UNF Table of Contents
Section One
I. Executive Summary
a. Why Plan Now?
b. Master Plan Guiding Principles
c. Highlights of the Plan
II. Introduction
a. President’s Message
b. Planning Process
c. Values Statement
III. Observations and Analysis
a. History and Context
i. Campus History
ii. Regional Context
iii. Regional Natural Resources
b. Natural Systems
i. Uplands and Wetlands
ii. Conservation Zones
iii. Vegetation and Open Spaces
iv. Natural Systems Summary
c. Built Systems
i. Building Use and Condition
ii. Shuttle Bus and Walkability
iii. Vehicular Circulation
iv. Pedestrian Circulation
v. Parking
vi. Edges and Gateways
vii. Service and Loading Access
viii. Utilities Infrastructure
ix. Built Systems Summary
IV. Concept Development
a. Guiding Principles
b. Concept Plan
V. Precinct Studies
a. Academic Affairs
b. Residence Life
c. Athletics
d. Recreation
VI. Final Plan
a. Existing Campus
b. Final Plan
VII. Design Guidelines
a. Axes and Organizing Elements
b. Landscape and Open Space
c. Building Typology
d. Building Disposition
e. Mass and Proportion
f. Scale
g. Façade Composition
h. Building Materials
i. Paths and Walkways
j. Gateways
k. Signage
l. Site Furnishings and Amenities
m. Sustainability
Section Two
VIII. 2005 Campus Master Plan
IX. Future Land Use
X. Housing
XI. Transportation
XII. General Infrastructure
XIII. Conservation
XIV. Recreation and Open Space
XV. Intergovernmental Coordination
XVI. Acknowledgements
XVII. Appendix: List of support documents
a. Capital Improvements
b. Capital Improvement Implementation
University of North Florida Proposed Plan Amendment
Section One
Executive Summary
President’s Message
As we embark on the next chapter in the University of North Florida’s future we are at a tipping point. Campus enrollment is expected to continue to rise at the same rate as it has since its founding in the early 1970’s to meet the demand of the state and the nation. Unlike most other campuses, we have limited land resources which must be developed strategically while preserving our unique north Floridian landscape. We are beginning to integrate on-campus living and learning where the entire campus becomes an academic village.
Linked with our Strategic Plan, this master plan will act as a guide for the orderly development of the campus in balance with our natural environment, create a vibrant place to live and learn, as well as continue to be a cultural and educational resource for our community.
John A. Delaney
UNF President
Mission, Vision, Values and the Strategic Plan 2009-2014
On April 17, 2008, the UNF Board of Trustees adopted new vision and mission statements for the university, as well as five institutional goals that will guide campus planning over the next several years.
Mission Statement
The University of North Florida fosters the intellectual and cultural growth and civic awareness of its students, preparing them to make significant contributions to their communities in the region and beyond. At UNF, students and faculty engage together and individually in the discovery and application of knowledge. UNF faculty and staff maintain an unreserved commitment to student success within a diverse, supportive campus culture.
Vision Statement
The University of North Florida aspires to be a preeminent public institution of higher learning that will serve the North Florida region at a level of national quality. The institution of choice for a diverse and talented student body, UNF will provide distinctive programs in the arts and sciences and professional fields. UNF faculty will excel in teaching and scholarship, sharing with students their passion for discovery. Students, faculty, staff, alumni, and visitors will enjoy a campus noteworthy for its communal spirit, cultural richness, and environmental beauty.
University Values
The University of North Floridais committed to values that promote the welfare and positive transformation of individuals, communities, and societies.
· the pursuit of truth and knowledge carried out in the spirit of intellectual and artistic freedom;
· ethical conduct;
· community engagement;
· diversity;
· responsibility to the natural environment; and
· mutual respect and civility
Strategic Plan Goals
Goal 1: Cultivate a learning environment that supports intellectual curiosity,academic achievement, and personal growth
Goal 2: Recruit and support a diverse community of students, faculty, and staff
Goal 3: Support and recognize research, community-based inquiry, andcreative endeavors
Goal 4: Affirm the university’s public responsibility through civic andcommunity engagement
Goal 5: Secure fiscal, physical, and technological resources aligned with theUniversity’s mission and values
Why Plan Now?
• Images: EXISTING CAMPUS, PROPOSED PLAN
The University of North Florida is required to update its campus master plan every 5 years. The purpose of the plan is to align the University’s core mission with its physical plan and develop a roadmap for the future development of the campus. The campus is at a crossroads of development to address significant projected enrollment growth and modern teaching and research facilities. The campus of the future can protect sensitive ecological zones as part of the larger ecosystem; balance the needs of the natural and built environments; minimize sprawl; unify the campus grounds; connect the campus core and edges with high quality walkways, bicycle paths and transit; develop a mix of academic and residential facilities to create an academic village; and improve the visitor experience.
The master plan has the following goals:
• Ensure our short term decisions are part of a larger vision
• Use our limited resources wisely
• Address enrollment growth
• Develop an orderly phasing plan
• Engage with and communicate the plan to the community
• Images: ENROLLMENT GROWTH, GSF, BEDS, PARKING
Master Plan Guiding Principles
GOAL 1: Create a compact living - learning environment that enhances the University’s core mission.
• Enhance and unify the academic and residential communities
• Provide academic space that meets the needs of today and future enrollments
• Maintain a similar percentage of on-campus beds
• Provide residential unit types that foster community and are appropriate for student level
GOAL 2: Link centers, neighborhoods, transit and activities to better connect the campus.
• Develop campus density to encourage a well connected and walkable campus
• Unify campus buildings and grounds
• Establish clear gateways and edges
• Simplify transit to increase service levels and convenience
• Improve pedestrian pathways and bicycle connectivity internal and external to campus
GOAL 3: Celebrate the unique North Floridian ecology as an integral part of the UNF identity.
• Bind campus identity to the distinctive natural environment and setting
• Open campus core to edges and woods
• Strive to become a model of sustainable development
Introduction
Planning Process
The planning process at UNF involved a broad range of participants, including faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members. An Executive Committee reviewed the progress of the plan at periodic dates between August 2009 and June 2010. The Executive Committee, combined with a team of consultants, formed the “planning team” for the project. The planning process included the following phases:
OBSERVATION AND ANALYSIS
The Observation Phase measured the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the campus, providing an overall understanding of the University and insight towards the development of guiding principles that reflected the culture, philosophies, and setting of the UNF campus. These guiding principles are the foundation for the Concept Plan.
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
The Concept Plan is a graphic representation of the Guiding Principles and summarizes the analysis gathered during the Observation Phase. Broad-brush in its approach, the Concept Plan diagrammatically conveys the ideas generated during the Observation Phase, ensuring the plan remains true to its original intentions throughout the entire design process.
PRECINCT STUDIES
This phase studied the campus in detail by testing design solutions for discrete areas of campus. The planning team developed campus organizational zones by land use, investigated various program adjacencies, and integrated open space concepts to find the optimal relationship for each design.
DESIGN GUIDELINES
The Design Guidelines Phase resulted in broad recommendations to direct the design of future projects at UNF. The Guidelines will sustain the Plan’s intentions by preserving special qualities of the campus while addressing issues that relate to site planning, landscaping, and building mass and character. In addition, the Guidelines address gates, walls, signage, site furnishings, walks, and sustainability initiatives.
FINAL PLAN
To produce the Final Plan, the team refined the ideas and concepts generated during the previous four phases. The Final Plan proposes buildings, open spaces, and landscape treatments for the campus. Included in this report, and essential to implementation, is a proposed project list (found at the beginning of the Appendices), that describes how the Final Plan may be achieved over time.
Observations and Analysis
Campus History
Chartered in 1965 and established in 1972, UNF is a young university. The program was formed to act as an extension of Florida’s public community colleges, specifically meeting the needs of northeast Florida.
Master planning has guided campus development from the start. With 2,000 students and 150,000 GSF of initial development, the campus began with low-slung buildings connected with covered walkways. The 1972 master plan acknowledged the large ecological preserve to the south, while preserving land for future expansion to the northwest. Pedestrian connections were also considered at 3 different points connecting the East Ridge back to the core campus.
The 1980s saw the introduction of on-campus housing, the construction of the library and the student life center. In the early 1990s, the decision was made to orient the campus to a “front door” along its west side with the construction of a large parking structure for campus visitors. The introduction of professional schools began with the Coggin College of Business and the Brooks College of Public Health. The 1995 master plan took a comprehensive approach to major expansion; the University purchased 150 acres to the north to extend their landholdings up to Central Parkway. This land has historically been used for athletics and recreation fields and facilities. Additionally, East Ridge expansion for residential use was studied while expansion to the south was intended to enhance the community interface between town and gown.
In the past decade, the University has developed beyond its core. Approximately thirty years after its inception, the campus totals over 1,100 acres, 16,640 students and 2.7 million GSF. Recently, the green north-south road was constructed as per the 2005 master plan to further complete the outer loop road network. UNF and Alumni Hall were acquired to shift administrative and development functions out of the campus core and construction on the East Ridge commenced with the Osprey Fountains 1,000 bed residence hall.
The University has recently completed construction of a new College of Education and the Student Union on the north side of the campus core. The campus is planning a new Recreation Center north of the Union which will address a significant need on campus.
Regional Context
Jacksonville’s city limits include almost the entirety of Duval County, making it the largest city in land area in the contiguous United States with 874 square miles. Consequently, the majority of Jacksonville's metropolitan population resides within the city limits, making it the most populous city proper in Florida. As of the census estimates of 2006, there were approximately 800,000 people in the city.
Jacksonville is located in the First Coast region of northeast Florida and is centered on the banks of the St. Johns River, about 25 miles south of the Georgia border and about 340 miles north of Miami. Jacksonville Beach is approximately 8 miles from campus and is a major destination for students in their off hours. UNF is bordered by Central Parkway to the north, Kernan Boulevard to the east, Florida Interstate 9A to the west and J Turner Butler Boulevard to the south. Florida State College is just across Beach Boulevard to the north and St. John’s Town Center is across 9A to the west.
UNF’s proximity to downtown Jacksonville provides opportunities to utilize local resources such as additional classroom space, cultural events and lectures with the ease of access for UNF students to visit MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art).
A total of 95% of UNF students are from the state of Florida;
45% are from Duval County and 50% are from other Florida counties.
Regional Natural Resources
The UNF campus is a significant part of the larger ecological system in the area. Wetlands cleanse, cool and slow stormwater, feed Pablo Creek, as well as providing a recreational, educational and research resource for the greater Jacksonville community.
Image: Regional Wetlands
Natural Systems
Uplands and Wetlands
The flora and fauna of UNF is unique to the North Floridian region and integral to the identity of the campus; it offers an intimate relationship with nature for faculty, staff, students and visitors. Less than half of the campus is developable, sitting on upland ridges of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Historically, the landscape formed as a series of gently sloping longitudinal ridges separated by relatively flat drainage sloughs. The wetlands found across campus are a series of delicate ecological environments with unique plant and animal species to be preserved. Wetlands filter rain and runoff to improve water quality; they also act as sponges to absorb and hold water during flood events, and recharge our groundwater to keep water supplies plentiful.
The entire campus is over 1,200 acres, with a large portion of that acreage set aside as a natural preserve enhanced with miles of the Robert W. Loftin nature trail system. Existing wetlands occupy 506 acres of land. Based on wetland limits including a 25’ buffer, conservation areas, drainage easements, and the UNF-designated conservation line from the 2005 Master Plan, only 471 acres or about 1/3 of UNF’s landholdings, are developable.
Image: existing conservation area, buildable sites
The University’s landholdings encompass 5 watershed areas, 2 of which comprise major drainage ways. Sawmill Slough and the other preserve areas on campus are vital to the natural systems "downstream" such as Pablo Creek and the Intracoastal Waterway. Gum Swamp to the West, and Sawmill Slough combined with Ryals Swamp to the north are the interfaces that mitigate the effects of urbanization on the Southside and Baymeadows area.
Conservation Zones
From the University’s inception, the idea of protecting the natural environment has been a core planning principle.