Preliminary Master Plan and Pedestrian / Site-Scale Design Foci
Consensus on the overarching ideas and physical forms described in the Conceptual Preliminary Master Plan led to the drawing up of the Preliminary Master Plan using standard dimensions for roadways, walkways, and parking lot layouts.
Preliminary Master Plan
Circulation and Wayfinding:
- Main entrance maintained and enhanced and the information booth remains in current location
- Nicolet Entrance changed to test the concept of a roundabout intersection for traffic control and de-emphasized as a visitor entrance
- Nicolet Entrance sign removed; entrance to be used primarily by daily campus traffic and during peak event periods
- Inner Loop Road forms a complete circle encompassing the campus core and academic buildings; located to the west of the Kress Events Center
- Traffic tables introduced where major pedestrian walks cross the Inner Loop Road
Parking:
- Parking lots expanded from existing lots whenever, wherever possible
- A 50-stall visitor parking area added to the main entrance
Utilities and Infrastructure:
- Buildings sited along existing utility corridor or adjacent to buildings already connected to the utility system
Context and Community:
- Bicycle lanes are added to entry drives into campus and are proposed along Nicolet Drive
- Land for future bicycle lanes reserved
- Roadway and circulation system designed to accommodate public bus transportation around campus
Building Opportunities:
- Academic building expansion sited in inner core along utility corridor with potential connection to concourse
- Housing expansion planned in existing housing village as infill and as one three-building pod over existing housing parking lot
- Non-traditional student housing pod located in southwest corner of campus overlooking Bay of Green Bay
- Kress Events Center footprint shown
- Addition to University Union explored as part of campus quad
- Potential retail development depicted in northeast corner of campus
Arboretum:
- Arboretum maintained and preserved outside of the Outer Loop Road
- Arboretum gateway maintained and preserved
- Green swaths of arboretum-like landscape introduced to the core of campus, particularly in the southern portion of the inner core
- Green belt preserved between existing housing village and academic core
Campus Entry:
- Entry accommodates an total of 187 visitor parking stalls
- Concourse connection between Cofrin Library and Student Services removed
- Re-designed campus quad and entry drive become one space
Sustainability:
- Density of academic buildings increased within campus core
- Distances for utility and other infrastructure connections minimized
- New buildings sited to maximize solar efficiency
- Proposed academic buildings expansion accommodated by adding on to existing facilities
- Density of housing village increased with proposed dorms
- Open space, habitats, and site ecology created and protected and extended into heart of campus as naturalized green space
- Buffer strips proposed for parking lots
- Urban heat island effect of asphalt paving reduced
- Storm water recharge areas
- Designated storm water recharge areas
- Hierarchy of multimodal transportation options
- Pedestrian circulation on foot throughout entire campus
- Bicycle circulation accommodated for present along major roadways
- Future bicycle lanes accommodated by easement
- City bus transit along Inner Loop Road
Pedestrian Design Considerations:
- Walkway and bicycle lane connections to surrounding community
- Walkway system enhanced within campus
- Walkways and bicycle lanes accommodated along the Inner Loop Road
- Bicycle lanes added as actual lanes or as land reserved along major entry points to campus
- Concourse system between existing buildings preserved
- Concourse connections between proposed buildings accommodated
- Introduction of exterior courtyards throughout campus
- Housing quads redesigned for pedestrians
- Pedestrian crossings at major intersections along Inner Loop Road
Preliminary Master Plan
The Preliminary Master Plan was created based on comments and feedback elicited at the Conceptual Master Plan development state. Elements took on specific shapes and parking lots included parking spaces and buffer strips. Some site-scale design elements were incorporated into this iteration of the plan. Click image for a larger version.
Site Specific Studies
The primary focus at this stage in the Master Plan development was to explore pedestrian and site-scale components of the design. A day-long series of presentations were held on campus in November 2004 to present these concepts. The workshop included a rendered Master Plan as well as the following site-scale design elements:
The Quad – A traditional campus space created by opening up a section of the concourse and allowing on-grade access to Student Services and University Union.
Weidner Center Parking Plaza – A primarily pedestrian plaza between Weidner Center and Studio/Theatre Arts that can be accessed by large vehicles (i.e. busses) during events.
Housing Pod Plazas – Flexible outdoor space in the center of housing pods is created by the removal of vehicular traffic circles and primarily green and unprogrammed in nature. Sidewalk widths would accommodate emergency/service vehicles and moving day traffic.
Retail Opportunity – A small four-unit retail development in the northeast corner of campus between the campus housing village and surrounding residential neighborhoods.
Workshop participants commented on the evolution of the Master Plan drawing as well as the site-specific design areas and pedestrian scale circulation systems. Support for the Master Plan was expressed and specific elements or areas of the Plan were modified to address comments.
Participants expressed general support for these site-scale design studies and it was determined that a more-extensive study of the entrance should be conducted to create a unified space that encompasses the idea of an entrance drive, campus quad, and Weidner Center parking plaza.