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F O R U M : C L E A N A N D G R E E N The Role of Sustainability in Campus Planning ANewEnglanduniversitybuildsonthelandgranttradition GREG HAVENS, PERRY CHAPMAN AND BRYAN IRWIN Whenmostpeoplethinkofgreen severalbuildingsontheNationalRegister TheMorrillActof1862,signedby campusdesign,theyenvisionbuildings ofHistoricPlaces.Thechallengeforplan- AbrahamLincoln,established withsolarpanelsorturbinesharnessing nerswastocelebratethisrichtradition thelandgrantuniversitywith hydroelectricpower.Butevenmore while designing spaces that could aSolomon-likesimplicity:thefederal substantialsustainabilityadvances accommodate21stcenturygrowth. governmentwoulddeedlargetracts canbemadeattheplanninglevel. oflandtoestablishpubliccollegesin Acentralideaofthemasterplan WhilechartingtheUniversityof eachstate.Theseinstitutionswould wasthatithadtorespondtourgent thentrainyoungcitizensinagriculture, Maine’sgrowthoverthenextquarter environmentalimperativesusinga forestry,miningandthemechanicalarts centuryinaformalmasterplan,extra- four-prongedapproach:demandman- ordinarysustainabilityopportunitiesand agementtoencourageefficiencyand —fieldstieddirectlytotheprosperity challengeswereuncovered,dueboth energyconservation;renewableenergy ofthenationatthetime.Landgrant tophysicalandinstitutionalconditions: supplystrategies;resourcemanage- universitiestodayareemergingasleaders inthesustainabilitymovement.They • University President Robert A. ment;andalternativetransportation. havedeephistorictiestostewardshipof Kennedy has signed the American Totheseends,keydecisions landandwaterresources;theirfaculties College and University President’s weremadeearlyonattheplanning —specializingininnumerablefieldsnow ClimateCommitment,whichisbothan level,includingacampusgrowth thoughtofasenvironmental—make impetusandachallenge—howcanthe boundary;extensionoftheOlmsted- institution fulfill its pledge while also designeduniversitymalltothesouth, themlivinglaboratoriesforthelatest implementing a growth strategy and framedbynewbuildingsorientedin thinkingingreendesignandplanning. responsetothesunandarrayedalong NowhereinNewEnglandisthis increasingitsresearchpresence? alandscapedpromenadefeaturing trendmoreevidentthanatthe • The university’s own Climate windbreaks;andanewtransportation UniversityofMaine,whichstraddles Change Institute (CCI) is right in the networkfavoringhuman-powered thetownsofOronoandOldTown.As thick of the worldwide discussion movementwithinapedestriansystem boththestate’sland-grantandsea-grant about global warming. The interdisci- thatenhancesconnectionsbetween university,themaincampusisaug- plinary research unit focuses on the buildingsandlinkstheentirecampus mentedbysatellitecampusesinthe variability of the Earth’s climate, with tosurroundingforestsandriverfronts. state’sheavilywoodedandsparsely a special attention to the Quaternary Thisisanideathathasgained inhabitednorth,aswellasitsmore Period, a time of numerous glacial/ currencyinthelargerurbanplanning populatedsoutherncoastalarea. interglacialcycles.Inaddition,morethan field—settingaperimeterbeyond UMaineembodies—geographically, two dozen UMaine academics, within whichmajorbuildingwillnotoccur. culturallyanddemographically—the and outside the CCI, are engaged in Theboundaryplacesamoratorium state’sgrowingreputationasanational researchrelatedtoalternativeenergyand onnewroadsanddevelopmentinthe leaderingreenthinkingandinnovation. thephysical,biological,chemical,social, Demerrittforest,withtheexception Maine’ssplendidcoast,knownlargely andeconomiceffectsofclimatechange. ofresearch-relatedprojects.Theidea asavacationhauntofAstorsand • The College of Engineering is restsontheprinciple,supportedby Rockefellersinanearliertime,is advancing composite research in alargebodyofurbanevidence,that nowadestinationforAmericansand technologies and alternative energy densityisagoodthing.Acompact Canadiansofalleconomicmeans. production. land-usepatternhasbeenshownto Increasingly,educationalandpolitical reinforcethepedestrianqualitiesof leadersinthestateareseekingways • The presence of the extensive adistrict,maintainoperationaland toleverageitsproximitytoCanada— forested land, including Demerritt infrastructureefficiencies,prevent Oronoformspartofanequilateral forest and the forest preserve, part of encroachmentintosurroundingnatural trianglebetweenBostonandQuebec the land grant legacy, offers multiple systems,andenhancehumanvitality City—andthestate’sindustriesstand opportunitiestotesthowsuchproperty andinteractionbyplacingavariety tobenefitasU.S.andCanadiantrade canbemanaged,expandedandpreserved. ofactivitiesincloseproximityto increases.Notcoincidentally,the •Arichlegacyofcampuslandscape oneanother. locationisalsopartoftheuniversity’s design by Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. TheOlmsted-designeduniversity planstobroadenitsdrawofU.S.and and his firm is matched by a unique mallisanelegantbuildingarrangement internationalapplicants. architectural patrimony, including thatechoestheformalBeaux-Arts 28NEWENGLANDBOARDOFHIGHEREDUCATION F O R U M : C L E A N A N D G R E E N planningprinciplescommonlyapplied re-establishesOlmsted’sriverfront energysources.Theinstitutional intheearly20thcentury.Thechallenge paradegroundandreintroducesvegeta- goalistoreduceCO2emissionsfrom wastocelebrateandpreservethishis- tionalongtheriverfrontinconjunction acurrentpeakof70,000metrictons torybyechoingthisdesignvocabulary withanewtrailcommemoratingthe annuallyto14,000metrictonsannually southofthelibrary,castinsucha Wabanaketribe,thepre-Columbian by2050. wayastoconsiderbuildingplacement settlersofthisregionofMaine. NewEnglanderJustinSmith asameansofmitigatingwindsand Themasterplanspecifiesthatmany Morrill,afterwhomtheMorrill maximizingsolarexposureduringthe ofthenewbuildingshaveentrances LandGrantActisnamed,wasa longMainewinters.Thusthenew thatarealignedforeasymovement visionaryaboutagricultureand mallisa21stcenturyiterationofthe frombuildingtobuilding.Corridors highereducation’sdutytopreserve original.Sincewindbreaksandsolar arelocatedalongbuildingperimeters andadvancepracticalknowledge. orientationwerenotgivenprimary sothatpedestrianscan“cross-through” AfterMorrill’stime,theUnitedStates considerationintheoriginalOlmsted multiplestructuresastheymaketheir wouldgoontobecometheworld design,theorientationofmajorbuild- wayacrosscampusduringwinter. leaderinagriculture.TheUniversity ingswasflipped90degrees;together Virtuallyeverymajordecisionin ofMaineseekstosetanexample thesebuildingsshelterpedestriansfrom themasterplanisinformedbythe ofhow,bytappingintotheland northernwindsthatsweepontothe imperativeofpreservingwaterresources grantlegacyandothereducational sitefromOctoberthroughApril. andloweringenergycostsandemis- traditions,thenationmightassume Furthermore,thissolarorientation sions.Themajorityofnewbuildings aleadershippositioninthe meanssubstantialheatgaininwinter. arelocatedonsitescurrentlyused environmentaswell. Theproposedforestconnections assurfaceparking.Concentrating createanexpandedtrailnetworkand developmentinthecorecampusalso GregHavens,PerryChapman increasedrecreationalaccesstothe maintainsfieldsandforestsasbuffers andBryanIrwinareprincipalsat forests—anamenityenjoyedbystu- thatoffernaturalcontrolofstormwater SasakiAssociates.E-mails:ghavens@ dents,facultyandtheOronoandOld runoffandquality.Theuniversityis sasaki.com,[email protected], Towncommunities.Likemanyinland improvingtheefficiencyofitsphysical [email protected] Mainetowns,thehistoryofOronoand plantandmilesofunderground withMaine-basedlandscapearchitects OldTownarecloselytiedtotheirriver- infrastructure,transitioningmuchof CoplonAssociates,theycompleteda fronts.Asameansofrecapturingthis itspowerneedstocleanerfuels,and masterplantochartUMaine’sgrowth importantlink,themasterplan ultimatelytransitioningtorenewable overthenextquartercentury. Green Tuition Breaks Inresponsetogrowingconcernaboutenvironmentalissues VermontTechnicalCollegeoffersa“+2”bachelor’s andtopreparegraduatesforanexpanding“leanandgreen” degreeprograminsustainabledesignandtechnology, economy,KeeneStateCollegewillofferabachelor’sdegree withtracksingreenenergy,greenbuildingsorgreensites. programinsustainableproductdesignandinnovationinfall ResidentsofMaine,Massachusetts,NewHampshireand 2009.Theprogramwillincludehands-on,project-based RhodeIsland,whohaveearnedanassociatedegreeina learningthatfocusesonreal-worldapplications,withan technicalarea,areeligiblefortheprogramunderTuition emphasisoninnovationandbusinessmanagement. Breakthisfall. BecausethestatecollegesanduniversitiesinConnecticut, TheUniversityofMainehasoffereditssustainable Maine,MassachusettsandRhodeIslanddonotofferacompa- agriculturebachelor’sdegreeprogramsince1988,whenit rableprogram,residentsofthosestatesareeligibletoenroll wasthefirstsuchundergraduateprogramintheUnitedStates. atreducedtuitionthroughtheNewEnglandBoardofHigher TheprogramcontinuestoberelativelyuniqueinNewEngland. Education’sTuitionBreak—theRegionalStudentProgram. ResidentsinConnecticut,Massachusetts,NewHampshireand ThislongestrunningNEBHEprogramhasbeenhelpingNew RhodeIslandareeligibletotaketheprogramatUMaineunder Englandresidentspursueandaffordtheirchosenfieldofstudy TuitionBreak.Thebachelor’sdegreeprogrampreparesstu- atout-of-stateNewEnglandpubliccollegesanduniversities— dentsforemploymentintheexpandingarenaoforganicand whenthatmajorisnotofferedbytheirin-statepubliccolleges. locallygrownproduce.Studentsgainfieldexperienceworking Amongotheropportunitiesfortuitionbreaksinsustainability foralocalfoodguild,organicseedcompanies,andorganic programsinNewEngland: farmsorasresearchfieldassistants. LyndonStateCollegerecentlylaunchedaninterdisciplinary Basedonaregionalagreementtoshareprogramsnot bachelor’sdegreeprograminsustainabilitystudies,whichwill offeredbyeveryNewEnglandstate,theTuitionBreak beavailablethisfallundertheTuitionBreaktoresidentsof programcurrentlyaffordsstudentsanaverage$7,000 Connecticut,Massachusetts,NewHampshireandRhodeIsland. savingsontheirannualtuitionbills. THENEWENGLANDJOURNALOFHIGHEREDUCATION FALL2008 29