Towards Developing a Sustainable West Campus at the University of Calgary

In 1995, the Province of Alberta gave the University of Calgary a 74-hectare (184-acre) parcel of land at the western edge of the University's Main Campus. Since then, 44 hectare has been set aside for various uses under different agreements, leaving approximately 30 hectares (75 acres) of developable land for University purposes. To determine the best use of the annexed land which needs to fall in line with the long term objectives of the University, and other than just to view the site as a holding ground for future expansion, the University initiated a process in 2006 to prepare a master plan for the West Campus. The principal goal is to create a planning framework that is sustainable and which is compatible with the City of Calgary's imagineCALGARY (see Note 1) initiative. The emerging vision of the West Campus development is to create a "University Village" that responds to the growing global recognition that new patterns of living and working and learning will be essential to the social, economic and environmental well-being. During the planning process, it was identified as crucial to integrate the future West Campus transportation system with the existing surrounding roadway network, and to address connections with nearby developments that included the Main Campus, the University Innovation Park, and adjacent communities. A comprehensive transit strategy that facilitates connections between key University destinations and nearby Light Rail Transit (C-Train) stations was deemed critical. It was further recognized that the long term sustainability of the development hinges heavily on the ability to provide alternative modes of transportation, including biking, walking and transit. Creating a vital safe pedestrian environment with a well connected realm was yet another issue of importance. This paper describes the planning process in developing a viable and efficient transportation scheme as part of the overall master plan; the data collection and reduction in the study; the analyses; the innovative and context sensitive design (CSD) concepts used; and the final recommendations. It outlines the principles and methodology used and documents the study's results and findings. Analyses of the collected data are provided. Finally conclusions and presentation to the University are given.