Campus Master Plan

The 2008 master plan guided development for more than 15 years, but it is now time to look toward the next era of campus. The new Campus Master plan will offer a vision for growth and evolution in line with the university’s Impact 2030 goals around student success, research and innovation, and service and patient care. As a cornerstone of Salt Lake City, the university is also mindful of its broader role in the community, from addressing urban challenges to preparing for the 2034 Olympic Games.

Campus Master Plans are designed to guide planning, constructing, and facility maintenance for 10-20 years. They have a long-term lens that should buffer the need for major annual changes but should be maintained from year to year to stay in alignment with university goals. A master plan, approved by the Board of Trustees, is required by Utah Board of Higher Education Policy R706.

The master plan is a guide to steer the development of campus toward one unified mission and vision. It helps ensure the highest and best use of our limited real estate and financial resources. “Whatever you are doing, you should answer this question, ‘Is this consistent with the master plan?’” says Jim Russell, chief facilities officer. “That is how we ensure we’re taking the best path forward, with the best use of space and real estate. The master plan should tell us what each part of campus is being reserved for.”

In 1901, the University of Utah followed a master plan as it moved to its current location and built the first buildings on Presidents Circle. That plan was a strategy for what campus would look like for nearly a century. Updated master plans for the U were created in 1981, and then again in 2008. This is the fourth Campus Master Plan we have record of.

A Board of Trustees Campus Master Planning committee has been created to ensure that the plan is followed as individual building projects arise. The committee will have eyes on the master plan at all times and make sure that campus changes are consistent with the guidelines. In addition, last year, the university established a new Capital Approval Process for campus development projects that engages stakeholders earlier and ensures stronger project oversight. Every capital project ultimately must have the approval of the Senior Leadership Team, Board of Trustees, and the state.

This iteration of the master plan was started in 2023, beginning with a collaborative 14-month period of data gathering and community outreach. The campus planning team engaged more than 14,000 stakeholders including students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members. They hosted open houses and workshops, distributed surveys, and conducted transportation studies and analyses. The plan then went through extensive reviews for more than a year with senior leaders and the Board of Trustees Campus Master Planning committee, culminating in the plan getting approved at the August 2026 Board of Trustees Meeting. After that, it was shared with the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education.

A city’s master plan—also referred to as a general plan or long-range plan—establishes a vision for future land use. It helps align zoning regulations with current and anticipated development patterns, providing a framework for understanding and planning for the city’s growth needs.

A campus master plan serves as the physical expression of an institution’s vision, mission, and long-term goals. While the University of Utah functions in many ways like a small city, its Campus Master Plan has a more specialized purpose due to the University’s unique role as the owner, developer, and end user of its buildings, infrastructure, and open spaces.

The Campus Master Plan evaluates future development and how it will support mission-critical functions and strategic initiatives. It considers transportation systems, parking, utilities, stormwater infrastructure, sewers, building use, facility condition, and long-term space needs. Decisions about what the University may build are guided by state requirements as well as campus policies and standards. As a state entity, the University of Utah is exempt from zoning regulations.

The Campus Master Plan is a physical embodiment of the U’s growth strategies and growth targets. It includes what is above ground, below ground, parking, roadways, and more. Because the plan includes all of campus, it affects everyone, and that can create a lot of opinions on what paths should or shouldn’t be taken. Master plans generally don’t dictate what buildings will look like, or exactly how it will sit on a site, but they will determine how physical space can be used to meet the needs of the university. “It can be difficult to gain alignment on those goals and targets,” said Andrew King, director of campus planning. “Sticking to that plan is hard because desires can change quickly.”

The planning team looked at what differentiates the U, and the type of students we attract, from other institutions. This master plan takes the best of those differentiators and creates or enhances access to them. For example, one of our greatest assets is our access to world class recreation, including access to 100+ miles of trails from our own back yard.

Improving access to recreation, dining, entertainment and other student life activities are just some of the ways this plan helps to enhance the experience of students, faculty, staff, patients and visitors.

For 150 years the U has been a leader in providing worldclass learning, healthcare, and research. The implementation of this plan, and its subsequent updates, will pave the way for equally exceptional on-campus living, learning and working experiences.