Towards Sustainable Campus Planning: Measuring Campus Development Scenarios

Abstract

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This study identifies and attempts to address three common shortcomings of today’s campus sustainability initiatives: difficulties in measuring social and economic factors; a lack of consideration for integrative issues such as land use; and a generally reactive approach to proposed development. To engage these concerns, we develop a model for predicting the relative sustainability of different campus land use configurations. The model uses computer-based mapping software (a geographic information system or GIS) to measure a set of six sustainability indicators for each land use scenario. The indicators chosen represent all three competing interests of sustainable development: economic prosperity (one indicator), social equity (two indicators), and environmental integrity (four indicators).