U of A South Campus Sustainable Development Report

8/7/2019 U of A South Campus Sustainable Development Report

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South CampusUniversity of Alberta

Edmonton, Canada

A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PANEL REPORT

www.uli.org


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South CampusUniversity of AlbertaEdmonton, CanadaStrategies for Sustainable Development

October 1623, 2009An Advisory Services Program Report

Urban Land Institute

1025 Thomas Jefferson Street, NWSuite 500 WestWashington, DC 20007-5201


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An Advisory Services Panel Report2

About the Urban Land Institute

The mission of the Urban Land Institute is toprovide leadership in the responsible use ofland and in creating and sustaining thrivingcommunities worldwide. ULI is committed to

Bringing together leaders from across the fieldsof real estate and land use policy to exchange bestpractices and serve community needs;

Fostering collaboration within and beyond ULIsmembership through mentoring, dialogue, andproblem solving;

Exploring issues of urbanization, conservation,regeneration, land use, capital formation, andsustainable development;

Advancing land use policies and design practicesthat respect the uniqueness of both built and naturalenvironments;

Sharing knowledge through education, appliedresearch, publishing, and electronic media; and

Sustaining a diverse global network of local practiceand advisory efforts that address current and futurechallenges.

Established in 1936, the Institute today has nearly

30,000 members worldwide, representing theentire spectrum of the land use and developmentdisciplines. ULI relies heavily on the experience ofits members. It is through member involvement andinformation resources that ULI has been able to setstandards of excellence in development practice.The Institute has long been recognized as one of theworlds most respected and widely quoted sources ofobjective information on urban planning, growth,and development.

Cover photo courtesy of University of Alberta.

2011 by the Urban Land Institute1025 Thomas Jefferson Street, NWSuite 500 WestWashington, DC 20007-5201

All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of the whole orany part of the contents without written permission of thecopyright holder is prohibited.


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Edmonton, Canada, October 1623, 2009 3

About ULI Advisory Services

The goal of ULIs Advisory Services Programis to bring the finest expertise in thereal estate field to bear on complex landuse planning and development projects,

programs, and policies. Since 1947, this programhas assembled well over 400 UL Imember teamsto help sponsors f ind creative, practical solutions

for issues such as downtown redevelopment, landmanagement strategies, evaluation of developmentpotential, growth management, communityrevitalization, brownfields redevelopment, militarybase reuse, provision of low-cost and affordablehousing, and asset management strategies, amongother matters. A wide variety of public, private, andnonprofit organizations have contracted for ULIsAdvisory Services.

Each panel team is composed of highly qualifiedprofessionals who volunteer their time to ULI.They are chosen for their knowledge of the panel

topic and screened to ensure their objectivity. ULIsinterdisciplinary panel teams provide a holistic look atdevelopment problems. A respected ULI member whohas previous panel experience chairs each panel.

The agenda for a five-day panel assignment isintensive. It includes an in-depth briefing daycomposed of a tour of the site and meetings withsponsor representatives; a day of hour-long interviewsof typically 50 to 75 key community representatives;and two days of formulating recommendations. Longnights of discussion precede the panels conclusions.On the final day on site, the panel makes an oral

presentation of its findings and conclusions to thesponsor. A written report is prepared and published.

Because the sponsoring entities are responsiblefor significant preparation before the panels visit,including sending extensive briefing materials to eachmember and arranging for the panel to meet withkey local community members and stakeholders inthe project under consideration, participants in ULIsfive-day panel assignments are able to make accurate

assessments of a sponsors issues and to providerecommendations in a compressed amount of time.

A major strength of the program is ULIs uniqueability to draw on the knowledge and expertise of itsmembers, including land developers and owners,public officials, academics, representatives of financialinstitutions, and others. In fulfillment of the missionof the Urban Land Institute, this Advisory Servicespanel report is intended to provide objective advicethat will promote the responsible use of land toenhance the environment.

ULI Program Staff

Marta V. GoldsmithSenior Vice President, Community/Education Provost

Thomas W. EitlerVice President, Advisory Services

Caroline DietrichPanel Associate, Advisory Services

Gwen McCallSenior Administrative Manager, Community

James A. MulliganManaging Editor

Laura Glassman, Publications Professionals LLCManuscript Editor

Betsy VanBuskirkCreative Director

Deanna Pineda, Muse Advertising DesignLayout Artist

Craig ChapmanDirector, Publishing Operations


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Acknowledgments

The panelists would like to thank the sponsorsof this Advisory Services panel, the Universityof Alberta, Alberta Energy, and AlbertaEnvironment.

Special thanks go to Goldie Edworthy from AlbertaEnvironment and to Andy Nikiforuk from AlbertaEnergy. The panelists thank Dr. Dru Marshall, deputyprovost for the university. Special thanks also areextended to Bob Caldwell, Melonie Keehn, and BenLouie, of the university architects office and Len

Sereda, director, energy management and sustainableoperations. Without their help and coordination, thispanel would not have been possible.

Finally, the panel extends its thanks to the morethan 65 individuals who participated in the panelprocess through interviews, receptions, and toursthat allowed the panelists to better understand thechallenges facing the borough and its many entitiesand organizations.


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Contents

ULI Panel and Project Staff 6

Foreword: The Panels Assignment 7

Market Overview 11

Sustainability 16

Planning and Development Strategies 25

Implementation 30

Conclusion 35

About the Panel 36


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ULI Panel and Project Staff

Panel Chair

Alex J. RoseSenior Vice President, Development

and Asset ManagementContinental Development CorporationEl Segundo, California

Panel Members

Margaret L. CafarelliPrincipalUrban DevelopmentsSan Francisco, California

Dan ConwayPresident, Director of Marketing and EconomicsTHK Associates, Inc.Aurora, Colorado

Craig DavisChairmanCraig Davis Properties, Inc.Cary, North Carolina

Stephen EngblomVice President/Principal/Urban DesignerAECOMSan Francisco, California

Edward McMahonSenior Resident Fellow, Chair for Sustainable

DevelopmentUrban Land InstituteWashington, D.C.

John M. ProsserProfessor Emeritus/Architect/Urban DesignerUniversity of Colorado College of Architecture

and PlanningDenver, Colorado

Greg SearleExecutive DirectorBioRegional North AmericaChelsea, Canada

ULI Project Staff

Thomas W. EitlerVice President, Advisory Services

Caroline DietrichPanel Associate, Advisory Services


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Foreword: The Panels Assignment

The University of Alberta, in conjunction withAlberta Environment and Alberta Energy,asked that an Urban Land Institute (ULI)Advisory Services panel convene to provide

strategic advice regarding the development of itsSouth Campus holding.

The UniversityEstablished in 1908, the University of Albertaenrolls about 36,000 students in more than 200undergraduate programs and 170 graduate programs.The main campus consists of more than 90 buildingson 220 acres of land.

The University of Albertas vision since its inceptionmore than 100 years ago has been to be one of theworlds great universities for the public good. In thewords of its first president, Henry Marshall Tory, theUniversity of Alberta is an institution directed toward

the uplifting of the whole people in Alberta, acrossCanada, and around the world. This vision enduresin the universitys current vision document, Dare toDiscover, and its academic plan, Dare to Deliver.

The University of Alberta is a board-governedpublic institution whose board members includerepresentatives of the public, staff, faculty, andstudents, including representatives of the StudentsUnion and the Graduate Students Association.

The Province of Alberta

Alberta is one of Canadas Prairie Provinces. It becamea province on September 1, 1905. Albertas total landarea is 248,000 square miles; its total population is3,632,483 (Statistics Canada). Located in westernCanada, Alberta is bounded by the provinces of BritishColumbia to the west and Saskatchewan to the east,the Northwest Territories to the north, and the U.S.state of Montana to the south.

The City of Edmonton

Edmonton is the capital of the province of Alberta.With a metropolitan population of more than 1.1million, it is the second-largest city in the provinceafter Calgary.

In the Canada 2006 census, the city had a populationof 730,372, and its census metropolitan area had apopulation of 1,034,945, making it the northernmost

North American city with a metropolitan populationover 1 million. The 2009 civic census showed apopulation of 782,439. Edmonton has one of the lowestpopulation densities in North America, about 9.4percent that of New York City (Statistics Canada).

Edmonton has a semi-arid continental climate withextreme seasonal temperaturesalthough the cityhas milder winters than either Regina or Winnipeg,

Edmonton is the

northernmost city

of more than 1 million

in North America.


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both located at a latitude farther south. It has warmsummers and cold winters, with the average dailytemperatures ranging from 10.9 F in January to63.5 F in July. Annually, temperatures exceed 86 Fon an average of four to five days (but can occuroften, any time from late May to early September)and fall below 4.0 F on an average of 28 days. The

highest temperature recorded in Edmonton was100.9 F on August 5, 1998. Some areas, however,such as the city of St. Albert and Sherwood Park,recorded temperatures of 99.9 F on July 22, 2006.The coldest temperature ever recorded at city centerwas 41 F on January 26, 1972.

Edmonton is the major economic center for northernand central Alberta and a major center for the oiland gas industry. In its autumn 2007 MetropolitanOutlook, the Conference Board of Canada forecast thatEdmontons gross domestic product for 2007 will beCan$44.1 billion (2007 dollars), a 3.6 percent increase

over 2006. Edmonton traditionally has been a hubfor Albertan petrochemical industries, earning it thenickname Oil Capital of Canada in the 1940s. Supplyand service industries drive the energy-extractionengine, while research develops new technologiesand supports expanded value-added processing ofAlbertas massive oil, gas, and oil sands reserves. Theoil reserves are reported to be the second largest in theworld, after Saudi Arabia.

Despite the apparent focus on oil and gas, Edmontonseconomy is now the second-most diverse in Canada.Important industries include a strong technology

sector anchored by major employers such as IBM,TELUS, Intuit Canada, Canadian Western Bank,BioWare, Matrikon, General Electric, and Stantec Inc.The associated biotech sector, with companies such asAfexa Life Sciences Inc. (formerly CV Technologies),has recently seen employment growth of 37 percent.

Much of the growth in technology sectors is becauseof Edmontons reputation as one of Canadas premierresearch and education centers. Research initiatives

are anchored by educational institutions such asthe University of Alberta as well as governmentinitiatives underway at the Alberta Research Counciland Edmonton Research Park. Recently, the NationalInstitute for Nanotechnology was constructed on theUniversity of Alberta campus.

In addition, Edmonton is the center for provincialgovernment, which accounts for a large share of thedaily employees in the city proper. In addition to beinga regional financial center, it is a hub for both theCanadian National and Canadian Pacific railways anda regional center for health care services.

The Edmonton Transit System is the citys mainpublic transit agency, operating the Edmonton LightRail Transit (LRT) line as well as a large fleet of busesScheduled LRT service began on April 23, 1978, withfive extensions of the single line completed since. Theoriginal Edmonton line is considered to be the firstmodern light-rail line in North America.

The Opportunity

The universitys South Campus is locatedapproximately one-half mile south of the maincampus. The northern portion of this 660-acrecampus is used primarily for athletic and sportsactivities and includes the universitys footballstadium and indoor tennis and curling facilities. Thesouth portion of the South Campus is used primarilyfor agricultural research. The LRT station and bustransit station are operational on the northwest

portion of the South Campus.The opportunity in the current exercise is to plan anddevelop a truly sustainable campus for the universityand create a model for the province. The universityand the Alberta Departments of Environment andEnergy sponsored the ULI Advisory Services panel tofurther that goal.

The South Campus

of the University of

Alberta contains a

variety of uses, including

athletic facilities, active

agricultural research, and

underused vacant land.


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The Panels Assignment

The university is preparing plans for furtherdevelopment of the South Campus as an academiccenter in addition to its current use as an agriculturalresearch station and the location of several largesports and physical education and recreation facilities,some of which are shared with the city of Edmontonand organized city groups. All of the sponsorsare interested in the South Campus becoming aleading example of sustainable institutional andcommunity development that can be a model forother Alberta institutions and communities. Inaddition, the university seeks detailed advice on

the appropriateness and sufficiency of the currentplanning activities.

In developing a model of sustainability for the SouthCampus, the university is looking for best practices,measures, and standards that are transferable toother communities and institutions in Alberta. TheULI panel has been asked to address the followingquestions:

Outline the rationales for and against developinga sustainable South Campus community thatshould guide the university in its planning andimplementation, including the triple-bottom-line and balanced-scorecard approaches. Howwould the University of Alberta and the universitycommunity benefit from a sustainable campus, andhow would it address any risks that the universitywould face by moving away from conventionalpractices?

Define what a world-leading sustainable campuswould look like in the northern climatic region.Describe the infrastructure, integrated energy

system and building standards, technologies, and

best practices that should be implemented.Will the current draft Concept Plan and the currentwork program lead to the model sustainable campusthe university desires? What, if any, additional workis required?

Are changes in design, construction, and operationalpractices required to ensure that sustainability isachieved and maintained for the life of the SouthCampus? Please describe them.

The University of Alberta is proposing to host aWorld Expo in 2017. The legacy of the Expo for the

university will be South Campus infrastructure andbuildings. What other alternative developmentfunding models (e.g., P3) are available andappropriate to achieve the development of a modelsustainable campus?

How can the South Campus be successfullyintegrated with and contribute to the vitality ofthe surrounding communities and activity areaswithout significantly affecting research and teachingactivities?

What metrics and benchmarks should the universityuse to measure sustainability of the South Campus?How should the metrics evolve over time?

How can the South Campus energy system besustainably integrated within Albertas competitiveelectricity and natural gas markets and industrystructure?

For a team of economists, planners, designers,consultants, and developers, the level of challengeis increased by a temporal consideration. Panelists

The ULI panel process

included a detailed tour

of the University of

Albertas campuses.


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often think of planning and executing projects in

terms of years or even multiple decades. Applyingthe panelists skills and experience to a plan and anenvironment that will span generations, if not intoperpetuity, is a far more challenging task.

At the same time, the clarity of the vision of theuniversitydaring to discoverand its commitmentto executiondaring to delivercoupled with thepanels systematic way of looking at the challengebefore it, have yielded a responsive set of findings andrecommendations and, the panel believes, a roadmapfor the way forward.

Summary of the PanelsObservations

The panel had the following observations that actedto frame their recommendations and conclusions inthis report:

The Edmonton market and economy presentthe university with an array of economic driversthat can and will significantly shape and facilitateexecution of the universitys long-range plans.

The combination of the universitys agricultural andscientific research heritage, coupled with its uniquelandholdings, facilitates the implementation of awide variety of sustainability measures.

Far more than just another Leadership in Energyand Environmental Design (LEED) building or an

energy-efficient building system, the universitys

culture of discovery, research, interdisciplinaryacademics, and partnering with government andindustry provides the opportunity to take a globalleadership role in creating significant sustainablemeasuresenhancing the entire University ofAlberta campus environmentally, socially, andeconomically.

The universitys South Campus, West 240, andrelated holdings represent much more than justadditional land for future university growthboth known and, at least today, somewhatimmeasurable. A model of community, in thebroadest sense of that word, is clearly within reachand, at the same time, is one that will emerge,evolve, and change over many decades and severalgenerations to come.

These great opportunitiesbenefiting from themarket, advancing sustainability, growing theinfluence and leadership of the university as wellas its physical presencemust come as the resultof a plan: not just a diagram of land use, but acomprehensive assessment of what the universityis, what it wants to be, and how it plans to get there.This is a long, thoughtful, detailed, collaborative,iterative processagain, the very characteristicsof discovery and problem solving exhibited by theuniversity every single day.

Dr. Dru Marshall (left)and panel chair Alex Rose

address a public reception

during the panels visit in

October 2009.


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Market Overview

Understanding the socioeconomic trends thatare affecting the study area can help plannersand public officials identify the potential andpressure for future economic development

and the need for specific land uses. ULI believes thatsuccessful urban planning and land use policy canbest be described as public action that generates a

desirable, widespread, and sustained private market

reaction. Therefore, Advisory Services panel reportstypically have their foundation in market possibilities.

Edmonton Demographics

Edmonton enjoys a dynamic socioeconomic basethat has been expanding over the last 22 years by

almost 9,600 new jobs per year, and this growthrate accelerated to 13,000 new jobs annually during

Figure 1Major Employers in the Edmonton Market Area

Name Product/Service Number of Employees

Alberta Government Government 35,000

Capital Health Authority Health Care 20,000

City of Edmonton Government 9,000

University of Alberta Education 8,000

Edmonton Public School District Education 7,300

Katz Group Pharmaceutical 4,430

Alberta Treasury Branches Finance/Government 4,100

Caritas Health Group Health 4,000

PCL Constructors Construction 4,000

Churchill Corp. Construction 3,500

Edmonton Catholic Public School District Education 3,500

Northern Alberta Insti tute of Technology Technology/Education 3,500

Grant Macewan College Education 3,444

Epcor Utilities Utilities 3,000

Telus Communications Communications 3,000

Total 115,774

Average 7,718

Edmonton Market Area Total 614,367

Major Employers as a % of Market Area Total 18.8

Sources: Alberta Government and THK Associates, Inc.


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the last decade. Employment sectors that have beengrowing dramatically include trade; construction; andprofessional, scientific, and technological services (seefigures 1 and 2).

The Edmonton Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)currently includes 1,093,700 people living in457,000 households (see figures 3 and 4). This areais projected to grow by 16,000 people per year overthe next decade, compared with its historical growthover the last two decades of 12,600 people per year.The majority of this population growth will result

from immigration, which will be fueled by annualemployment growth of 12,500 new jobs per year.

This projected employment and population growthwill create a dynamic market for expansion of theUniversity of Alberta as well as for the residentialand commercial real estate markets in the EdmontonMSA. Annual residential demand should average

10,225 new units with 45 percent of this total beingconstructed in southwest metropolitan Edmonton,which makes up the environs of the South Campussite. Annual demand in this submarket will be 1,400rental apartments along with 845 condominiums andtownhomes and 2,400 fully detached single-familyunits. The average sales price of a single-family homein Edmonton is currently Can$372,000, requiringa family income of Can$120,000; condominiumssell for an average price of Can$245,000, requiringan income of Can$80,000. Currently, the medianfamily income is estimated at Can$82,500; university

salaries are at Can$75,500 for assistant professors,Can$94,500 for associate professors, and Can$115,600for full professors. With Canadas lack of a nationalor provincial affordable housing program, facultyand staff have difficulty qualifying to buy a home.Therefore, these housing needs should be a priority atthe South Campus.

Figure 3Projected Population and Households in the Six-County Edmonton Market Area, 20102020

Year TotalEmployment

EmploymentParticipationRatio

January 1Population

AnnualPopulationChange

Population perHousehold

Households AnnualHouseholdChange

1991 430,700 0.5042 854,289 2.7375 312,070

2001 507,650 0.5280 961,475 10,720 2.5852 371,908 5,980

2010* 618,141 0.5652 1,093,658 14,690 2.3939 456,853 9,440

2020* 743,435 0.5935 1,252,590 158,932 2.2654 552,910 96,057

Sources: Alberta Government and THK Associates, Inc.Note: = Not available. * Projected.

Figure 2Edmonton MSA Percent of Total Employment by Industry, 2009


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The commercial real estate markets in the Edmonton

area are the strongest in North America today andare projected to expand over the next 25 years. Theretail sector, which includes approximately 28 millionsquare feet, of which only 2.9 percent is vacant,will grow annually by 750,000 square feet withapproximately one-third of such growth occurring inthe southwest regional environs of South Campus. Theoffice market, which includes 24 million square feet,of which 6.9 percent is vacant, will grow by 975,000square feet per year with 150,000 square feet in theenvirons of South Campus. The industrial market inthe Edmonton MSA includes 101 million square feet,of which 3.2 percent is vacant. It will have annual

growth projected at 3.1 million square feet per year,but only 160,000 square feet of growth in industrialand research and development space is likely to occurin the environs of South Campus. Greater Edmontonhas 12,325 hotel rooms and these are projected to growby 300 rooms per year with two-thirds of the demandprojected in the University of Alberta environs. The

rental apartment market supports these uses with a

current vacancy factor of less than 3 percent.In summary, the South Campus environs are anextremely dynamic submarket with strong demandsfor a variety of intensive and valuable land uses.

South Campus Submarket

Using this information as a backdrop, this reportnow discusses projected land use potentials at theapproximately 640-acre South Campus, whichcurrently has approximately 580 acres in agriculturalor other land uses.

Today, 5.9 percent of Edmontons MSA populationis within the age band from 18 to 22 years of age.This population represents prime prospects forundergraduate participation at the University ofAlberta. Annually, this age sector is projected to growby 660 people per year, but by 2020, this age bandwill represent only 5.6 percent of the total population

Population 854,289 961,475 1,093,658 1,162,030 1,252,590

Households 312,070 371,908 456,853 498,990 552,910

Sources: Alberta Government and THK Associates, Inc.* Projected

Figure 4Projected Population and Households in the Six-County Market Area


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base. Another approximately 9 percent is in the primeage group for potential graduate school attendance of2228 years.

The current undergraduate fall enrollment ofapproximately 29,000 students is projected to growover the next decade to 33,200 students, or by 440students per year, and this increase should result inthe total enrollment, including graduate students,expanding from 37,750 to 43,500 students (excludingextension students). The projected annual growth atthe University of Alberta should average 575 students.Approximately 96 percent of this growth is likely tooccur on the combined North and South campuses,resulting in total projected student growth of 550 per

year. By 2020, 41,750 students will attend classes at thecombined North and South campuses of the Universityof Alberta. These projections assume no revisedrecruitment or pricing strategies will occur.

Exclusive of housing, the North Campus today includesabout 11.7 million square feet of space, or 325 squarefeet per student. Using this ratio, by 2020 a total of13.6 million square feet will be in demand, whichrepresents an increase over the next decade of 1.9 millionsquare feet. The panel estimates that approximately75 percent of this increase could be accommodatedon the South Campus. At the North Campus, which

includes approximately 220 acres, the building-tolandcoverage factor is very intense at almost 1.25, but thepanel estimates that a more appropriate building-tolandcoverage factor at the South Campus would be 0.5. Thisfactor would mean 64 acres are needed for South Campusexpansion by 2020 and 160 acres for expansion over thenext 25 years. The Alberta Access Planning FrameworkReport, which was completed in June 2009 by AlbertaProvince, estimates under its aggressive projections forthe University of Alberta full-load-equivalent studentgrowth at approximately 82 percent of these estimates.The University of Albertas estimates are consistent withthe panels projections. Therefore, the panels estimatedland requirements are generously conservative.

Student Housing, Market-Rate

Housing, and Commercial Uses inthe South Campus Submarket

Currently, approximately 12 percent of students arehoused on campus. University of Alberta officialshave plans that would call for as many as 25 percentof students to be housed on campus, which moreclosely relates to peer-group standards. With 41,750total students projected for 2020, student housingrequirements would equal 6,260 beds if 15 percentare housed on campus, or 10,440 beds with 25percent housed on campus. With an average mid-riseresidential density of 320 beds per acre, between 20and 33 acres will be needed to accommodate studenthousing on the South Campus by 2020 and 50 to 85acres by 2035.

Student housing and academic uses projected forthe year 2035 suggest that 245 acres of the subjectapproximately 580 acres will be needed for urban-related University of Alberta land uses at the SouthCampus. Because of the strategic infill location ofthe South Campus and the tremendous market valueassociated with this real estateestimated by somelocal real estate investors at improved or semi-improved values of Can$200,000 to Can$1 million peracreconsideration of public/private partnershipsmay be desirable for use and/or modernization of aportion of the remaining acreage.

The panels research indicates that annually the SouthCampus environs will have a market for approximately235,000 square feet of retail space, 346,500 square feetof research and development (R&D) or flex space, and200 hotel rooms along with 2,245 medium-densityresidential units. With superior planning, pricing,and marketing, as much as 5 percent of these marketscould be accommodated at the South Campus over thenext 25 years, and 150,000 square feet of retail space


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should be considered for 15 acres at three different

locations along with 30 acres for approximately325,000 square feet of office/flex and R&D space, 10acres for 500 hotel rooms, and 2,600 residential unitson 90 acres. In total, as much as 145 acres could beconsidered for some type of public/private partnershipover the next 25 years at the South Campus. All ofthese market-driven land uses could work in closeconjunction with the University of Alberta bothcomplementary and supplementary to its academicand research functions. The residential components,if appropriately priced and planned, could offer awide range of university-sponsored homes for faculty,staff, and retired officials. Figure 5 summarizes these

projected land uses.

The panel believes that the Edmonton area and theSouth Campus submarket are a dynamic, vibrant, andgrowing concern. Unlike many other places in Canadaand North America, the South Campus area will nothave to struggle to attract favorable land uses. Whatthe university can do is ensure that its sustainabilityand growth goals for the South Campus are alignedwith this strong market position.

Figure 5South Campus Land Uses for 2035

Land Use Square Feet or Units Acres

Institutional 3,484,000 sq. ft. 160

Student Housing 16,00027,200 beds 5085

Retail 150,000 sq. ft. 15

Office/R&D 325,000 sq. ft. 30

Hotel 500 rooms 10

Residential 2,600 units 90


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True sustainability starts with a vision ofwhat the campus will look like and the goals,policies, and action strategies to achievethat vision. The panel recommends that

the university strive to be in the top 20 greenuniversities by 2020. This means healthy five-minuteliving on a deep-green, winter-friendly, memorable

South Campus. Although the university has begunto incorporate many of the needed sustainabilityapproaches into its master plan for the South Campus,the panel offers a number of observations andsuggestions.

Background: The Regional Challenge

Each person in Canada is responsible for roughly 23.1tons (Natural Resources Canada, 2005 data) of carbondioxideequivalent (CO2e) emissions each year; theaverage Albertan is responsible for triple that amount,or 72.9 tons each year (Environment Canada, 2006).This rate of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission ranksCanadians as the ninth-worst polluters in the worldon a per capita basis (World Resources Institute, 2000).Canada signed the Kyoto Protocol agreeing to reduceGHG emissions by 6 percent below 1990 levels by 2020.As of 2005, Canadas emissions had risen 26 percentover 1990 levels.

The Oil Sands

As of 2006 at the Athabasca oil sands near Edmonton,production of one barrel of oil released almost 170pounds of GHG. According to Environment Canada

(2008), almost 40 percent of Canadas nationalincrease in CO2e emissions from 1990 to 2008 camefrom oil sands industries. The oil sands have been thetarget of intense criticism by environmental groupsand the international community, with long-termnegative implications for the regions public image.

The Grid

Albertas electricity grid is predominantly coal fired,contributes one-quarter of the provinces CO2e

emissions (Pembina Institute, 2009), and is the dirtiestin Canada with a carbon intensity per megawatt-hourthat is 155 times higher than Quebecs.

The Cattle Industry

Agriculture, driven largely by beef production,contributes 22 percent of Canadas total CO2e

emissions. Most of the 36 percent growth in emissionsfrom animal production over the 19902006 periodoccurred in Alberta (Environment Canada, 2008).

Turning Weaknesses into GlobalLeadership Opportunity

In a global context, Alberta is broadly acknowledgedas a climate change underachiever. Many studentsand the international community will evaluate theUniversity of Albertas efforts to go green at leastpartly against this regional backdrop of lack of climate

change actionand will do so perhaps more sharplythan for other universities. Simply put, the universityis not playing on a level playing field.

Incremental green improvements at the universitycould easily be construed as half measures andcomplacency in the long term. More generally,campuses across the continent that purport tobe green will be increasingly scrutinized forgreenwashing over the next few decades asthe effects of climate change become more acute.Nevertheless, Alberta badly needs a carbon-neutraldemonstration project and a public rallying point for

forward-thinking research and experimentationparticularly in the fields of renewable energy andsustainable food production.

The panel believes that with the unique opportunityof the South Campus, the University of Alberta canestablish an international reputation for sustainability,but bold measures will be needed. To differentiateitself from the many basic green strategies theuniversitys competitors have undertaken, the panel

Sustainability


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recommends that the university embrace a long-range

mission of deep green sustainability:If everyone on Earth lived like the

community at the University of Albertas

South Campus, wed arrest climate change

and live sustainably within the limited

resources of our one planet.

Creating a Deep-Green Campusand Educational Program in aHydrocarbon Region

Following through on this ambitious mission will

create an enduring legacy that overshadows othergreen developments well into the future and securethe University of Albertas visionary global leadership.A deep-green campus that targets true sustainabilitywill establish the University of Alberta as one of themost influential green universities in North Americaand South Campus as a high-profile model for thenation.

Goals of a Deep-Green Sustainable Campus

A deeply sustainable campus seeks to achieve thefollowing goals:

Set performance-based metrics and report onprogress against them in a transparent manner.

Positively contribute to its environment, region, andsurrounding communities.

Strive for carbon neutrality at a minimum andcarbon absorption at best.

Create memorable and enduring places to live,work, and study.

Minimize the use of motor vehicles and maximizeopportunities for walking, cycling, and other formsof nonmotorized transportation.

Maximize opportunities for student, faculty, andneighborhood interaction.

Openly share its lessons learned so that others canbuild on its success.

Goals for the South Campus

To foster environmental sustainability on SouthCampus, the university should pursue the followinggoals and objectives:

Understand and connect to the bioregional context.

Understand the land, and leverage the sites naturalsystems and agriculture heritage.

Refine the master plan to be more sustainable fromthe start.

Maximize the use of public transportation, andreduce automobile dependency while improving

mobility and access.

Develop an integrated approach to infrastructuredesign, development, and management.

Implement an integrated green building system.

Triple Bottom Line

Universities committed to sustainability createa decision-making process that enables themto monitor their activities continuously againstsustainable goals and objectives. Many universities

rely on the concept of a triple bottom line of economic,environmental, and social sustainability to evaluatea campuss conformity with sustainability goals.Sustainable campuses strive to make decisions thatfoster a triple bottom line.

Objectives to Guide Development at theSouth Campus

The panel recommends that, in order to achieve thetriple-bottom-line success, the University of Albertause the following objectives to guide the SouthCampus development in a balanced, sustainablemanner:

Build the campus around collaborative learning andfoster a culture of lifelong learning.

Institute capacity for continuous, progressiveimprovement.

Establish social, natural, and physical connections asa core principle of the campus.


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Construct a winter-friendly campus that takes a

positive approach to Albertas winter weather.Move toward carbon neutrality through progressiveplanning, construction, and efficient use ofresources.

Continuously increase the health of the campushuman and natural system.

Embrace the South Campuss legacy of agricultureresearch to foster public education about the role offood in achieving global sustainability.

Economic Sustainability

Economically sustainable activities contributetorather than compromisethe social andenvironmental dimensions of sustainability. Theuniversity has many opportunities to generatefinancial return from its R&D activities. Executedcorrectly, many programs for sustainable operationsand construction can cost less than their conventionalcounterparts: less electricity is purchased; less potablewater is used; less waste is generated. Sometimes thesereduced operating costs come at the price of increasedcapital outlay: the North Campuss district energysystem is one such example. Therefore, the universityneeds to explore all of its opportunities for reducingcosts and sharing risks, such as the following:

Public/private partnerships;

Life-cycle analysis; and

Aligning with key regional employers to identifya workforce development and job training week.

Social Sustainability

Socially sustainable campuses provide opportunitiesfor student, faculty, employees, and neighbors to live,work, study, and enjoy recreation, all while taking

pride in and actively participating in the life of theuniversity. The successful campus plan will providethe foundation for a healthier, happier, and morememorable campus life. A primary tool in achievingthis goal will be undertaking a Performance-BasedCampus Lifestyle Plan that establishes goals andobjectives with measurable metrics to evaluateperformance. Creating such a plan is no small task andwill require completing a 360-degree audit on qualityof campus life, establishing benchmark indicators for

health and happiness, evaluating recreational needs

and resources, and understanding how healthy dietsaffect university li festyles.

Foster Stronger Community Connection

and Collaboration

The following approaches should be considered as theuniversity attempts to encourage a stronger, better-connected community.

Establish a pedestrian- and bicycle-trail networkthroughout the South Campus with connectionsto the river, the LRT stations, and surroundingneighborhoods.

Connect with the capital region and the surroundingneighborhoods.

Create community gardens. The gardens shouldfeature raised beds with high-quality soil forvegetable cultivation. The university should rentthe garden plots to neighbors for a nominal fee on afirst-come, first-served basis.

Plan and build an outdoor ice rink that students,faculty, and neighbors can use. The ice rink couldbe a focal point for winter activities and a socialgathering place.

Create a Campus Main Street that includes abookstore, coffee shop, and other facilities that willserve the needs of students, faculty, employees, andmembers of the surrounding communities alike.

Establish a sustainability center for the university.The center can host forums, exhibits, guestlecturers, and tours. The centers mission would beto advance sustainable development research andeducation with a focus on sustainability in Nordicenvironments and on the role of food and its effecton global sustainability. Focus a specific curriculum

on renewable energy education.Celebrate Agricultural and Aboriginal Heritage

Enhance a sense of local identity, history, andcivic pride, with regular events, festivals, andfarmers markets hosted on site. Local artists will beshowcased, with opportunities for kids to get involvedin creating public art. Recommended approachesinclude the following:


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Emphasizing the universitys agricultural legacy:

Use agricultural themes in public art andarchitecture.

Preserve the heritage barn and create a museumof the sites agriculture history and legacy.

Share the wealth of rich soil conditions onthe site with the local community, providingaccess to a third of all open space for organiccommunity vegetable gardens for use bystudents and neighbors.

Maintain an interdisciplinary agriculturalresearch facility on South Campus with a focuson sustainable food production.

Honoring the regions aboriginal heritage:

Provide housing, gathering spaces, andlandmarks; interpretive signage; and public artthat celebrates aboriginal culture and historythroughout the entire site.

Consider naming buildings, streets, andlandmarks after aboriginal and agriculturalmotifs.

Promote Equity, Diversity, and Affordability

Create new jobs (including green-collar jobs) closeto home, daycare, and shopping, with all of those

jobs meeting standards for fair wages and conditions;provide affordable homes to help meet Edmontonsneeds; and ensure that stores have a selection offair-trade goods, giving poor producers in developingcountries a fair price for their hard work. A local-firstloyalty program will encourage consumers to shoplocally, boosting the local economy. Recommendedapproaches include

Living wage;

Buying local;

Fair trade;

Access for the disabled;

Affordable housing; and

Office of sustainability reporting to the universitypresident.

Emphasize university responsibility to have facultystudy diminishing the carbon and toxic impact offood supply.

Environmental Sustainability

Environmentally sustainable communities strive to

integrate natural and human systems to optimizelong-term community health and well-being.Universities accomplish this goal by using varioustechniques that include natural infrastructure, greenbuilding systems, progressive planning, communityorganization, and high mobility. The university canapply these techniques to shape land use, campusdesign, horizontal and vertical construction, andlong-term operations and programming. The

Case Study: Dockside Green

Dockside Green, widely recognized as Canadas

greenest neighborhood to date, has earned high

praise for its engagement with aboriginal groups

who were the original historic users of the Dockside

Green site. A preliminary meeting with Chief Andy

Thomas from the Esquimalt Nation and Chief

Robert Sam from the Songhees Nation resulted in a

collaboration to heal the contaminated site. A few

months later, the project had a blessing ceremony

with eight chiefs and their families, and the developer

pledged to be ecologically responsible on the land.

In October 2006, the developers and the Esquimalt

and Songhees First Nations signed a memorandum of

understanding to create a framework for cooperation

and communication. As part of their mandate for

sustainability, the Windmill Development Group Ltd.

and Vancity Enterprises Ltd. have committed to local

job creation with particular support for First Nations

job-site training. The program has been so successful

and has generated so much excitement that that

Construction Association wants to implement it as

a regional program. For more details on the strategy

and process, please consult the memorandum of

understanding: http://www.victoria.ca/cityhall/pdfs/

currentprojects_dockside_frstnt_mou.pdf.


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panel recommends that the university consider the

techniques described in the following subsections.Emphasize Healthy Winter Living

Create an exceptional and life-changing universityexperience throughout the winter months.Recommended approaches include the following:

Healthy, active lifestyles should focus on friendlier,safer communities with convenient all-seasonfitness facilities, where fresh, healthy diets arethe norm. The overarching design approach tophysical development should incorporate the latesthappiness and wellness research.

Albertas unique climate creates both benefitsand challenges. The South Campus must embracethe winter season with a positive approach thatbenefits students, faculty, and staff and increasesthe universitys competitiveness in the globaleducational marketplace. To help overcome thenegative aspects of prolonged winter weather, suchas a visually monotonous environment dominatedby white and gray, increased heating and energyconsumption, and seasonal affective disorder orpsychological depression related to lack of sunlight,the South Campus should develop an explicit set of

winter design guidelines, such as the following:Use solar radiation in the orientation of buildingsand outdoor spaces, and provide a southernexposure to maximize the penetration of heatand sunlight.

Use buildings to protect outdoor spaces fromprevailing winds. Design building surfaces tohelp reduce wind speed.

Use bright colors and lighting treatments whendesigning buildings and landscape treatments tooffset the darkness and monotony of the winter

season.

Create active winter boulevards, like the RideauCanal in Ottawa, that allow winter travel onskates or cross-country skis.

Promote a dense, compact development patternthat allows for five- or ten- minute living.

Develop a pedestrian underground thatwith District Energy tunnels connect facilitiesto transit.

Five-minute living is clustered around a new

village square, athletic complex, and daily farmersmarket. The community is planned to ensure everystudent and resident is no more than a seven-minute walk to the cinema, groceries, restaurants,offices, daycare, and shops offering local,sustainable, and fair-trade products and services.Streets are narrow; sidewalks are wide. Children canwalk to school and safely play in the streets.

Evolve the concept plan to emphasize planningwith a long-term view. Over the coming decade,green building will become the new business asusual in North America. LEED Platinum buildingswill be commonplace. To create enduring marketdifferentiation, the University of Alberta shouldfoster transit-oriented development and plan forgreen buildings and infrastructure. Each actionshould include a detailed cost-avoidance benefitsanalysis and a firm statement of increased upfrontcosts of integrated design.

Provide a progressive framework for developingSouth Campus as a model sustainable master-planned campus, including the following:

Rethink or relocate the athletic facilities at theLRT station to create a model transit-oriented

campus. Facilities such as Foote Field and theSaville Centre may need to be rethought orrelocated to provide opportunities for higher-density uses adjacent to the LRT station.

Ensure that the plan fosters a mix of usesincluding student housing, research andclassroom space, dining facilities, and activitynodes.

Create a Large Urban Park and Garden for Edmonton

The universitys large landholdings provide anopportunity to create a large urban park and food-

producing garden that can create value by maximizingdensity and views along the park. Dedicateapproximately 25 percent of open space to this use.

Sustainable campuses connect the ecosystem of theirsite to the ecosystem of their watershed. In the case ofSouth Campus, the university should build regionalconnections with the city of Alberta, the surroundingneighborhoods, Whitemud Creek, and the NorthSaskatchewan River.


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Reduce Auto Dependency While Improving Access

and Mobility

A sustainable campus makes it easy for students,faculty, and staff to access the campus without relyingon private automobiles. The reduction of vehicle milestraveled is a key measure for achieving environmentalsustainability. South Campus should minimizeparking and feature a multimodal system. The systemshould include the LRT, a campus shuttle system,bicycle trails, and pedestrian pathways. Specificrecommendations can be found in the EncourageSustainable Transport section below.

Implement an Aggressive Green Building and

Construction Waste Program on South Campus

Green building has rapidly become the most acceptedtool for building structures that are more resourceefficient, healthier to occupy, and less damaging totheir site and region. Key elements of a green buildingprogram address where the building is sited and itsorientation, how the site is prepared, how the buildingis constructed, what materials are used, and how thebuilding is operated. The University of Alberta shouldtake the following steps to implement a systematicgreen building program:

Complete a projection of campus energy use, wateruse, and waste operation over South Campussbuildout using conventional building techniques.

Establish aggressive targets for reduction from thispotential.

Construct all South Campus buildings to arecognized national standard (LEED, LEEDND, Living Building Challenge, One PlanetCommunities), ideally one that is performanceoriented. Anticipate a 2 to 5 percent cost premiumover conventional methods.

Explore energy-efficient ways to bring warmth,

light, and color to a dark winter environment.

Build on the Success of the North Campus District

Energy System

The district energy system at the North Campushas been very successful in producing energy forthe university at significantly discounted cost andwith 30 percent less CO2e emissions than gridpower. The panel recommends that the considerable

operational experience of the campus utility team

be leveraged in creating a next-generation districtenergy system at South Campus that would phaseinto carbon-neutrality by 2017. The panel reportsuggests that South Campus be built out at a rate of460,000 square feet per year. The panel understandsthat one and one-half years of buildout at this ratewould create the immediate financial justification tosimultaneously develop a South Campus central plantand infrastructure.

A carbon-neutral central plant at South Campusaffords unique opportunities for learning and shouldbe designed not just for frequent tours and visitsbut also as a renewable-energy learning laboratory.The panel recommends that the sustainable energycenter be constructed with signature architecture ina visible location (the panels plan has recommendedsiting in a farmers field) and be positioned as aflagship architectural feature for the university in itsmarketing and promotion. In pursuit of this goal, thepanel recommends that the university

Study opportunities for capture of waste heat atSouth Campus, such as from a sewer main;

Study opportunities for diversifying energyproduction and distribution using lower-

temperature thermal distribution;

Produce an in-depth regional inventory of potentialcarbon-neutral waste feedstocks for the system; and

Determine potential for waste biomass from wood,answering the following questions:

How much wood waste is generated in theregion?

What is happening to the wood waste that isgenerated now?

What is the availability of this wood waste for

other uses?

Can a supply of wood waste be guaranteed withlong-term contracts?

A rough estimate of wood waste can be ascertainedby applying the U.S. or Canadian national average ofwood waste as a percentage of municipal solid waste(wood waste is 5.3 percent of all trash) to the annualtonnages of municipal solid waste from the capital


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region. Such an estimate would be conservative

because it does not include wood waste generatedfrom the tree and landscape industry, or land clearingfrom the construction industry.

Use Waste Biomass from Agricultural Byproducts

Agricultural byproducts offer another, andparticularly appropriate, potential source of energy,given that the South Campus is the location ofagricultural research. Questions to be answered are

How much biosolids and what type of biosolidsare produced in the region?

What is happening to the biosolids that areproduced now?

What is the availability of these biosolids forother uses?

Can the supply of wood waste be guaranteedthrough long-term contract?

The panel understands that a shift from natural gas tocarbon-neutral feedstocks will create a high volumeof truck visits to the central plant, and circulationplanning should account for this traffic. Given theintrinsic carbon footprint associated with these truck

visits, the panel recommends that the feedstock studyattempt to locate a feedstock supply that is as closeto South Campus as possible. The plant may require

additional space on site for processes such as wood

chipping or treatment of biosolids. The panel alsorecommends to its sponsors, Alberta Energy andAlberta Environment, that special legislative andfinancial support be given to the campus utility inestablishing a district energy franchise in the vicinityof South Campus to pilot a large-scale, carbon-neutraldistrict energy system that would heat, cool, andpower university facilities, market housing, nearbyprovincial facilities, and the Expo 2017 bid.

Provide Sustainability Education

Sustainability education develops skills, knowledge,and values that promote behavior in support of a

sustainable environment. The university shoulddevelop interdisciplinary classes, informal learningopportunities, and professional development activitiesthat support university sustainability activities. Allof the relevant schools and departments, includingengineering and agriculture, life, and environmentalsciences, should be involved.

Develop a Performance-Based Sustainability Plan

A need exists for good baselines to ensure that thesustainability plan is efficient and appropriate.To create this baseline, the panel recommendsa 360-degree campus carbon-footprint auditfocusing on buildings and utilities (operations andconstruction), transportation, food, and waste. Thepanel also recommends that the university set 2030aspirational performance targets. Based on the latestscience from the Intergovernmental Panel on ClimateChange, by 2050 global emissions need to be reducedby 50 percent of 1990 levels. Given the predictedincrease in population, a fair share of carbon dioxideemissions would be in the region of one ton per capitaby 2050. To provide an exemplar model well aheadof the 2050 deadline, South Campus should aimto realize a target of one ton of carbon dioxide per

resident by 2030. The panel recommends that theuniversity measure and publish performance againstsustainability targets annually.

Build Zero-Carbon Buildings

Reduce building emissions by 100 percent. Buildsome of the most energy-efficient buildings inCanada, beating the Model National Energy Codeby 50 percent. Heat, cool, and power them with 100percent renewable energy provided by a state-of-

Case Study: District EnergySt. Paul

District Energy St. Paul currently provides heating to

80 percent of St. Paul, Minnesotas central business

district and adjacent urban areas. The system uses

a 65-megawatt-thermal municipal wood waste

combined heat and power plant with an electriccapacity of 33 megawatts. The fuel stock for this plant

is approximately 300,000 tons of waste wood each

year that would otherwise go to landfill, which is

collected and brought to the site by municipal vehicles

and residents, and is chipped on site. Waste wood is

considered a carbon-neutral fuel stock.

Source: http://www.districtenergy.com/


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the-art, carbon-neutral district energy system thatbuilds upon the extraordinary success of the NorthCampus district energy utility. The panel recommendsapproaches that include demand reduction, capturingwaste energy, and a zero-carbon energy district(waste biomass and biosolids).

Encourage Sustainable Transport

University transportation systems provide services toa specific group (students) within a relatively compactlocation (campus). As such, they are one of the fewrelatively nimble components of a deep-green campusinitiative that can be quickly changed and produceimmediate, short-term results. For example, a campuswith a large bus fleet that converts to natural gas canshow a noticeable reduction in nitrous oxide (a factorin ozone) and particle emissions. Likewise, right-sizing buses (15- to 20-passenger models as opposedto 50-passenger models) for less-traveled routes canshow a marked energy savings. The panel believes thatthe following transportation-oriented issues need tobe explored in the context of the larger greening of thecampus:

Explore leveraging the LRT, including locatingacademic and residential buildings immediatelyadjacent to the LRT station at South Campus.

Prepare a bicycle and pedestrian plan that continuesto improve connections to the larger city system.

Prepare an initiative on improving pedestrian andbicycle access between the Main Campus and theSouth Campus.

Prepare and implement a car-sharing program forstudents and faculty. Implement a pilot studentbicycle-sharing program and a faculty car-sharingprogram.

Research and modify parking policies thatreduce vehicles miles traveled, coordinate withtransportation management initiatives, efficientlyuse existing structures, and minimize new surfaceparking.

Replace existing fleets with alternative-fuel orhybrid shuttles.

Place a priority on the careful and thoughtfuldesign of streets, sidewalks, and public spaces tomake pedestrian activity a functional and pleasantexperience.

Reduce campus road widths and explore use of

permeable paving that will succeed in a harsh winterenvironment.

Incorporate Sustainable Water

The panel recommends that the deep-green campusinitiative include specific actions that minimize theuse of water and appropriately manage stormwater.Water sustainability at the university shouldinvolve comprehensive integration of adequateand appropriate water supplies for the universityseducation and research mission balanced withthe hydrologic environment and the health of

the ecological systems dependent on it. The panelsuggests using the goals of low-impact design fornew development. These goals include conservingexisting hydrology, minimizing impervious surfaces,maintaining natural water flow, preventing pollution,and creating a public education program. The panelsuggests that the university take the following steps:

Incorporate aggressive demand-reduction goals intoall facility planning.

Use native landscaping.

Incorporate green roofs into new construction (to

the extent possible in Edmontons climate).

Explore using pervious concrete and asphalt wheretechnology proves practical.

Incorporate rain gardens into landscape design.

Incorporate interior cisterns for water andsnowmelt collection.

Build water-quality swales to ensure cleanerstormwater runoff.

Bus and LRT access is a

central organizing feature

of the northern portion of

the South Campus. The

potential for additional

uses in the LRT station

area is abundant and

appropriate.


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Incorporate graywater recycling into all new

development.For new buildings, the university should ensure thataggressive water-efficiency goals are met and thateach component, faculty, office, or division of theuniversity is aware of these goals before embarkingupon the fundraising and planning necessary to buildnew structures.

Set a Zero-Waste Goal

The university should move toward an ultimategoal of zero waste. Zero waste is a philosophy thatencourages the redesign of resource life cycles so that

all products are reused. Any trash sent to landfills isminimal. The process recommended is one similar tothe way resources are reused in nature. Recommendedapproaches include reducing consumption, reusingand reclaiming, recycling and composting, andproducing energy from waste.

Switch to Sustainable Food

Despite all the discussion of the causes and cures forglobal warming, little attention has been given tothe two fundamental human activities of farmingand eating. These two activities are responsible formore GHG emissions than all the worlds cars, trucks,

trains, planes, and ships combined. By 1992, thefood supply system was responsible for 42 percent ofCanadas ecological footprint, compared to less than10 percent shortly after World War II (InternationalDevelopment Research Centre). The average NorthAmerican meal is estimated to travel 1,250 to 1,850miles from farm to fork. Consequently, over 20percent of fossil fuels consumed in the United Statesare used to transport food. The Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations estimates thatwhen the methane released by cattle-raising istaken into account, the planets 1.5 billion cattle areresponsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gases, morethan cars, planes and all other forms of transport puttogether, and that this is projected to double by 2050.Most of the 36 percent growth in Canadian emissionsfrom animal production from 1990 to 2006 occurredin Alberta (Environment Canada, 2008). The foodcomponent of the deep-green sustainable campusmust begin with research on two critical factors:

understanding the universitys food-carbon footprint,

and finding and contracting with sources of lower-carbon food for each season.

Healthy living is the cornerstone of a sustainablelifestyle and the deep-green approach to theuniversity. South Campus diners will enjoy nourishingand delicious food that respects ecological healthat every step of its path from the field to our tables.Recommended approaches include the following:

Producing food on site;

Operating a world-class farmers market 12 monthsa year;

Contracting with sustainable sources for foodservices and on-site vendors, including buildingterms into food services contracts to procurefoodstuffs from local and organic agriculturalproducers wherever economically viable;

Educating diners and residents about the impact offoodfor example, a University of Chicago study(2006) found that the standard North American dietproduces 1.5 tons more of C02e emissions than avegan diet; thus, reducing the consumption of meat,especially beef, on campus by 50 percent wouldcreate a huge net reduction in carbon emissions; and

Creating a sustainable food research program in asustainability center.

Leverage Nature, Conservation, and Outdoor

Recreation

The Edmonton area has a high quotient for outdoorrecreation. The proximity of the Whitemud Creek,the North Saskatchewan River, and other outdooractivity areas allows students and city residentsample opportunity to experience the outdoorsand opportunities for hiking, camping, kayaking,

crewing, birding, and picnicking, especially duringwarmer months. During winter months, cross-country skiing, skating, and snowshoeing activitiesare also possible. The university should undertake aninventory of available outdoor recreational activitiesdesired by students and faculty and match it withavailable venues or locations for such activities.


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To implement the top 20 by 2020 approachoutlined previously, the university will needto make a significant effort in planning,development, and design of the South Campus.

The document entitled South Campus District Plans(as represented in Working Paper No. 2) providesmuch of the background and environmental analysis

necessary to move in this direction. However, theuniversity will need a better understanding of theSouth Campus within the context of the largerEdmonton real estate and economic developmentenvirons. Moreover, the university will need abetter strategy to help integrate and incorporate thesurrounding neighborhoods into the campus plan.

Fitting the South Campus intothe Larger Physical, Social, andEconomic World

An important part of the planning process isunderstanding how the South Campus fits into thelarger context of the university, the city, and theprovince. The market analysis provided earlier inthis report clearly shows an economic and land useconnection to a larger region.

The Edmonton area, including the city, entities of theprovincial government, and the university, acts asthe focal point for the natural resources of the FrontRange. Research, education, training, and regulationassociated with the oil and timber industries areheadquartered in Edmonton. The processing,

refining, and distribution of these resources are alsolocated in the greater Edmonton area. From there,these major resources are sent to the rest of Canadaand abroad. As the gateway to these resources, theregion acts as gatekeeper. This role of the province,city, and university is demonstrably linked to how theregion is perceived and how desirable it will be to live,work, and learn in Edmonton. Likewise, Edmonton isa winter city and as such should consider all aspects

Planning and Development Strategies

Case Studies: Successful SustainableCampuses and Their Relationships withSurrounding Communities

Most large research universities and facilities in North America and around the world

have ongoing and evolving engagement initiatives with their surrounding communities.Although they concentrate primarily on the appropriate land use and support

infrastructure, some locations have made a special effort to combine academic research

with economic development. Some have made considerable strides in fashioning

what appears to be a seamless connection between academia and the corporate world.

Following are some notable instances in this regard.

University AssociatesNASA Ames partnership, Sunnyvale, California: This is

a new prototype for an environmentally sustainable community that contributes to the

economic vitality of the region while providing a unique collaborative environment in

which to deliver innovative education and research.

Rice University, Houston, Texas: New vertical mixed-use commercial and academics

are located at the universitys main campus.

Forrestal Park, Princeton, New Jersey: A collection of offices, labs, and research space

in a parklike setting takes advantage of its unique location near Princeton University.

University of Virginia Research Park, Charlottesville, Virginia: This research park

provides a collaborative venue for academic research and commercial technology. It

supports a variety of businesses, from R&D to light manufacturing and knowledge-based

commerce, as well as connections between the university and private enterprise.

Stanford Research Park, Palo Alto, California: The Stanford Research Park was

created in 1951 in response to demand for industrial land near university resources and

an emerging electronics industry tied closely to the universitys school of engineering.Today, the park is home to more than 150 companies with about 23,000 employees in

electronics, software, biotechnology, and other high-tech fields. R&D and supporting

service companies occupy some 10 million square feet in more than 160 buildings

spread over 700 acres.

Arizona State University Research Park, Tempe, Arizona: This vibrant corporate

community with ties to a comprehensive research university is home to research

development companies and corporate and regional headquarters.


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of successful and sustainable winter city living in itsplanning and execution of new development.

Establishing a University City

The University of Alberta is a major economic anchorin Edmonton that is projected to continue to growin the future. Edmontons diversified economy hasinfluenced the physical fabric of the city, resulting indistributed urbanized districts centered on different

economic sectors, such as the Downtown, Northwest,and South East Industrial centers.

As the importance of the research and academicpursuits of the University of Alberta continues topropel growth and position Alberta on the global neweconomy and new technology stages, highlightingthe importance of Edmonton as a university citybecomes a major opportunity. The University ofAlberta is an important city anchor on the banks ofthe Saskatchewan River, but it has outgrown its maincampus and is now considering how to incorporateits property currently known as South Campus. The

panel recommends that as a driving idea the entiresector of the city from Main Campus to WhitemudExpressway be positioned as University City.

The concept of separate campuses perpetuates thedivide and the second-citizen status of South Campusand West 240. The North and South campuses shouldbe thought of as one campus: such a connection can beachieved by linking the Main Mall of North Campus toa New University Village via an enhanced 114th Streetrecast as University Parkway and taking advantage

of the citys LRT. This dual-anchored

campus approach will establish theentire district as University City, thushelping erase the current inequitybetween the two campuses. Thecomponents of University City arethe North Campus (Main Campus),the 114th Street spine and adjacentneighborhoods, the University Village(South Campus), the AgriculturalResearch Campus, and West 240.

North Campus (Main Campus)

In the early part of the 20th century,

the universitys grand plan wasconceived as a formal campus pattern

of central mall flanked by academic quads. Fromthe panels perspective, the last 100 years of growthon campus have obfuscated the original plan to thepoint where very little usable or discernible openspace exists.

The panel supports current efforts to reestablisha formal rectilinear campus/park plan withdormitories, academic centers, and administrativebuildings focused on the quad that acts as the centralorganizing feature for the North Campus. The removal

of the existing administration building at the southside of the quad opens up the axis and connects tothe 114th Street corridor to create the spine that is thenew central organizing feature of the University Citywithin Edmonton.

The panels recommendations for the North Campusare as follows:

Reinforce the heritage structure of the campus whileembarking on a campaign to rebuild residential andacademic buildings that are scheduled to be rebuilt.

Identify buildings and facilities that are poorperformers physically, academically, orarchitecturally.

Commission a landscape master plan that builds onthe currently planned restoration of the main quad.

Establish new academic and residential quads orfocal points that provide a memorable experiencefor students, faculty, and administration.

Designate new active and passive open space.

A notional approach to

linking the North Campus

and the South Campus is

the idea of establishing

the University City.

University City


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Create new retail and service uses convenient to the

student body.Design and build ad hoc recreational amenities.

Recast 114th Street as University Parkwayand Adjacent Neighborhoods

Traversing just over one-half mile from the south sideof Main Campus to the north side of University Village,114 Street acts as the conduit connecting the MainCampus with the University Village with EdmontonsLRT as well as bike paths and pedestrian walkways.This distance is walkable except on the very coldestdays. The panel recommends working with the city of

Edmonton and adjacent neighborhood stakeholdersto enhance 114th Street to function as a parkway withstreetscape, greenways, appropriate landscaping,street furniture, pedestrian facilities, wayfinding,and signage. It should have appropriate arrival points,nodes to enhance the relationships with the adjacentresidential neighborhoods. Also, 114th Street shouldbe the model in Edmonton for a winter streetproviding multimodal access during winter months,such as a ski trail, and paying specific attention tosnow clearing for pedestrians and cyclists.

South Campus

South Campus landholdings of the University ofAlberta and provincial land (Alberta Infrastructure)at the intersection of 114th Street and Belgravia Roadpresent an opportunity to create a world-class, fullysustainable mixed-use academic and research villagewhere living, working, and recreation are all possiblein one walkable, transit-supported neighborhood.Imagine a completely synergistic University Villagewith academic, research, and technology offices andlabs, residential neighborhoods, and unique facilitiessuch as the School for the Deaf.

The existing South Campus Station is an incredibly

valuable piece of infrastructure that is currentlysurrounded by low-density facilities representing atime when the density demanded by the universityand provincial growth were not predicted. With theprojected demands for space by the university and theprovince, rethinking how to take advantage of the LRTstation as a key anchor is critical so that maximumvalue can be created and maximum sustainable livingcan be achieved. The panel recommends that theUniversity of Alberta and the province combine forceswith the adjacent communities to explore how their

Northern communities or winter cities have great opportunities to mitigate

negative effects of the winter season while reinforcing the many positive

aspects to create a vibrant, sustainable, and livable environment for a

prosperous future. A key part of this approach is understanding, accepting,

and enhancing winter streets. Physical barriers specific to winter streets must

be addressed as part of the early stages of planning. Examples of physical

barriers specific to winter include narrowed curb lanes for cyclists caused by

snow buildup and for pedestrians, slippery, lumpy, or uncleared sidewalks

and pathways. Cyclists can make their own adaptations with studded tires and

special clothing, while walkers can buy antislip devices for their winter boots.

But why limit nonvehicular to just cyclists and walkers? Why not embrace

winter-friendly modes of active transport such as cross-country skiing,

snowshoeing, or ice-skating? To accommodate these activities, urban ski

trails could be provided as a part of the early stages of pedestrian circulation

planning. Other guidelines for winter streets include the following:

Designatecriticalpedestrianareasthatshouldreceiveprioritywhen

clearing walkways.

Ensurethattransitionareassuchascurbcutsandbus-stopplatformsar

properly plowed to ensure pedestrian safety.

Ensurethatparticularlyhazardousareas,suchasstepsandramps,are

heated to prevent snow and ice from accumulating.

Identifyspecificexistingpedestriantrailsthatcanbegroomedformultiu

such as walking, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing during the winte

season. Designcrosswalkstobeslightlyraisedtopreventwaterandicefrom

accumulating in these areas, potentially posing a hazard to pedestrians.

Separatesidewalksandotherpedestrianpathwaysfromtheroadway.Th

separation protects pedestrians from the spray of slush and water from

passing cars.

Winter Streets


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land can be combined to develop the planning ideasconceived in previous plans to further maximize thelands potential to contribute to the success of Albertaand Edmonton.

The panel had the opportunity to study the plandeveloped from 2002 to 2008 by the university and itsconsultants. This plan was limited to the universityland. Key points of the previous plan were

Creating a walkable district adjacent to the LRT;

Creating a memorable place such as Main Street andUniversity Walk; and

Strengthening environmental goals such asrespecting drainage patterns of the land.

The panel recommends that when the combinedplan is studied again, opportunities exist tofurther the tenets of the plan and achieve some keyenhancements:

Creating an incrementally implementable plan;

Creating multiple districts and neighborhoods;

Enhancing connectivity with adjacentneighborhoods;

Highlighting the value of the Agricultural Research

campus;

Increasing density directly adjacent to the LRT; and

Integrating the network of open space andlandscapes.

The plan envisions three districts: University Village,Agricultural Research Campus, and the WhitemudCreek Park neighborhoods.

University Village

Within the University Village are five key quads:

the Alberta Research and Technology Park, theNeighborhood and School for the Deaf Quad, thePhysical Education Quad, the Academic Quad, andHeritage Park. All of these districts are knit togetherwith a block system designed to provide a flexibleapproach to locating new uses, infrastructure,structures, and buildings. Common traits of thearea will be compact, mixed-use developmentinterspersed with open space and a high-qualitywalking environment. The block pattern presents theopportunity to customize parcels for a wide range ofdevelopment needs on small and large lots.

The five key quads include the following elements:

Physical Education Quad: three- to eight-storyhousing with ground-floor retail, two- to four-story classroom and office, with track and field asfocal point;

Alberta Research and Technology Park: five-storyoffice and research buildings with a quad;

Neighborhood and School for the Deaf Quad: three-to five-story graduate student and faculty housingwith a school for the deaf;

Academic Quad: three- to five-story buildings onpodiums with two floors of classrooms or office andthree floors of residential; and

Heritage Park: new football stadium, aboriginalcenter, and rowhouse-style live/work units facinga park.

Located on the northern portions of

the South Campus, the University

Village will include a variety of

compact, mixed-use development

interspersed with open space and a

high-quality walking environment.

Five key quads would define the

University Village: the Alberta

Research and Technology Park, theNeighborhood and School for the

Deaf Quad, the Physical Education

Quad, the Academic Quad, and

Heritage Park. All of these districts

will be knit together with a block

system designed to provide a flexible

approach to locating new uses,

structures, and buildings.


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Agricultural Research Campus

The University of Albertas Agricultural Research

and Ecological Sciences department has developed aglobal reputation for innovative and critical researchinto commercial and health-related agriculturalresearch. As growth on the South Campus occurs,the agricultural faculty will require office and labspace in the academic zones as well as a reserve for thecritical agricultural research that needs to occur freeof rural influences that occur on the lands held by theuniversity outside the urban limits.

The land south of 60th Avenue is approximatelya quarter section, or 160 acres, of highly valuableagricultural research zone. This zone will house both

secure research labs and active fields for academicresearch as well as lands dedicated for the universitysnew urban-farming programs.

As part of the sustainability programs for the campus,the South Campus will be powered by a district energyplant. The plant can be positioned in this area becauseof its proximity to the core of the campus.

Whitemud Creek Park Neighborhoods

The university currently holds 240 acres of landknown as the West 240. The plan recommendsexploring the opportunity to use these lands askey workforce housing to support the successof university and provincial investment in theUniversity Village as well as for a major park forUniversity City that serves as a key link to theWhitemud Creek Park. The University City Parkwould be surrounded by three- to five-story

buildings focused on a range of housing needs.

The Agricultural Research Campus

will ensure retention of the important

agricultural research facilities that

are so much a part of the history and

legacy of the university.

The Whitemud Creek Park

neighborhoods will explore the

opportunities for market-rate andworkforce housing as well as a

substantial park that links the

University Village with the properties

along the North Saskatchewan River.


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The University of Alberta is in an excellentposition to become a leader in sustainability.The university is the provinces leadingacademic research and teaching institution,

recognized for its leadership in engineering, healthscience, sciences, creative arts, and the humanities.The universitys priorities are well aligned to create a

vibrant academic and research campus with a diversecommunity at the South Campus.

Perform a Needs Analysis

The panel advises the university to perform aneeds analysis for the South Campus Concept Plan,outlining the immediate, midterm, and long-termgoals for moving forward in refining the evolvingSouth Campus Concept Plan. The panel encouragesthe university to focus on its Vision for a GreatUniversity, Dare to Discover, and Dare to Deliverwhen identifying the universitys needs. Althoughthe university may have its own approach to completesuch analysis, the panel felt it was important tosuggest the essential steps: setting the vision, settingup the organization, doing an environmental impactanalysis, doing a social impact analysis, doing aneconomic impact analysis, doing a political impactanalysis, and doing an ethical impact analysis. Theaccompanying diagram shows a simplified approach,organized as a feedback loop.

Organize for Success

The university will need to put the appropriatedevelopment team together to continue with therefinement of the South Campus Concept Plan.This team needs to be empowered to manage theplanning process, design, and construction effortsand to coordinate the outreach with all stakeholders,internal and external. The university needs tocollaborate with the community to l ink the needsof the community with the universitys plan. Theplanning and development team should also haveaccess to administrative and faculty leaders.

The panel recommends that the university hire a veryexperienced professional in large-scale, long-termreal estate development and master planning. Thisperson would report to the office of the presidentand would have authority to manage the overalldevelopment of the project. He or she would managethe universitys relationship with governmentaland private sector entities and oversee the planningand physical development of the South Campusplan. In addition, the team should have an economicdevelopment specialist to coordinate the commercialdevelopment opportunities as well as a sustainabilityofficer who will be responsible for embeddingsustainability throughout the South Campus ConceptPlan. All team members will be working closely with

energy, management, and sustainable operationsof the University of Alberta, Alberta Environme

Documents

U of A South Campus Sustainable Development Report