EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State University Board of Trustees approved on Wednesday a recommendation to adopt Component I of the 2020 Vision master plan to ensure a safe, beautiful and accessible campus for the future.
The master plan was outlined to the board last month, following more than a year of information gathering to determine priorities and concerns of faculty, staff, students, alumni and others. The goal of the plan: To create a campus environment that facilitates the mission of the university, preserves MSU's heritage and responds to the needs of campus users.
In adopting Component I, the first of four master plan components, the board also approved the planning principles and parameters for parking, transportation and open space. The principles and parameters will guide efforts to safely and efficiently meet the university's parking needs while being sure to aesthetically integrate parking facilities into the parklike campus; providing a safe and efficient transportation network throughout campus, while ensuring that the center of campus is pedestrian-oriented; and ensuring that, as new facilities come onto campus, the natural areas are preserved and "green spaces" expanded.
The other three components deal with buildings, facilities and program needs; environmental issues; and the detailed planning necessary for each of a series of proposed campus districts.
The campus' last master plan was formulated in 1966. Prior to that, development had been guided by a 1926 plan.
"That 1926 plan established the wonderful north campus 'green space' that is now a signature area for the campus," said Fred Poston, vice president for finance and operations and treasurer at MSU. "We need to be sure, as the campus continues to grow and change, that we incorporate more 'people space' into the new center of campus, which now is largely south of the river.
"We're also aware of the safety issues related to increased traffic and other changes on campus, and the need to cut down on the increasing amount of traffic through the parts of campus that typically should be most friendly to pedestrians, cyclists and others. The 2020 Vision plan is crucial as we work to balance the variety of needs and priorities of the campus of the future, and we're pleased that the board supports our efforts."
The campus master plan can be viewed at the Campus Park and Planning office, 412 Olds Hall, and on the Web at http://www.cpp.msu.