UBC Vancouver in 2050...
Guided by rich natural surroundings and Indigenous knowledge, the campus integrates natural systems and supports increased biodiversity. A network of connected green public spaces, courtyards, corridors, green roofs and places for respite and social connection work alongside academic and neighbourhood buildings. Indigenous plants and other features that embody Musqueam values create a sense of welcome to Musqueam territory. Biodiversity and ecological resilience are supported throughout the campus, including new tree canopy, rain gardens and green corridors for biking, walking and rolling.
Key Strategies
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Musqueam Values and Connection to the Land
Situated within Musqueam territory, there is significant historic and cultural importance of this land to Musqueam. More recently, deeper engagement with Musqueam and evolving knowledge of Indigenous practices and climate adaptive planting are shaping novel approaches to creating and enhancing the ecological, educational and social role landscapes play on the campus.
The entire Point Grey peninsula, including the UBC Vancouver campus, is culturally and ecologically important for Musqueam people. Musqueam and UBC will continue to work together to identify areas having significant value, enhance these places and Musqueam access to them, and will work together with Metro Vancouver to find ways to safeguard and enhance the health of the Pacific Spirit Regional Park ecology.
Peninsula Ecology and Biodiversity
Surrounded by Pacific Spirit Regional Park, UBC is part of a broader ecological and open space system within the region. As the campus grows and evolves, UBC’s open spaces will play a critical role in achieving ecological connectivity, supporting healthy and resilient natural systems and serving the needs of a growing population.
Within the UBC campus there are many green areas valued by UBC and Musqueam communities, but the vast majority are manicured landscapes that currently provide low ecological value (e.g., Main Mall and the Bosque). One notable exception is the UBC Farm research forest. Climate change poses risks for the peninsula’s biodiversity and ecology, including warmer temperatures, longer dry spells, wetter fall and winter seasons, more extreme precipitation, and more frequent and intense extreme weather events, which may alter where plants and animals can thrive.
UBC will work with Musqueam and UBC researchers to identify, protect, enhance and connect green areas on campus with surrounding forests and watercourses. This will elevate some current low-value habitat areas on campus to higher-value habitat and reinforce key ecological connections. The Vision also supports understanding and planning for climate change impacts on indigenous plants and natural assets at UBC Vancouver.
Landscape Corridors
The Vision establishes a system of landscape corridors that will extend the surrounding forest into and throughout the campus. Primary landscape corridors will provide major opportunities for ecological connectivity, rainwater management and movement of wildlife and people. Secondary corridors will connect and revitalize smaller green and open spaces within the campus core.
See the Landscape Corridors
Main Mall
UBC’s most prominent landscape will continue to be a major pedestrian promenade fronted by significant buildings, cultural spaces and public art. Over time, portions will transition to a more naturalized character and function, integrating indigenous plantings and features to honour UBC’s relationship with Musqueam, and offering areas for teaching, research and Indigenous ways of knowing . A potential landscape connection over Northwest Marine Drive could provide a major new open space opportunity, with expansive views over the Salish Sea, and increase the accessibility of the northern parts of the campus . Indigenous landscape qualities will prevail as Main Mall connects south to the planned ecological park in Stadium Neighbourhood and towards Wesbrook Place South.
West 16th Avenue
West 16th Avenue provides an opportunity to link significant natural open spaces between Pacific Spirit Regional Park in the east and UBC’s Botanical Garden and research forest in the west . These high value ecological areas include concentrations of tall trees and diverse habitat features. A treatment of West 16th Avenue provides the opportunity to connect them, allowing for species movement between these larger forested areas. Along Northwest Marine Drive and 16th Avenue, forested edges provide a green buffer that provides wildlife habitat and contributes to protecting Pacific Spirit Regional Park . These green edges also reinforce the experience of arriving to an urban campus set within nature.
Diagonal Connector
This new ecologically rich landscape will draw in the surrounding forest, linking leləm̓, UBC and Wreck Beach. New wetland and climate adaptive plantings will capture, clean and manage rainwater on site. This connector will provide people and wildlife passage across campus that is surrounded by nature.
East Mall
A revitalized East Mall will introduce large sections of indigenous plantings and enhanced ecological landscapes. At the north end, the corridor links the gateway at Southeast Marine Drive through to the revitalized Bosque at University Square. To the south, a green mobility corridor will enhance ecological diversity and prioritize pedestrians, transit and bikes.
University Boulevard
The University Boulevard corridor will increase Musqueam presence at this prominent gateway to the campus, building on the successes of the natural rainwater feature and double-headed serpent house post, sʔi:ɬqəy̓ qeqən. Landscapes along the corridor will feature indigenous plantings, Musqueam presence, native ecology and visible rainwater features.
A Network of Open Spaces
The Vision ensures that everyone on campus will be within easy walking or rolling distance to a network of open spaces that knit the campus together. Varying in size, function and character, these spaces will enhance health and wellbeing, community resiliency and biodiversity, and support new and innovative ways of learning.
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Ecologically-focused Open Spaces
These spaces connect existing forested and green academic areas along key corridors and around the campus periphery with new and enhanced green corridors to promote biodiversity and ecological health and increase Musqueam presence.
While these spaces are more natural in character, particularly at the interface with Pacific Spirit Regional Park, within the campus core they may contain formal plazas and programmable spaces, particularly as they intersect with areas of higher social activity.
Image: Artistic rendering of a revitalized Bosque as seen from East Mall.
(Photo credit: PFS Studio, Leckie Studio) -
Productive/Research Landscape
These landscapes support land-based research and teaching, including the Campus as a Living Lab initiative, in areas such as urban forestry, horticulture, ecosystem services, biodiversity and climate change. They also offer opportunities to integrate Musqueam knowledge and expertise, continue the tradition of and renew Musqueam practices, and incorporate traditional ways of knowing and caring (e.g., places where elders can teach youth about plants and harvesting).
At a smaller scale, these landscapes offer opportunities for community gardens and for cultivating native and harvestable plants throughout the academic campus and in neighbourhoods.
Image: UBC Farm, a productive landscape where land-based research takes place.
(Photo credit: Martin Dee, UBC Brand and Marketing) -
Recreation Fields
Outdoor recreation, sport and fitness are central to the health and wellbeing of students, faculty, residents and staff. UBC’s recreation fields enhance access to quality sport and recreation for those who learn, live, work and play on campus, while engaging communities in the life of the university. A key opportunity is the new Thunderbird Stadium, which will serve as a hub for athletic, recreation and residential community sport and engagement.
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Community-focused Open Spaces
A fine-grained network of human-scaled open spaces enables people to gather and socialize, nurturing social wellbeing and creating a sense of community identity. Community-focused open spaces include:
- Commons and community parks: larger spaces for the surrounding academic, student housing and neighbourhood population. These spaces offer open lawn, play areas and/or small recreation courts combined with more natural areas, seating and other features. They will facilitate a wide range of activities and programming, including: places for art, temporary exhibits, outdoor learning and places for cooking and gathering.
- Courtyards: intimately scaled spaces that function as “outdoor rooms” framed by the buildings around them. Future development will continue the pattern of internal courtyards that link spaces within the academic campus. Each courtyard will have a unique identity, character and programming linked to the specific users and communities within the buildings they serve, and provide visible connections to the broader open space network.
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Plazas, Pedestrian Areas and Streets
Some spaces are paved to allow flexibility for social gathering, pedestrian movement and events. They may feature public art and be co-located near active commercial areas and amenities. They will be designed to accommodate everyday informal uses such as sitting and people watching, small to medium-sized events such as farmers markets, community celebrations and informal play, and larger events such as concerts or community celebrations. These spaces offer opportunities to educate people about the land, including Musqueam history and traditions, as well as opportunities to familiarize the campus community with hən̓q̓əmin̓əm.