Comprehensive Environmental Policy Statement and the University Planning Office
The mission of the University Planning Office is to manage the creation of indoor and outdoor spaces that support and enhance teaching, research, and public services activities at the University of Oregon.
Several aspects of the Comprehensive Environmental Policy Statement fall within the scope of our mission. These include the design of the buildings and outdoor areas, the design of energy-using systems within buildings, and the development of transportation policies.
The UO planning philosophy that guides campus design requires that individual members of the university community have a meaningful voice in planning its physical aspects. This philosophy allows individuals to inject their own values (including concepts of sustainable growth) into the decision-making process. The most important step individuals and departments can take towards a sustainable future is to be active participants in the planning processes for new buildings and spaces on campus.
Our planning efforts have been particularly successful with regard to energy efficiency. All of our buildings built within the last ten years have received energy awards for their efficient design. Recent award winners include the Moshofsky Sports Center, the Knight Law Center, and the Student Recreation and Fitness Center.
Transportation policies are set by the Campus Planning Committee and are articulated within the Long Range Campus Development Plan. Policies within the plan include accommodating the travel needs of campus users, with special emphasis towards encouraging travel by means other than the car. In the last ten years the university has become nationally know for its innovative and successful methods for promoting alternative methods of travel to the campus.
Currently it is estimated that over 60 percent of all who come to the campus arrive by alternative methods of travel. By way of comparison, in the remainder of the Eugene- Springfield metropolitan area, only 25 percent use alternative modes to get to their destinations. Individuals concerned with the environment can have a great effect by simply choosing, whenever possible, methods of travel other than cars.
The university has many programs in place to encourage this, including the LTD bus pass system where all UO employees and students ride for free; the comprehensive system of available bicycle storage systems, such as covered racks and secured covered areas; the availability of housing on campus and near campus; and the Saferide and tandem taxi alternatives.
University Planning Office April 19, 1999