originally published October 3, 2007

This week, I’ll be taking a look at growth and development at the University of Georgia. I sat down recently with Scott Simpson, Paul Cassilly and Danny Sniff of the Office of University Architects, as well as Professor Jack Crowley of the School of Environmental Design. The main focus of our conversations was the University of Georgia’s Master Plan, its guiding principles, and the current and future examples of its execution. Going into these conversations, I was fairly skeptical of UGA’s plans, but afterward I was sold on the vision the administration is working to create for the campus. The sheer volume of projects can be a bit daunting; however, a closer look at the method behind the maddening pace of construction shows a very thoughtful plan for the University, which ought to benefit the community as a whole.

Filling In, Not Out: A perennial concern in Athens is that UGA is forever expanding into the community, gobbling up taxable land and encroaching into neighborhoods. This runs counter to one of the Master Plan’s primary goals, which is to increase campus density. This is being achieved by building infill within campus, rather than extending further outward. Walkability and a cohesive campus resembling North Campus - both goals of the Master Plan - won’t be created with further expansions outward. Examples of this include the Student Learning Center and the Tate Center expansion, currently under construction. Overall, the University wants to double its square footage without increasing acreage.

More examples of infill on the way include new dormitories and a new building for the College of Pharmacy. Increasing the number of people who live on campus or walk there, rather than driving there, has also been a major priority. According to Sniff, before UGA began that initiative several years ago, 80 percent of people on campus drove there every day; now that is down to near 60 percent. With more dorms in the pipeline, it’s not hard to imagine that percentage decreasing a bit more. The main method of coming up with space for these new buildings has been to rip up surface parking, replaced by new parking decks.

Moving the People: The biggest issue facing UGA, according to Crowley, is transportation. With a rail line running the length of the long, narrow campus, a light rail system could be a perfect fit, running from South Milledge up to the Multi-Modal Center downtown. UGA almost got a “people-mover” system in the 1970s, but passed on the offer, and it was built at West Virginia University instead. With less and less money from the state for schools, and even less for alternative transportation, a project like this is probably a long way off, no matter how much sense it might make.

Greening: Sustainability on campus is also becoming a priority in construction projects. Even though the University has yet to construct a LEED-certified building, new and renovated buildings are being designed with as many green features as the budget will allow. The Coverdell Center, according to Cassilly, has a state-of-the-art grey water system, which pulls condensate from the air conditioning system, providing about 50 percent of the water for the building’s toilets. The new College of Pharmacy facility could be the University’s first LEED building; the goal is to attain a rating of LEED-Silver. The new art school, although not LEED-certified, will make extensive use of natural lighting and feature a "green" roof over a portion of it.

Greenspace is also increasing on campus. Over 150 acres of asphalt have been removed on campus in recent years, replaced by either greenspace (in the case of Herty Field or the D.W. Brooks Mall) or new construction. In the long term, the goal is to eliminate most of the streets crossing campus, leaving only a few perimeter roads, where parking decks are located. Eventually, the University will remove the remaining surface lot by the Tate Center and create a rehabilitated Tanyard Creek. Recently-completed projects along Lumpkin Street are designed to help the health of the creek by creating rain gardens which capture stormwater runoff, slowing it down before it enters the creek.

A traffic study for East Campus is in the works. The goal is to remove the one-way ring around East Campus and create a car-free area in the center of that part of campus. This study will most likely determine the new alignment of roads in that area. More projects that will further the density of East Campus include expansions of the Georgia Museum of Art and the University Health Center. In the future, more dorms will probably be added to the East Campus Village.

Uptown: In the “Northwest Precinct” of the campus, defined as the area bounded by Broad, Newton, Lumpkin and Baxter streets, expect big changes. The space being vacated by the fraternities over there will eventually provide space for a new special collections library, as well as new buildings for the Terry College of Business and possibly the School of Public and International Affairs. Expect the area to get much more dense in the coming years as new academic buildings are built there.

In Normaltown: One of the most talked-about projects at UGA is without a doubt the Navy School’s closing. A new medical school in Athens seems like more and more of a reality every day, and that raises a lot of questions about the future of Normaltown. Many hoped for a mixed-use development that would enlarge Normaltown’s commercial streetscape, but the University Architects and others think that the new medical school will do more for Normaltown than a few more storefronts ever could. Greenspace, once again open to the public, and hundreds of students and faculty could be exactly what Normaltown needs to breathe new life into it.

The University, likely to keep on growing, will always be a source of worry for the surrounding community. However, with a plan like this in place, the University’s moves and goals are a bit more transparent. For more information about UGA’s Master Plan, check out www.architects.uga.edu, or visit the lobby of the UGA Main Library, where an exhibit featuring past iterations of the UGA Master Plan is on display.

Kevan Williams