Informal Gathering Spaces
Much of a student’s success is tied to socialization and having community space to get to know and interact with peers. This change in the nature of higher education is impacting the design of campus planning, many of which now provide purposeful collision spaces to gather, collaborate and socialize.

Technology
Greater demand for the latest technology is also being placed on the institutions. Emerging technology such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) is driving universities to require more computing power as they strive for a fully “connected campus” or integrate new tools like AR/VR headsets. Educators are investing connected classrooms and modern learning environments as the latest innovation in teaching, including whiteboards, five projection screens and 14 flat screen displays, the space facilitates flexible grouping and multi-modal media engagement.

Environmental
Embracing sustainability and delivering environmentally focused programs and activities designed to conserve and preserve natural resources is a focus for many planners at College and Universities. They are preparing for ways to address global climate change in small and large ways, strengthening the school’s business model to bolster long-term institutional stability, or equipped and inspired developing leaders ready to tackle tomorrow’s challenges with visionary solutions, sustainability as both concept and practice is embedded in higher education.

Placemaking
In a world of increasing virtual presence, there is a growing emphasis on the importance of place. College and university campuses are compositions of people, places and programs that celebrate a unique historic, cultural and environmental context. Enhancing this sense of place through careful planning is increasingly important in efforts to recruit students, faculty and staff. Investments in buildings, grounds, walks, signage and landscape are aimed at transforming the user experience and building lasting connections to the physical environment. On many campuses, master planning includes a focus on “rightsizing and rightplacing,” Many institutions in recent years assigned programs and administrative functions to wherever they would fit. They are now looking to put things where they belong instead of just where they fit.