of the University Park Campus Master Plan is to provide a physical environment that supports Penn State’s academic, research and community outreach missions, while assessing how potential changes may impact campus facilities and infrastructure. The planning endeavor also will evaluate recent shifts in higher education, including evolving teaching methods, technological advancements, and changing funding models, to help ensure the University Park campus remains adaptable and forward-looking, while preserving its historical identity.
The Penn State community will be invited to participate in the planning process via in-person campus events, virtual meetings, and website engagement tools such as an interactive mapping tool and an idea board.
"The success of this plan depends on the voices of our students, faculty, staff, and neighbors," said Neil Sullivan, University planner and project lead. "Insights from those we serve will help us make informed decisions about how spaces are used, what facilities are needed, and how we can best support the evolving needs of Penn State for generations to come."
With feedback provided by the campus community, the planning team will evaluate how existing academic and research spaces support current and future pedagogy; determine appropriate levels of support spaces, such as offices, student life, and health and wellness facilities; and assess future needs for student housing and dining. The planning effort also will seek to develop a decision-making framework to guide the renovation or retirement of campus buildings, establish appropriate lifecycles for future facilities, and create a hierarchy of campus zones with suitable uses to evaluate potential development opportunities.
To learn more or participate in the online engagement activities, visit upcampusplan.psu.edu/.