FAQ's
What is a Campus Master Plan?
The University of Pittsburgh Campus Master Plan is a living document intended to be a flexible framework for future development. It also serves as a strategic roadmap for campus-wide renewal and growth while balancing visionary goals with what can be realistically achieved and implemented.
Why is the University updating the Campus Master Plan?
To ensure continued alignment with the Plan for Pitt, Pitt Institutional Plans, University priorities, and the evolving higher education landscape, the Office of Planning, Design, and Construction (PDC) will oversee the process of assessing and renewing the Campus Master Plan (CMP), targeting a year-end 2025 rollout of an updated CMP.
The updated CMP will build from the strong foundation of the 2019 Campus Master plan (PDF) and the 2021 Institutional Master Plan and identify opportunities to enhance accessibility and inclusivity; streamline wayfinding and mobility; and imbue the campus with a stronger sense of place.
Five core ideas that are aligned with the underlying values of the Plan for Pitt will serve as a starting point for the CMP:
- A diverse, equitable, and inclusive place of academic and research excellence and innovation
- An enriching student experience
- A distinctive, welcoming, and attractive urban campus
- A more connected, outward-looking, engaged university
- A place that is resilient, sustainable, synergistic, and efficient
The CMP will also be informed by the vision and goals of the Oakland Plan that was adopted by the City of Pittsburgh in 2022 and the city-wide comprehensive planning effort that will unfold in parallel to the CMP process.
What is the Timeline?
The Campus Master Plan effort will occur over the next 21 months targeting a year-end 2025 rollout.
Will there be Opportunities for Engagement?
During this process, there will be multiple opportunities for community input and engagement. Pitt will provide quarterly updates to ensure a transparent process. More details will be released in Fall 2024.
What is the University’s Institutional Master Plan (IMP)?
An IMP is a formal, legally binding document submitted to the City of Pittsburgh by large institutions, such as hospitals and colleges that provides details related to City of Pittsburgh regulations, including building height and mass, parking, urban design and neighborhood compatibility.
The University of Pittsburgh IMP was approved in the summer of 2021 following the findings of the 2019 CMP.
The updated CMP will serve as the basis for the next IMP, which has to be approved by the city before July 2031. The CMP will abide by the current IMP, or if required, an IMP amendment will be proposed.
The next IMP will be developed with input from the community with multiple opportunities for meaningful community engagement.