As planning and design professionals deeply involved in higher education, SmithGroupJJR is keenly aware of the profound changes affecting institutions of higher learning, and the need to anticipate how these changes will impact and inform the development of new campus spaces and facilities. To help facilitate this dialogue, SmithGroupJJR hosted a group of leading campus planning and design professionals from universities across the country for a roundtable discussion on the future of campus and facility planning. The discussion took place during the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) 2012 national conference in Chicago.
Roundtable participants represented a range of public and private institutions with diverse
histories and missions. The discussion was striking for the level of consensus regarding the major trends and challenges facing higher education, and the extent to which these challenges will be met through a commitment to both innovation and institutional tradition. There was also strong agreement that a shared experience of place will continue to be a cornerstone in the creation of dynamic learning communities, giving physical planning and design a pivotal role to play in shaping the future of our higher education institutions.
The resulting paper, Learning in Place summarizes their conversation, and explores a number of key ideas and directions that will shape the future of campus planning and physical design.