Green space, bicycle lanes and new buildings are a few of the plans being refined for MSU's 2020 Vision plan.
Created in 2001, the plan acts as a blueprint for changes to be made to the campus, while retaining its historical and academic atmosphere, according to MSU's Web site.
Revisions to the plan are underway in the Campus Park and Planning office and are divided up into three elements: academic units, transportation — including motorized and non-motorized traffic — and open space.
Campus planner Stephen Troost is responsible for gathering information from several campus groups on what changes are needed and wanted by the community.
Troost said a group representing each 2020 Vision goal conducted 65 individual interviews with academic groups and student leaders.
"(In interviews) we're looking for people that have that new idea that can get thrown into the mix and see if it is worthy of consideration," Troost said. "You never know where you're going to get that new idea from."
The goal of the interviews is to find out which colleges require additional space to accommodate more students and whether or not new research or program facilities are needed.
The challenge is the increase in the student population, said Jeffrey Kacos, director of Campus Park and Planning.
"The amount of growth in five years is moving forward at a faster pace than we anticipated in past history," Kacos said. "(It's) sort of a mild building boom to accommodate some of the needs that we have here on campus."
Kacos said planning is underway on how to integrate new structures on campus without disrupting green space or expanding beyond campus.
"We don't think pushing out further beyond the edges is in our interest," he said. "Students find it challenging enough to get from one side of the campus to the other."
To accomplish growth without disrupting the campus, Kacos said academic priorities may displace some support functions in the future. For example, Physical Plant buildings could move to the edge of campus, allowing colleges to grow on central campus.
Beyond new structures, transportation and zoning concerns are also evaluated. While bicycle lanes are being added to several campus roads this summer, further safety measures to accommodate more pedestrians and cyclists are needed, Kacos said.
Also within the transportation spectrum is decreasing the amount of traffic on campus and reconfiguring where students can park, he said.
"I think what we're trying to do is eliminate traffic congestion in the academic core areas," Kacos said.
Eliminating surface parking on campus is a goal, he said, and the planning group is still debating perimeter parking, centrally located parking or better transit systems to parking lots — but parking areas close to campus are necessary.
The 2020 Vision plan could also fine-tune the campus zoning ordinance, Kacos said. The campus zoning ordinance guides land use and coverage.
"Some clarifications and additional detail might make the development of new projects a little easier because the goal for the master plan could be stated more clearly, as well," he said.
The groups gathering data consist of people on campus who understand the various systems involved, Troost said. For instance, traffic planners are tackling transportation issues.
These groups meet monthly to determine if they have ideas that could impact the campus atmosphere. They also periodically meet with Provost Kim Wilcox, Vice President for Finance and Operations Fred Poston and MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon.
The first time Simon met with the groups, she shared her ideas, which will be added to the plan.
"I think it's very important, as we update the blueprint for the campus and its physical development, that there be an opportunity for broad input," Simon said.
The goal is to host open houses in the fall to get broad public input, Troost said. From there, the 2020 Vision plan can be consolidated and finalized to be presented to the Board of Trustees in January 2007.
