Master plan concept open houses are Oct. 24-25

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Three conceptual frameworks for City and East campuses will be presented during UNL Campus and Landscape Master Plans Open Houses on Oct. 24 and 25. The sessions are 3 to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 24 in the Nebraska Union and 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Oct. 25 in Hardin Hall.

Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to attend and provide feedback that will be used to shape the future of UNL.

The concepts will be presented by representatives of Sasaki Associates of Watertown, Mass. Sasaki is the planning/design firm selected to develop the new campus and landscape master plans.

The conceptual plans are based on three themes — crossroads, precincts and malls. The crossroads theme is focused on developing primary travel spines (crossroads) through campus. The precincts theme would divide campus into academic-specific areas. And, the mall theme emphasizes the campus grid network and existing pedestrian malls.

Jennifer Dam, assistant director of campus planning and space management, stressed that the plans are not to be taken literally, but instead conceptual constructs of how campus could be organized. She said the concepts are designed to get faculty, staff and students talking about how campus should look in the future.

"That is the intent right now," Dam said. "We need to hear what people like or dislike about the plans. These are three distinct ideas. One might be exactly how we develop in the future, or we might end up with a portion of each melded into one plan."

Feedback provided at the open houses and through the master plan "Plan Big" website (http://planbig.unl.edu) will be used by Sasaki to develop two additional master plans. Those plans will be presented to campus at open houses in late November. Additional feedback from those plans will then be used to develop a final campus and landscape master plan.

The final plan will be presented to the University of Nebraska Board of Regents by late spring or early summer.

More details at: http://go.unl.edu/a6q