The Vision focuses on the physical development of the campus, both academic and neighbourhood lands. It addresses overall spatial layout and structure, relationships between land uses, development, and the ecological, social, cultural and physical requirements for a healthy, thriving campus community that supports the university’s academic mission.
Campus Vision 2050 Policy Context
The Campus Vision 2050 process included updates to two key policies— UBC’s Land Use Plan (LUP) and the Housing Action Plan (HAP). The LUP regulates campus development on both academic and neighbourhood lands and is adopted by the Government of British Columbia. The HAP is a UBC Board of Governors-approved policy to improve housing choice and affordability for students, faculty and staff. All land use planning decisions of the UBC Board of Governors must be consistent with the LUP.
Program Summary
The Vision provides the capacity for the UBC Vancouver campus to change and grow in support of the needs and aspirations of the university, the community and Musqueam. This includes: new academic spaces for teaching, learning, research and partnerships; new and replacement student housing; new neighbourhood housing, including rental and below-market rental for faculty and staff and for others who work on campus and support the community; and a comprehensive suite of amenities, services and infrastructure to support the future population.
Academic Space
The university’s academy is currently supported by approximately 16 million sq. ft. (1.5 million sq. m.) of built space on land designated for academic, green academic and ancillary uses.
The Vision identifies sufficient land capacity for new and renewed academic spaces needed to address basic infrastructure needs, such as current seismic and building condition deficiencies, and to respond to future trends in teaching, research, learning and engagement in support of UBC’s Strategic Plan and academic and enrolment planning. This includes at least 3.1 million sq. ft. (288,000 sq. m.) of additional space for core academic uses, including current capital priorities, and at least 1 million sq. ft. (93,000 sq. m.) for research partnership space expansion.
This approach is informed by historical growth and enrolment trends, discussion with deans and faculty heads, and a review of current capital planning priorities and supporting needs, such as student housing, recreation and child care.
Student Housing
UBC has the most student housing of almost any postsecondary institution in North America. Student housing has significant wellbeing, community-building and affordability benefits and is a financially sustainable investment in campus vibrancy and student success. Student housing is also one of UBC’s most significant contributions to regional housing affordability—students living on campus equal more than 10 per cent of the City of Vancouver’s rental housing supply. The Vision supports the Housing Action Plan target of building 3,300 more student housing beds as a priority, plus 1,000 beds to replace aging facilities and address seismic deficiencies, with timing and project delivery subject to demand, prioritization, financing and funding capacity. This will bring the total number of student beds on campus to 17,300. The Vision also identifies additional longer-term capacity through intensification of existing housing and/or new development.
Neighbourhood Housing
UBC’s neighourhoods have become well regarded by both residents and visitors alike as highly walkable, sustainable and amenity-rich environments. Over the last 30 years—since construction started on UBC’s first campus neighbourhood, Hampton Place—the university has developed 8.3 million sq. ft. (775,000 sq. m.) of neighbourhood housing. To support the needs and aspirations of the university and the community over the next 30 years, particularly in response to the housing affordability crisis, the Vision provides for a doubling of neighbourhood housing units beyond 2022 levels—8.1 million sq. ft. (756,000 sq. m.) of additional residential development, a 20 per cent increase above previous plans.