2_A-principlesandstructureplan

Part II The Guiding Framework

Endowment Lands Master Plan

Trent University

Trent University’s Endowment Lands are fundamentally about embracing an opportunity to meet a series of interdependent objectives by applying the highest possible, design, organization and management principles throughout their development. These objectives include: •

to use the Endowment Lands to generate revenue for, and to otherwise support, the pursuit of the University’s mission;

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to enhance the character of the existing campus through the creation of supportive uses, and a “hub” for extracurricular and student life;

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to demonstrate exemplary development practices that embody the quality and standards to be associated with Trent University;

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to promote Trent University as a dynamic, changing, forward-thinking community in a serene rural-like setting.

To capture the imagination, all development will be rooted in four pillars that serve as the foundation to the overall success of the development of these lands: protecting and enhancing the natural setting, embracing the idea of smallness, celebrating excellence in contemporary architecture, and ensuring “complete” community planning.

The Vision Pillar One

Pillar Two

The Endowment Lands Master Plan identifies, and takes as a starting point, Trent’s natural setting as it’s most treasured and potentially rewarding asset. Nature Areas will be clearly defined and linked to preserve a natural framework around the campus. Trent University has sufficient developable land, and an abundance of green and natural areas to provide a context that serves to greatly enhance any proposed development.

In a world where bigger is often considered better, Trent University has created a niche by embracing the notion of its own smallness as one of its stronger assets. Smallness affords students exceptional access to faculty; it ensures a convivial environment on campus; and it attracts both students and faculty desirous of an intimate academic community to the institution.

Protecting & Enhancing the Natural Setting

Development of the Endowment Lands will continue to build upon the legacy of the existing, original campus, recognizing that its context is both tender and vulnerable. New buildings will have due regard for siting, recognizing that to err on the side of conservatism in scale is prudent. Thoughtless disregard for context will have a resounding impact – views and vistas ought to be generously protected and systematically enhanced. Urban design, too, must consider drumlins, terrain, drainage; developments will be designed in concert with the topography, capitalizing on it as an existing asset. The context surrounding the core campus, as it is reshaped with high quality development, will also become a more sustainable environment. University Villages will be compact and mixed in uses to facilitate walking rather driving. Developments will utilize porous surfaces that absorb storm water. Technologies will be introduced to promote and ensure high efﬁciency use of energy and natural resources.

Trent University - Endowment Lands Master Plan Part II: The Guiding Framework

Embracing the Idea of Smallness

The Endowment Lands Master Plan will respect, reinterpret and enhance smallness by generating developments that are, in scale and character, human scaled. Not only will the built form provide a hospitable pedestrian environment in its scale and conﬁguration, but proximities between uses will also serve to compress environments such that people will move with ease by walking and cycling. Retail spaces will serve to support small businesses; the architectural character of proposed developments will strive to reinforce the quaint nature and charm of the existing Ron Thom buildings.

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The Vision

Pillar Three

Pillar Four

People will come from afar to experience outstanding contemporary architecture assembled within a stunning setting, a scene that is exceptional to Canada, and maybe the world. Trent University will create an environment like no other, and will begin doing so by building upon one of its foremost assets – a distinct architectural expression and spirit that is captivating, and yet not widely celebrated. Although the development process will be demanding, the returns will be rich. New buildings will be created through design competitions that can allow architectural creativity to ﬂourish.

The Endowment Lands, through their development, will seek to nourish a stronger sense of place for Trent University by striving to offer “complete communities” that provide people with a broader range of the physical and social elements that they need in their lives. Currently, it is difﬁcult to purchase a coffee on campus in the late afternoon. In these walkable, pedestrian oriented communities, the amenities and services necessary to support neighborhoods and student life alike will be aplenty, and incentives will ensure that locally-owned businesses thrive. Clear linkages to the core campus will ensure ﬂuidity of movement from one environment to the other.

Celebrating Excellence in Contemporary Architecture

People who come to Peterborough will be astonished by the small town hospitality, the interesting specialty shops, the café on the canal, the intimate character and charm of the University’s residential Villages, and the extent of the research and development industries associated with one of North America’s top research universities. Visitors will be impressed with the interrelatedness of the core campus and its adjacent communities; many will stay an extra few days at the boutique hotel on the canal to soak it all in.

Ensuring a “Complete” Community

“Aging in place” will be possible, given the greater housing choices that will be available. These housing choices will also result in the reduction of travel time since students, faculty, staff and Peterborough residents who chose to live on the Endowment Lands will undertake their daily activities in a context that is amenable to, and designed for, pedestrianism. Students will walk to campus; faculty and staff will walk to work. Cleaner air will result. Inherently, these communities will be safe – lively, active uses combined with higher density developments will ensure that there are “eyes on the street.” The Endowment Lands present an opportunity to “complete” the Trent University campus by generating the commercial “village” envisioned by Ron Thom in his original Master Plan (1964) and by offering new, complete communities that provide sustainable, unique mixed-use urban environments. All kinds of people – young and old, locals and those from afar – will want to live, work and play on Trent University’s Endowment Lands. Why? For the quality of life it offers.

Trent University - Endowment Lands Master Plan Part II: The Guiding Framework

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Trent University Mission

Endowment Lands Mission Guiding Principles 1. Promote sustainable development

2. Respect the unique Trent context and setting

3. Protect the Nature Areas

Character Principles

4. Create high quality public space & architecture

5. Become a showcase of innovation

6. Promote connectivity

7. Enhance the University

8. Establish & empower a managing entity

9. Maintain long-term ownership

Operating Principles

10. Build on experience: seek pilot projects

11. Leverage value

12. Institute a 5 year review of these principles

Guiding Principles The following Principles have resulted from a review of the original Endowment Land Planning Guidelines written in 1991. Stemming from the Trent University Mission, they integrate many of the original objectives and include the addition of new principles that were identiﬁed through the course of the Master Plan process. Ultimately, it is the Board of Governors that is mandated with upholding these principles as The Trent Act gives them responsibility for the government, conduct, management and control of University property, including the Endowment Lands.

Trent University Mission Trent University aspires to be Canada’s outstanding small university known for its commitment to liberal undergraduate education in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences and to the centrality of the individual student. Within a collegial setting the University offers undergraduate and graduate programs, both traditional and inter-disciplinary, which seek to advance learning through the creative interaction of teaching and research of the highest quality. 47

Endowment Lands Mission The real property owned by Trent University and designated by the Board of Governors as “Endowment Lands” is to be used to generate revenue for, and to otherwise support, the pursuit of the University’s mission. Development of the Endowment Lands shall be in accordance with the following principles.

Guiding Principles

Trent University - Endowment Lands Master Plan Part II: The Guiding Framework

Character Principles 1) Promote sustainable development Trent University has a reputation for its leadership in environmental awareness and stewardship. Development on the Endowment Lands should embrace opportunities to integrate best practices related to environmentally sustainable development. 2) Respect the unique Trent context and setting The Endowment Lands frame the campus, thereby providing a unique and serene context. Development of the Endowment Lands should be respectful of and consistent with this rural character. 3) Protect the Nature Areas Trent’s Nature Areas are an asset of immense value to the University, the City and the region. Development of the Endowment Lands should maintain identified Nature Areas and protect their viability through sensitively integrated development. 4) Create high quality public space & architecture The campus at Trent University has a reputation for its high quality modern building design. Development of the Endowment Lands should build upon Trent’s legacy of high quality architecture, and enhance it with a high quality public space that provides pedestrian infrastructure. 5) Become a showcase of innovation The University should seek innovative developments which raise and complement Trent’s profile and serve as models of their kind both locally, nationally and internationally. 6) Promote connectivity Trent’s campus is made whole and coherent by the connectedness of its buildings, public spaces and natural features. Development of the Endowment Lands should strengthen the interconnectivity of various functions and campus zones such that the overall experience of the University is enhanced as a result of the development of the Endowment Lands. Strengthening pedestrian connections and further integrating natural areas are all strategies towards this end. 7) Enhance the University Campus facilities fulfill most of Trent’s academic needs but additional services and amenities in proximity to the campus would benefit the Trent community. Development of the Endowment Lands should also seek to address the needs of the students, staff and faculty in terms of ancillary uses and new building forms.

Guiding Principles Operating Principles 8) Establish & empower a managing entity In order to ensure a consistent flow of information and uniform representation of the University’s requirements and goals, a managing entity should be established for soliciting and evaluating proposals. Further, this entity should be charged with managing the on-going implementation of the development of the Endowment Lands, as per the principles of the Master Plan. The type of managing entity will be identified in the content of the Endowment Lands Master Plan as approved by the Board of Governors. 9) Maintain long-term ownership Trent University prefers to maintain ownership of core Endowment Lands and will consider long-term lease arrangements or similar means to capitalize on revenue generating opportunities. Trent University will only consider the sale of Endowment Lands where they are of significance to the long-term function, setting and enhancement of the Core Campus. 10) Build on experience: seek pilot projects In order to gain experience in the soliciting, evaluation and implementation of development projects, the University should pursue modest “first step” pilot projects. 11) Leverage value Strategically phased interventions have the capacity to greatly maximize the future value of land. Development decisions should seek to balance short-term needs with long-term potential, recognizing the interrelatedness of multiple goals such as increased revenue, University profile, and sustainability. 12) Institute a 5 year review of these principles In order to ensure that the Endowment Land Guiding Principles remain relevant and consistent with the needs of the University, they should undergo a review every 5 years. The review should be undertaken by the managing entity and presented to the Board of Governors for consideration and approval.

Trent University - Endowment Lands Master Plan Part II: The Guiding Framework

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A Natural Framework

A Lattice of Pedestrian Connections

A Campus Greenbelt

A DeďŹ ned Campus Precinct

A Campus & River Sensitive Design Area

A Ring of University Villages

Structuring Principles Over the course of the background review, stakeholder consultation and context analysis, six high-level structuring principles emerged. Within the context of all the University’s lands, these principles guide and shape the Structure Plan which provides the physical framework of the Endowment Lands Master Plan. A Natural Framework The University Lands shall be characterized by a series of linked Nature Areas, Waterways and Green Corridors. These will work to clearly define zones where no urban development is to occur and shall protect for a viable and sustainable natural framework around which the Endowment Lands shall be structured. A Lattice of Pedestrian Connections The University Lands shall comprise of a green “lattice” of pedestrian paths and recreational trails to enhance connectivity to all corners of the property. In developed areas this green lattice can be facilitated through the strategic design and location of open spaces, the preservation and/or incorporation of existing hedgerows, the extension of existing path systems, and within streetscapes. A Campus Greenbelt The University Lands shall form a “greenbelt” that protects and enhances the natural setting of the Trent campus. Defined by the four major drumlins of the campus valley and linked by Nature Areas, hedgerows, and open spaces, this greenbelt of natural and heritage landscapes shall encircle the Core Campus and serve as its backdrop. A Defined Campus Precinct The University Lands shall clearly define a pedestrianoriented Campus Precinct in keeping with the intentions of Ron-Thom’s original plan and supported in the updated Master Plan of 2001. This precinct will be defined by a tree lined parkway and a series of linked green areas that provide adequate room if growth is to occur, yet maintain the treasured compact and intimate scale of the campus. The scale of the precinct does not necessarily correspond to the anticipated growth of the University but ensures an abundance of amenity areas and a “green” campus setting

Trent University - Endowment Lands Master Plan Part II: The Guiding Framework

A Campus & River Design Character The University Lands shall preserve the unique character of the campus - as deﬁned by its rural and natural setting and by its contemporary architecture. In visible areas within the campus “valley” at entrances and along the Otonabee riverside, developments will be required to adhere to strict development and design guidelines which will carefully control the quality and nature of development to ensure their compatibility with the established character of these distinct areas. A Ring of University Villages The Endowment Lands shall respond to the need for revenue generation through the development of a series of autonomous, manageable and distinct University Villages. Removed from the core campus yet close enough to be accessible, these compact villages can include a variety of potential uses that can generate revenue while providing for potential amenities, services and housing that reinforce the University’s mission and enhance campus life.

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