McMaster University Campus Master Plan 2002 Updated Nov. 2008 by Urban Strategies Inc

McMaster University

Campus Master Plan 2002 Updated Nov. 2008

McMaster University

Campus Master Plan 2002 Updated Nov. 2008

Foreword McMaster Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s physical image must provide an appropriate reflection of our academic excellence. Our buildings, landscape and open spaces, and the community in which we are located, work together to provide an impression of the quality of the University, and the quality of the experience for students, faculty and staff. At McMaster, we have a wealth of wonderful features that contribute to a positive experience of the campus. The University began as a small grouping of buildings framing the Cootes Paradise ravine. These original buildings continue to form the images that we use in our brochures to attract new students, staff and faculty. The Central Mall is our gathering place, and one of the most memorable spaces on campus. The pedestrian nature of University Avenue is also a very important feature of life at McMaster. All of these places work together to make the McMaster Main Street campus a unique part of the wider Hamilton area. The McMaster University Campus Master Plan, originally prepared in 2002 and updated in 2008, is a very exciting opportunity to create a new, comprehensive framework to guide development on the campus. It promotes and preserves the qualities that make McMaster special, and provides a strategy for continued investment in the quality of the campus over time. This will become more and more important as new buildings continue to fill the campus. Developing new partnerships with the surrounding neighbourhood and the City of Hamilton, and nurturing our already established relationships, is an important theme of the Campus Master Plan. It encourages an open and sustained dialogue with our partners to ensure that McMaster continues to make positive contributions to the City. The Campus Master Plan promises to be an effective, flexible and practical tool for decision-making about the future of the University. We are committed to its implementation, beginning with the projects that have been identified as priorities for the campus. We would like to thank the Campus Master Plan Steering Committee for their guidance throughout the process of developing this plan, and to our planning and design consultants, Urban Strategies, Inc., and MMM Group, traffic, environmental and infrastructure consultants, for their excellent work. The plan captures the essence of McMaster, and reflects the wishes and concerns of the University and surrounding community. It offers the potential to make the McMaster campus a better place than it is today â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it is with great anticipation, therefore, that we present the Campus Master Plan to the McMaster community.

- The McMaster University Planning Committee and Planning and Building Committee v

MCMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

Acknowledgements The McMaster University Campus Master Plan and 2008 Update are the result of effort by many individuals. The original plan involved collaboration and consultation with many groups: the Campus Master Plan Steering Committee, the University Planning Committee, the Planning and Building Committee, the University Senate and the Board of Governors, the City of Hamilton, the Hamilton Street Railway, the Hamilton Conservation Authority, the Royal Botanical Gardens, and the many local residents and members of the McMaster community who shared their thoughts and comments. The collaborations and consultations provided valuable insight and suggestions, and served to create an inspiring, and at the same time realistic, Campus Master Plan. The 2002 Consultant Team: Urban Strategies Inc. Cyndi Rottenberg-Walker, Partner Warren Price, Associate Judy Josefowicz, Planner Gail Shillingford, Designer Michael Sraga, Artist Selma Hassan, Junior Designer Marshall Macklin Monaghan Transportation Jim Gough, P.Eng., Senior Project Manager, Transportation Planning Brian Titherington, B.Eng., Designer, Transportation Planning Environmental Jennifer Payne, P.Eng., Project Manager, Water Resources Farbod Saadat, Ph.D., P.Eng., Senior Geotechnical Engineer, Environmental Management Laurian Farrell, B.Sc., Water Resources

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The 2002 Campus Master Plan Steering Committee: Karen Belaire, Vice-President (Administration) Linda Axford, University Planner Roger Trull, Vice-President (University Advancement) Andrea Farquhar, Office of Public Relations, University Advancement Brian McCarry, Professor Stan Misiak, Physical Plant Bob Carter, Physical Plant Meaghan Stovell, Student Representative Evan Mackintosh, Student Representative Colleen Geiger, Hamilton Health Sciences Special thanks also to Kathy Kishimoto for administrative assistance. The 2008 Consultant Team: Urban Strategies Inc. Cyndi Rottenberg-Walker, Partner Warren Price, Senior Associate Emily Reisman, Planner Yvonne Yeung, Designer MMM Group Transportation Jim Gough, P.Eng., Senior Project Manager, Transportation Planning The 2008 Campus Master Plan Steering Committee: Karen Belaire, Vice-President (Administration) Roger Trull, Vice-President (University Advancement) Andrea Farquhar, Director of Public Relations (University Advancement) Brian McCarry, Professor, Chair of University Planning Committee Phil Wood, Associate Vice-President (Student Affairs) Barb Rabicki, Grounds Manager Tony Cupido, Assistant Vice-President (Facility Services) Terry Sullivan, Director (Security and Parking Services) Special thanks also to Kathy Kishimoto, and Lynne Taylor for administrative assistance.

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Table of Contents Part 1

The Vision for the McMaster Campus

Part 2

Background to the Campus Master Plan

2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4

Part 3

Certainty and Flexibility

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

3.1 3.2 3.3

McMaster University The Need for a Campus Master Plan An Inclusive Process Related Initiatives

Creating the Setting for Campus Growth and Evolution Certainty: Investing in a Permanent Campus Structure Flexibility: Policies and Criteria to Accommodate Changing Needs

9 10 12 14

17 17 22 24

Principles and Foundations for the Plan 4.1 4.2

Six Principles Foundations for the Plan and Key Moves to Achieve It

27 27 33

A Strategy for Access, Circulation and Parking 5.1 5.2

Access, Circulation and Parking Transportation Demand Management

46 56

Overall Policies for the Campus 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9

Accommodating University Growth and Evolution Range and Patterns of Use Heritage Preservation New Projects Open Spaces and Landscaping The Natural Environment Community Partnerships Transportation, Access and Circulation Parking and Servicing

63 64 65 66 67 69 71 72 75 78

Part 7

Area-Specific Policies for the Campus

Part 8

Realizing the Vision

Part 9

Implementation of the Campus Master Plan

Part 10

Appendices

7.1 7.2 7.3

8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5

9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7

The Core Campus The North Campus The West Campus

Describing the Potential Development Sites Land Use Priority Projects The Interim Plan

A Living Document Campus Master Plan Implementation Administering the Campus Master Plan Amending the Campus Master Plan Checklist for Project Formulation and Review Partnership Opportunities Ongoing Building/Landscape Improvements and Maintenance

Appendix A: Appendix B: Appendix C: Appendix D:

Glossary of Terms McMaster University Environmental Policies Revisions to the 2002 Campus Master Plan Landscape Design Competition

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79 79 92 96

101 101 102 102 107 110

113 113 114 115 118 119 122 123

125 127 133 141 153

List of Figures Part 1

The Vision for the McMaster Campus 1-A 1-B 1-C

The McMaster Campus Vision Compelling Places 2002 Vision Plan Drawing

Part 2

Background to the Campus Master Plan

Part 3

Certainty and Flexibility

3-A 3-B 3-C 3-D

Part 4

Heritage Buildings and Open Spaces

4-A 4-B 4-C 4-D 4-E

Part 5

A Strategy for Access, Circulation and Parking

5-A 5-B 5-C 5-D 5-E

2-A

Aerial View of the Campus (2007)

The Internal Campus Structure The Surrounding Structure Rethinking the Edge Structure Campus Structure

3 5 6

18 19 21 23

35 Important Landmark Buildings and Open Spaces 37 Extend the Relationships to Cootes Paradise 39 Extend the Experience of the Central Mall to the Campus Entrances 41 Pedestrian Routes 43 Campus Entrances

46 Pure Circulation Theory 47 Pedestrian Priority Circulation Theory 51 Potential Parking Plan 53 Vehicular Circulation Routes 59 Campus Bicycle Routes

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Part 7

Area-Specific Polices for the Campus

7-A1 7-A2 7-A3 7-A4 7-B 7-C

Part 8

Realizing the Vision

8-A 8-B 8-C

Cootes Paradise Core Campus – East Core Campus – South Core Campus – West North Campus West Campus

Development Sites Alternate Option for West Campus Interim Plan

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83 85 87 91 93 97

103 108 111

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Executive Summary The Vision for the Campus Imagine the McMaster University campus in the year 2030, reflecting the Vision elaborated in the Campus Master Plan. The campus is like a village, integrated with a dynamic surrounding community. The wonderful and intimate qualities of the historic heart of the campus, with its collegiate-style buildings, formal open spaces and ravine setting, have been extended to the edges of the campus. What used to be a sea of surface parking has now become a series of well designed new buildings, open spaces, and new compelling places that connect to each other and enhance the image and amenity of the University. The walkability of the campus is enhanced with pedestrian-friendly street systems containing comfortable sidewalks, trees, lighting, landscaping and seating. Pedestrian and bicycle routes have been extended, allowing access to and through all parts of campus. West Campus is an active part of the University, well integrated with Central Campus and providing a strong sense of place and significant open spaces. The Vision for the campus, and the new compelling places it creates, are described in Section 1 and illustrated in Figures 1-A through 1-C.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Need for a Campus Master Plan The Campus Master Plan was originally prepared in 2002 at a time when the University was anticipating a tremendous amount of change to accommodate enrolment increases between 2002 and 2006. This growth was realized in a short period of time and five years later the Plan is being updated to recognize those changes and ensure plans and policies continue to be relevant for the next wave of growth and change. In the next five years expansion of the University’s research enterprise is expected to create the need for additional space. This has highlighted a need and an opportunity to consider the campus as a whole, and to develop a comprehensive Campus Master Plan that will provide an overall physical framework for campus growth, evolution and renewal. The Campus Master Plan outlines a 30-year vision for the campus. It will continue to be reviewed and updated regularly to ensure that it remains current and relevant to McMaster’s needs, in support of the University’s Academic Plan.

An Inclusive Process The original 2002 Campus Master Plan was created through an inclusive process involving the University community; the local community; City politicians and staff; the Hamilton Street Railway; the Hamilton Conservation Authority; and the Royal Botanical Gardens. Throughout the planning process, the Campus Master Plan Steering Committee, the Office of the Vice President (Administration), the University Planner, the University’s Board of Governors, the University Planning Committee, and the Planning & Building Committee provided invaluable guidance in the formulation of the plan and implementing procedures.

Related Initiatives There are a number of planning initiatives that are currently underway or anticipated that are closely related to the University’s Campus Master Planning exercise. They include:

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•

the President’s Advisory Council on Community Relations (PACCR), which is the university’s primary community liaison committee and a venue for ongoing two-way communication. It include representation from the Westdale/Ainslie Wood community, City of Hamilton staff and political representatives, McMaster University staff, faculty and students. A Community Report newsletter is published regularly updating members of PACCR on areas of common interest.

•

the Campus Town Association, created in 2005. It includes representatives from McMaster University, Westdale Village BIA and the Ainslie Wood Westdale Community Association of Resident Homeowners to

work on ways to build a more balanced neighbourhood with engaged residents, including both homeowners and students. The association has consulted widely and has developed a list of priorities, including promoting the West End as a good place to live.

â&#x20AC;˘

the on-going initiatives of Hamilton Health Sciences, which is responsible for day-to-day operations and long term planning for the hospital function of the McMaster University Medical Centre, an integral part of the McMaster Main Street Campus.

Creating the Setting for Campus Growth and Evolution The internal campus structure (Figure 3-A), which includes the Central Mall, Scholarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Road, College Crescent, and the existing University Avenue, provides a very strong setting and a logic for the placement of buildings and open spaces. Each building has been oriented to relate well to the streets, Cootes Paradise, or the Central Mall. This has created a series of attractive places, and is the part of the campus that people value and relate to the most. By contrast, the campus edges (Figure 3-B) have less of an organizing structure. There is no logical pattern for pedestrian and vehicular circulation networks. There is no framework to help guide the creation of attractive new places and new areas for campus expansion. This is extremely significant, because it is in the edge areas that much of the campus growth and evolution will occur. Creating a structure for the edges of the campus (Figure 3-C) involves extending the strong system of primary streets and open spaces found in the internal campus to growth areas in the edges.

Certainty: Investing in a Permanent Campus Structure Following the example of successful cities and towns, the campus needs a system of streets and open spaces that does not change, even as buildings are renovated, become larger, change use, or are replaced. This system becomes the permanent structure and represents certainty that there will always be a consistent, attractive, functional and logical pattern of vehicular routes, walkways and bikeways, and open spaces that ensure the ongoing quality of the campus. For McMaster, creating a permanent structure involves maintaining and extending the network of circulation routes and open spaces that connect important places within the campus and surrounding community. Figure 3-D illustrates the permanent campus structure.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Flexibility: Policies and Criteria to Accommodate Changing Needs A successful Campus Master Plan will balance the certainty of the permanent campus structure with flexibility to allow the plan to respond to changing needs, priorities and resources. The plan provides for flexibility within the development blocks defined by the permanent campus structure. Within these blocks, the University can develop different types of uses, buildings and landscapes as appropriate, guided by the policies established in the plan.

Six Principles The vision for the campus is based upon six principles, which reflect the values and priorities expressed by the members of the McMaster community and its neighbours.

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Principle 1: McMaster’s Main Street campus will be the focus for future growth and evolution. This supports the University’s academic mission and strong interdisciplinary culture. It means continued intensification of Central Campus and active use and development of the lands on West Campus. This principle does not preclude the expansion of the University’s reach by establishing satellite campuses.

•

Principle 2: The Campus Master Plan will be a living document that is practical and visionary, permanent yet flexible. This principle entails the development of clear yet flexible project review processes to ensure that decisions benefit and enhance the campus as a whole. Regular plan reviews and updates will ensure that polices and objectives remain relevant over time.

•

Principle 3: McMaster will have a pedestrian-focused campus that is accessible and user-friendly for all persons, regardless of their physical abilities. This supports McMaster’s intention to maintain a pedestrian focus, by redesigning pedestrian spaces, bicycle spaces and vehicular spaces on campus. The pedestrian focus will work toward full accessibility for those with mobility challenges.

•

Principle 4: The setting and image of the campus will be enhanced and maintained at a high level of quality. This entails preserving the high quality setting of buildings and natural and formal open spaces in the heart of the campus, and extending it to create attractive new places in all parts of the campus.

•

Principle 5: The campus will be planned to achieve a high level of sustainability and environmental stewardship. This principle recognizes the importance of McMaster’s beautiful and ecologically significant natural setting, and encourages the University to be a leader in environmental stewardship of its open spaces and surrounding environment and in and sustainable development of its campus.

•

Principle 6: The campus will function as a village and a partner within the larger community. McMaster has the opportunity to continue to evolve as a village-like environment for a full variety of learning, working, living and recreational activities. The village model will build on the community spirit within the campus and promote a sense of place for the neighbourhood and district.

Foundations for the Plan and Key Moves to Achieve It In addition to the six principles, there are five very strong features that provide the foundations for the plan and a basis for key moves that will strengthen and protect important places. The key moves set the stage for campus growth and evolution by creating the permanent campus structure, as follows: •

Key Move 1: Preserve historic and important landmark buildings and open spaces. Preserve the important historic buildings and open spaces, and create more places like them. (Figure 4-A)

•

Key Move 2: Extend the relationship to Cootes Paradise. Continue the wonderful relationship between the campus and Cootes Paradise through the sensitive construction of new buildings beside the ravine, and extend this relationship to the West Campus. Reintroduce the ravine into the campus edges, through appropriate landscape materials and pedestrian connections. (Figure 4-B)

•

Key Move 3: Extend the experience of the Central Mall to the entrances of the campus. Extend the structure of the Central Mall and its surrounding streets and buildings to provide a setting for new development and infill, and to extend the experience of the heart of the campus out to its entrances. (Figure 4-C)

•

Key Move 4: Create a full circulation network that is pedestrian-oriented, universally accessible and user- friendly. Continue to restrict vehicular traffic in the heart of the campus. Create a full network of routes to maintain the walkability of McMaster as it grows, to improve safety, convenience and amenities, and improve accessibility for the mobility-challenged. (Figure 4-D)

•

Key Move 5: Create attractive and memorable campus faces. Improve the campus edges and access points. Enhance University-community partnerships that encourage mutually supportive initiatives, and the sharing of resources and amenities to reinforce the campus as an integral part of the community. (Figure 4-E)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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A Strategy for Access, Circulation and Parking As the University intensifies, the pressures on its transportation infrastructure will increase. The Campus Master Plan identifies a strategy that will accommodate the campus’s transportation demands as it grows and evolves over the next 30 years, recognizing the need to control the impacts of this growth on the surrounding neighbourhoods. The recommended circulation network is shown in Figure 5-A. Pedestrian routes are illustrated in Figure 5-B. Figure 5-C illustrates parking areas. Pedestrian priority in the heart of the campus and accessibility and convenience for all campus users throughout the campus are important characteristics that the University wishes to enhance. The strategy restricts vehicle use on University Walk and Scholar’s Road to create a pedestrian priority area within the internal campus. Primary vehicular focus remains at the Main Street and Cootes Drive and Sterling Street entrance points. Traffic calming design measures are applied where appropriate. The amount of parking accessible through the Sterling Street entrance will be capped at the current level, and will be limited to everyday University users and special visitors only. This will minimize the impacts of University traffic accessing the campus through the neighbourhood surrounding Sterling Street. The majority of future parking will be focused in zones accessed from Main Street and Cootes Drive; these will be made more convenient through shuttle bus service. Parking fees will reflect the cost of providing parking, to enable construction of underground parking and parking structures, and will be higher in areas with greater proximity to the heart of the campus. The campus parking supply will include adequate parking spaces for those with special needs, and will meet City by-law requirements. Initiatives should be undertaken by the University to promote the use of alternate transportation modes – transit, walking, cycling, roller blading and carpooling – to reduce the burden of cars on the campus and neighbourhood transportation and parking network and promote a healthy lifestyle within the University community.

Overall Planning Policies for the Campus The overall planning policies for the McMaster Campus follow from the six principles and five key moves. In all cases, the policies are intended to reflect the intent of the University’s Environmental Policies, the City of Hamilton’s Official Plan and Zoning By-law, the principles of Hamilton’s Vision 2020 document, and the planning and environmental policies of the Hamilton Conservation Authority and Royal Botanical Gardens. The overall policies are supplemented by more specific policies for distinct areas of the campus. They relate to the following themes: •

MCMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008 - DRAFT

Accommodating University Growth and Evolution New development and infill will continue to be accommodated on Central and West Campus, to provide up to a maximum of 2 million square feet of building area over the next 30 years. While the University is not

expected to grow this much, there is no guarantee that additional space will not be required. Needs may change over time as teaching methods change, new programs are added, or partnerships are created with related uses and institutions. It is prudent, therefore, to have a plan in place to ensure there is a structure to accommodate growth if it does occur. Should the University not grow significantly, the Campus Master Plan can provide the basis for reinvestment in the campus, and renewal and enhancement of its open spaces and edges. •

Range and Patterns of Use The campus will be a full-service environment for learning, living, working and playing, to provide a well- rounded university and community experience. Priority will be given to uses that are core to McMaster’s academic mission. The importance of supporting uses such as athletics and recreation, housing, shared community facilities, and facilities related to other partnerships, will also be recognized to promote the village model.

•

Heritage Preservation The campus’s important places, including its historic structures, important building facades, quality of relationships between buildings and open spaces, courtyards and Central Mall, will be preserved. New buildings, additions, landscaping or streetscaping initiatives in the older part of the campus will be reviewed to ensure an appropriate fit with the existing image and palette of materials.

•

New Projects Planning for all projects will be subject to a clear yet flexible implementation process and will be actively coordinated with other initiatives throughout the campus, in particular those in proximity of each other, to begin to create places rather than projects. All projects will contribute to and reinforce the campus structure of streets and open spaces.

•

Open Spaces and Landscaping All building projects will include landscape design and funding to contribute to the beauty of the campus landscape, which will be unified through a consistent palette of landscape materials. Important green spaces will be preserved. The University should develop a Landscape Master Plan to implement the compelling places and priority landscape projects identified in this Campus Master Plan.

•

The Natural Environment The University will be a leader in the management and stewardship of its environment, which includes both landscaped and naturalized places. McMaster will work to promote waste reduction, improve natural habitat and ecological integrity, and engage in stormwater management on campus. It will be a leader in sustainable

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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development through the implementation of the University’s Sustainable Building Policy, and an overall University Sustainability Strategy.

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Community Partnerships The campus will continue to be a place that serves different communities in different ways and will be a resource for many groups from the local neighbourhoods and the wider city/region. Physical interfaces and connections with the city and the surrounding community will be improved. The University will be open in its planning and communication with surrounding communities.

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Transportation, Access and Circulation The campus transportation system will support the University’s vision for the future, while enhancing the valued pedestrian priority in the heart of the campus and respecting its neighbours. The entrances will be made more functional and attractive for improved access and to better announce the arrival to the University. They will be designed with priority for pedestrian/cyclist amenity and safety. Pedestrian and bicycle routes will be improved throughout the campus.

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Parking and Servicing A range of parking “products”, including pockets of parking and short-term spaces close to buildings, surface lots, structures and parking under new buildings, will be provided throughout campus. Service areas for new and existing buildings will be designed to minimize conflicts with pedestrian networks, reduce visual impacts, and minimize the use of University Walk and Scholar’s Road by service vehicles.

Area-Specific Policies for the Campus The Core Campus The Core Campus boundaries are defined roughly by Cootes Paradise and the University Centre to the north, Forsyth Avenue, Main Street and Cootes Drive. The policies (illustrated in Figures 7-A1, 7-A2, 7-A3 and 7-A4) enhance the Core Campusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attractive image, and include guidelines for new development and infill that reinforce its strong structure. They focus on preserving historic buildings and landscapes, the Central Mall, achieving pedestrian priority, maintaining green spaces, and on creating a cohesive image. The North Campus The North Campus is the area north of the University Centre. It includes the athletic precinct, and a large amount of surface parking. The policies (Figure 7-B) strengthen the area as an academic, residential and/or athletic district with new streets and open spaces that provide a structure for new development and infill. Two significant landscaped streets will provide view corridors within the North Campus: Stearn Drive will provide a view between Cootes Paradise, Edwards Quad and the Mayfair Oval, while a new north-south street, Marauders Walk, will provide a view from Marauders Plaza and the stadium, north to Cootes Paradise and the residences. The West Campus The West Campus is currently comprised of a few buildings, surface parking, baseball diamonds, and a beautiful natural landscape. The policies for the West Campus (Figure 7-C) preserve its function as the location for the majority of the campusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parking while creating a strong sense of place, a critical mass of buildings, and connection with Central Campus. Playing fields and a formal open space, along with improvements to Ancaster Creek and connections to the surrounding trail system, provide an attractive setting for this part of the campus. Describing the Potential The Campus Master Plan provides for the development of up to 2 million square feet of building area over 30 years. This translates into an addition of 55% more floor space than exists today, assuming an average new building height of 4 to 6 storeys. While the University is not currently planning for enrolment increases, the Campus Master Plan recognizes that there may be other drivers for growth, particularly related to research and innovation. The plan therefore provides a comprehensive framework to accommodate development. If growth rates slow over the planning period, the plan will establish the basis for campus reinvestment and evolution.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Development Sites Future campus development sites are defined by the permanent structure of streets and open spaces. Throughout the campus, surface parking lots are recognized as potential future development sites. The permanent campus structure will be implemented incrementally through individual projects, including the development of new buildings, landscaping of open spaces, infrastructure improvements, ongoing maintenance and retrofits. Even temporary facilities will begin to implement the campus structure, to ensure that preliminary investments in new streets, landscaping and pedestrian connections are carried forward. Figure 8-A illustrates the potential development sites identified for the next 30 years. Land Use While the development sites have the flexibility to accommodate whatever uses are required by the University, the Campus Master Plan recommends that existing land use patterns be strengthened by concentrating academic growth in the Core Campus, encouraging any residential growth to occur along Cootes Paradise, maintaining athletic facilities and playing fields in the North Campus with additional space on West Campus, and maximizing parking on West Campus. There are approximately 6.2 ha of land on West Campus that are developable. However, there are issues related to the load-bearing capacity of the soils that may constrain the kinds of buildings that can be developed and/or increase their construction cost. Therefore, lands in the Core and North Campus should be valued highly, and used wisely and efficiently. Priority Projects There are a number of projects that have been prioritized for early implementation, demonstrating a commitment to the campus planning policies. In each case, the University would prepare a Project and Design Brief, a document prepared at the outset of the projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s formulation, outlining the projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design goals and program requirements. The University would also work with stakeholders to develop detailed project designs that meet Campus Master Plan objectives. The priority projects include preparation of a comprehensive Landscape Master Plan; redefinition of the portion of University Avenue between College Crescent and Scholars Road to create the University Walk pedestrian priority area and associated landscape improvements to the Central Mall; further refinement of the Main Street West Entrance and University Gates; creation of Students Walk, a north south street connecting the Sterling Mall to Stearn Drive with the potential for a transit turn-around; the Mayfair Oval playing fields and landscape buffer; and the new West Campus surface parking lots and associated elements of the proposed campus structure.

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An Interim Plan The interim plan (Figure 8-C) illustrates the potential implementation of the campus plan polices over the next 10 years. It places the development projects and surface parking areas that are currently planned in the context of the permanent campus structure, in order to begin to implement the campus structure and create the compelling places identified in the Campus Master Plan. It illustrates a number of new buildings, as well as surface parking lots that are configured to create connections and open spaces that will be preserved and enhanced by future development.

Implementation Administering the Campus Master Plan A comprehensive project formulation, review and approval process is proposed, to supplement the present system of project management and approval undertaken by the University. The process will include the following: •

Checklist for Project Formulation and Review The Checklist for Project Formulation and Review will be a key tool in shaping and evaluating all projects, to ensure that they conform with the provisions of the Campus Master Plan. The Checklist contains the following categories for evaluation:

• • • • • • • • • • •

•

Preparation of a Project and Design Brief. This document will be prepared by the project proponent and will describe how it complies with and/or varies from the Campus Master Plan.

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Preliminary Planning Report. A Preliminary Report will be prepared that evaluates the proposal. At this stage, synergies with other proposals will be explored, and undesirable designs that disrupt the campus structure will be identified.

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Status and Final Reports. Status Reports and/or a Final Report documenting the evolution of the project will be prepared at appropriate intervals in the process.

Project Cost/Business Plan Fit with the Principles, Policies and Figures of the Campus Master Plan Use and Location Relationship to Campus Structure Fit with Area-Specific Design Goals Fit with Design, Landscape and Architectural Standards Accessibility and User-Friendliness Coordination with Other Current or Anticipated Projects Servicing/Infrastructure/Resource Requirements Environmental Impacts City Site Plan Approval and Heritage Permits

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Public Information Sessions/Community Open Houses The University will host public information sessions on major projects and significant amendments to the Campus Master Plan. Amending the Campus Master Plan There are two primary ways in which updates/amendments to the Campus Master Plan will be identified: through an Annual Report that evaluates whether the policies and objectives are being achieved, to ensure that the document remains relevant over time; or to implement proposed projects that may not be suggested in the current Campus Master Plan but are deemed positive for the University. Partnership Opportunities The University should foster partnerships with a variety of institutions that can help provide funding or expertise to achieve mutual goals. These would assist in implementing projects, and would reinforce the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role as a partner in its community. Ongoing Building/Landscape Improvements and Maintenance The University should develop mechanisms that connect individual projects to improvements for the larger campus setting, such as contributing a percentage of the budget for all capital projects to a central fund for campus improvements, or requiring all projects to undertake improvements to adjacent streets and open spaces. Protecting the Campus Setting While it is one thing to raise funds for the development of specific campus projects, the more mundane aspects of ongoing maintenance can get overlooked. Consideration should therefore be given to allocating a portion of the funding for new projects to a special fund for ongoing maintenance of campus buildings and landscapes.

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PART 1 THE VISION FOR MCMASTER UNIVERSITY

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The Vision for the McMaster Campus

Imagine the McMaster Main Street campus in the future, responding to the Campus Master Plan (Figure 1-A). The campus is like a village, integrated with a dynamic surrounding community. There is a balance of academic and research uses, recreational facilities, student amenities, and open spaces that are used by students, faculty, staff, and the surrounding neighbours. It is an attractive and inspiring place in which to learn, work, live and play. The campus village has fostered a strong community spirit, both within the campus community itself and in the surrounding neighbourhood, where stewardship and pride of place are integral features of the whole McMaster-Westdale-Ainslie Wood area. The campus is also a point of pride for the larger city. Its world-class facilities make it an important asset for the wider Hamilton region. Technology and health care research start-up companies are thriving as a result of research taking place on the Main Street campus and in the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s incubator spaces in the nearby Innovation Park. Links through the campus grounds to recreational trails and the Royal Botanical Gardens make the campus a perfect place for weekend hiking and nature walks. The wonderful and intimate qualities of the historic heart of the campus, with its collegiate-style buildings, formal open spaces and ravine setting, have been extended through campus to its edges to replace what used to be a sea of surface parking. The heart of campus now boasts well designed new buildings, open spaces, and a series of new compelling places1 that connect to each other and enhance the image and amenity of the University (Figure 1-B). These spaces on campus have a special and memorable quality, and are focal points for the campus, both in its interior and at its interfaces with the surrounding city. 1

Italicized terms throughout the document are defined in Appendix A, Glossary.

PART 1 THE VISION FOR MCMASTER UNIVERSITY

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The walkability and accessibility for all users of the campus is enhanced with user-friendly street systems containing sidewalks with extensive Urban Braille features, trees, lighting, landscaping and seating. Pedestrian and bicycle routes to campus and within it have been extended and improved, allowing access to the athletic complex in the North Campus, better connections in the south part of campus, convenient crossings to West Campus, and better access from the surrounding community. A new transit terminal, connected to the campus shuttle which continues to serve the parking on West Campus, has encouraged more people to arrive by bus, reducing the reliance on cars. The campus shuttle service meets the needs of the driving members of the McMaster community, who now park primarily on West Campus. The majority of faculty, staff, students and visitors to campus travel via sustainable modes (transit, walking, cycling, or carpooling). Transit services provide high capacity, reliable access to campus in a manner that supports the pedestrian-priority core of campus. In the historic core of the Central Campus, the grand Central Mall and surrounding buildings form the heart of the campus village. The landscaping on the Central Mall has been enhanced, and new pedestrian-scale lighting, wider sidewalks, narrower streets, trees, and an improved balance between pedestrian and service/transit vehicles has been achieved along the former University Avenue, now known as University Walk. These changes have made the Central Mall area a very special precinct. Sensitive additions, small new buildings and reclaimed courtyards between buildings have made the core of the Central Campus, to the east and west of the Central Mall, an even more pleasant environment. The landscaped building forecourts along Sterling Street and courtyard spaces between the science buildings are quiet places for enjoying the outdoors. To the north of the Mall, Edwards Quad and University Hollow continue to provide a beautiful setting for relaxing, contemplating, meeting, or studying. New student housing has been built along the Cootes Paradise edge, reinforcing the strong pattern of residential buildings nestled along the natural ravine setting. In the North Campus, new buildings are arranged around pedestrian-friendly streets and open spaces that have been extended from the heart of the campus, establishing a logical pattern for new development that creates not only buildings and courtyards, but places that have a distinctive quality. The athletic buildings have been consolidated, with nearby access to the Ten-Acre field, and new landscaped streets provide views to Marauders Plaza, the stadium, and the Mayfair Oval. The Mayfair Oval is an active recreational area, used by the University and the community. Plantings on the east side of the Oval serve as a landscaped edge for the campus. The landscaping continues to the north to create Mayfair Arboretum and to the south to create Mayfair Grove, significant treed areas that preserve important existing trees and extend the surrounding ravine vegetation into the campus. All along the eastern edge of the campus, new trees and landscaping have further extended the ravine system into the campus and created a naturalized buffer between the University and its neighbours.

The formal and natural landscapes on campus are highly valued. 2

MCMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

The McMaster Campus Vision Figure 1-A

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PART 1 THE VISION FOR MCMASTER UNIVERSITY

The entrance to the campus at Sterling Street has been enhanced to serve as both a wonderful pedestrian-focused street, the Sterling Street Mall, and a gateway to the north part of the campus. It features a new plaza, beautiful landscaping and attractive new buildings facing the street. Further south, King’s Gates and Walk has been preserved to provide a safe, attractive and more welcoming pedestrian-only entrance and connection to campus from King Street, north of the McMaster Medical Centre. To the north of the Sterling Street Mall, a new pedestrian priority street, Students Walk, links Mills Memorial Library, the Student Centre and the De Groote School of Business with the athletic facilities.

New Engineering Building (provided by Vermeulen Hind Architects)

The south part of the campus now serves as an important access for visitors to the University, with a beautifully designed and reconfigured front entrance at Main Street. This entrance, called the University Gates, includes special landscaping and gateway markers to announce arrival at the campus, as well as improved visitor orientation and a Welcome Centre where visitors can obtain information about the campus. The entrance is in keeping with McMaster’s role as a landmark institution on Main Street. The University Gates entrance provides a lovely view north along University Avenue, alongside the hospital, to the historic core. Further west, the intersection of Main Street and Cootes Drive has been transformed to create attractive, safe and convenient pedestrian access to campus. The result is McMaster Lawn, a pedestrian gateway with connections through new buildings and courtyards in the south part of the campus to the core. The campus’s western edge has been improved through landscaping and the planting of new trees, and connections to the west have been improved. The College Gates, at the intersection of Cootes Drive and College Crescent, is a landscaped, safe access point for pedestrians and bicycles. Further north, the landscaped Scholar’s Gates join the northwestern edge of the Central Campus to the West Campus, at Westaway Road.

Landscape Plan Perspective (provided by Fleisher Ridout Partnership Inc.)

The West Campus is no longer a separate place; it is well integrated with the Central Campus through the strategic placement of multi-purpose buildings into the hill at the Westaway Road bridge. These buildings provide an indoor transition between the higher level of the bridge and the lower level of the Westaway Gates and Plaza, an entrance plaza and important gathering place for both sides of the campus. The new Dundas Gates create an additional access point to the West Campus. A significant open space and recreation area, Ancaster Creek Flats, contains active playing fields and is connected to the surrounding recreational trail system and the more natural area surrounding the rehabilitated Ancaster Creek. While the surface parking lots that existed on Central Campus have been replaced by parking beneath new buildings and a parking structure at College Crescent and Cootes Drive, West Campus has expanded its parking capacity to serve the majority of regular campus users. ***

King’s Walk is a very successful landscape initiative that was completed in 2001. 4

MCMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

Achieving the Vision for the McMaster campus will require time and a new approach to planning at the University, one that is open and rigorous in its adherence to the principles and policies contained in this Campus Master Plan. A path is laid out in the remaining pages of this document. Regular updates to the Plan will ensure that the Vision is realized over time in a manner that continues to serve the needs of the University.

Compelling Places Figure 1-B

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* Red numbers indicate projects that have been recently completed or are in progress

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PART 1 THE VISION FOR MCMASTER UNIVERSITY 0

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It is important to note that the Vision as illustrated in Figure 1-A illustrates the potential of the campus in 30 years’ time from 2002, based on the assumption that the University will continue to grow at the rate at which it has been growing since the 1960s. The Vision provides for, but does not necessarily anticipate significant growth: the shapes and sizes of new buildings and building expansions illustrated on the maps included throughout this document are suggestions only. These building forms have been used to illustrate the types of development that may occur, and the appropriate placement of new buildings and open spaces within the campus, as proposed and elaborated by the policies contained in this document. The Campus Master Plan therefore lays out the overall objectives for the physical evolution of the campus, leaving the details related to specific projects and initiatives to be resolved through its implementation in the future. This original Campus Master Plan was completed in 2002, including an interim plan to guide short term development over the first ten year period. Tremendous growth in the first five years of the Plan has resulted in the need for an update, undertaken in 2008. New priority projects have been identified for implementation following the update; these are listed in Section 8. McMaster University Campus Master Plan

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PART 2 BACKGROUND TO THE CAMPUS MASTER PLAN

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

Background to the Campus Master Plan

2.1

McMaster University

Located in Hamilton since 1930, McMaster University is recognized both nationally and internationally for its research, and its innovative interdisciplinary educational programs. The latter emphasize small-group and self-directed, problem-based learning. The Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diverse programs are supported by many excellent educational, research, residential and recreational facilities. Originally founded in 1887 under the auspices of the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec, McMaster became a publicly funded university in 1957. Today, more than 20,000 full-time students attend McMaster University, 2,700 of who are pursuing graduate studies. In addition, approximately 3,500 part-time students are registered throughout the academic year. There are approximately 1,600 faculty and over 4,000 staff. The campus comprises 196 hectares (296 acres) of land, with approximately 5,720,000 square feet (531,000 square metres) of floor space. It is minutes from downtown Hamilton and borders the Royal Botanical Gardens at the western end of Lake Ontario. An aerial photograph of the campus in 2007 can be found in Figure 2-A.

PART 2 BACKGROUND TO THE CAMPUS MASTER PLAN

2.2

The Need for a Campus Master Plan

The McMaster Main Street campus is in a constant state of change. There are a large number of building initiatives planned and under construction to accommodate the growth-related needs of the campus. Expansion of the University’s research enterprise has also created the need for additional space, complementing that located at McMaster Innovation Park. Current planning and construction activity has highlighted a need and an opportunity to consider the campus as a whole, and to develop a comprehensive Campus Master Plan that will provide an overall physical framework for sustainable campus growth, evolution and renewal. The University’s Academic Plan emphasizes excellence in research, creating learning opportunities, and building upon the University’s strengths to achieve international distinction for creativity, innovation and excellence. The Campus Master Plan is an important component of this vision, and is intended to be strongly supportive of McMaster’s academic mission and directions. The physical layout of the campus that will result from the implementation of the Campus Master Plan will strengthen and reinforce the interdisciplinary culture of learning at McMaster, with a focus on uses that are related to the core academic mission, and the creation of spaces for interaction within walking distance of each other. The Campus Master Plan is intended to be flexible, to accommodate the changing needs of various departments and Faculties, and to enhance learning by providing the physical environment in which to gain knowledge, live and work.

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The Mary E. Keyes Residence and Dining Facility opened its doors for the first time in September 2003.

The Campus Master Plan has been prepared by Urban Strategies Inc., under the direction of the McMaster University Campus Master Plan Steering Committee, together with MMM Group in the fields of transportation, environment and infrastructure. The mandate was to consider the potential of the University’s current campus in Hamilton to accommodate future growth; other properties owned by the University were not reviewed in this study. The implementation of the Campus Master Plan does not require any changes to the municipal Official Plan policies or zoning regulations currently in place. Significant new projects will continue to be subject to Site Plan Review, and changes to heritage structures designated under the Ontario Heritage Act will continue to be reviewed by the City of Hamilton. The Campus Master Plan outlines a 30-year vision for the campus, a general framework that will guide the University in its renewal of the campus and in planning for new physical space. The Campus Master Plan will be reviewed and updated regularly to ensure that it remains current and relevant to the University’s needs.

John Hodgins Engineering Building

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

An update to the Campus Master Plan was completed in 2008 in response to the tremendous amount of physical growth and development on the Main Street campus since the release of the original plan in 2002. The full 30-year development potential of the Main Street campus remains the same in the updated Plan. Future building sites and open spaces have been updated to reflect current conditions.

Aerial Vi Campus

Aerial View of the Campus (2007) Figure 2-A

Alvin A. Lee Building (ALL) ........................................... 10 Alumni Memorial Hall (AMH) ....................................... 8 A.N. Bourns Science Building (ABB) ...................... 25 Applied Dynamics Laboratory (ADL) ........................ 33 Bates Residence .......................................................... 40 Biology Greenhouse .................................................... 30 Brandon Hall ................................................................ 36 Burke Sciences Building (BSB) .................................... 11 Campus Services Building (CSB) .............................. 31 Chester New Hall (CNH) ............................................. 23 Commons Building ....................................................... 28 Communications Research Laboratory (CRL) ........... 43 David Braley Athletic Centre ..................................... 54 DeGroote School of Business (DGD) ......................... 46 Divinity College (DC) .................................................... 17 Dramatic Arts Workshop ......................................... TB18 Engineering Building - New ....................................... 56 E. T. Clarke Centre (CUC).............................................. 12 Edwards Hall................................................................... 5 General Sciences Building (GSB) ............................... 22 Gilmour Hall (GH) ......................................................... 20 H.G. Thode Library of Science and Engineering ........... 42 Hamilton Hall (HH) ......................................................... 2 Health Sciences Centre (HSC/MUMC) ................... 37 Health Sciences Complex Parking Structure ............. 44 Hedden Hall .................................................................. 45 Institute for Applied Health Sciences (IAHS) ............. 48 Ivor Wynne Centre (IWC)............................................ 24 Information Technology Building (ITB)........................ 49 John Hodgins Engineering Annex ............................... 16a John Hodgins Engineering Building (JHE)................. 16 Kenneth Taylor Hall (KTH)........................................... 38 Les Prince Hall ............................................................ 53 Les Prince Field .......................................................... 55 Life Sciences Building (LS) ........................................ 39 Matthews Hall .............................................................. 26 McKay Hall.................................................................... 27 McMaster University Student Centre (MUSC) ............. 51 Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Learning and Discovery (MDCL)................................... 52 Mills Memorial Library/Museum of Art (MML)....... 10 Moulton Hall ................................................................. 18 Nuclear Reactor ........................................................... 15 Nuclear Research Building (NRB) ................................. 9 Preliminary Laboratory ............................................... T13 Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Residence / Alumni Advancement .............. 7 Psychology Building (PS) ........................................... 34 Refectory......................................................................... 4 Ronald V. Joyce Stadium ............................................ 57 Mary Keyes Residence .............................................. 50 Scourge Laboratory ...................................................T26 Tandem Accelerator Building ......................................... 32 Temporary Building .................................................. T28 Temporary Building .................................................. T29 Togo Salmon Hall (TSH) .............................................. 29 University Club ............................................................... 8 University Hall (UH) ....................................................... 1 Wallingford Hall ............................................................. 6 Wentworth House ........................................................ 21 Whidden Hall ................................................................ 19 Woodstock Hall ............................................................ 35

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PART 2 BACKGROUND TO THE CAMPUS MASTER PLAN

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Growth at McMaster There are a number of factors affecting growth at McMaster including demographic forecasts that indicate an increase in the size of the 18 to 24 age cohort over the coming decade, and senior government policies designed to ensure accessibility to Ontario universities for qualified students, where the ability to secure government funding is explicitly tied to a university’s commitment to accommodate growth. McMaster expected to reach its peak full-time undergraduate population in the year 2005; however unprecedented growth even following the double cohort resulted in a peak being reached in 2007. The number of part-time undergraduate students is not expected to increase significantly, remaining at approximately 2,800, and the traditional graduate student population is expected to remain more or less constant at today’s full-time equivalent level of 2,700. Additional graduate students and researchers may be accommodated at the University’s Innovation Park facilities. Similarly, it is assumed that the visitors to campus (which include continuing education and “short-course” students) will also remain largely constant through to 2009, at a peak level of 650 per day, given that the majority of these continuing education programs have been relocated to McMaster’s facility in downtown Hamilton. The number of staff and faculty members have increased. Forecasting anticipated university population levels is an imprecise science. The above projections reflect McMaster’s best estimate as of the 2008 update. They account for all new initiatives in the planning stages today.

Mills Memorial Library

Due to broad demographic trends and the aging of the Canadian population, the University currently has no plans to expand its student population significantly beyond the enrolment peak of 2007. This does not mean, however, that additional space will not be required. While it is anticipated that growth of the University will be slow, needs will change over time as teaching methods change, research initiatives thrive, new programs are added, or partnerships are created with related uses and institutions. It is prudent, therefore, to plan for more development, renewal and reinvestment in the future.

2.3

An Inclusive Process

The Campus Master Plan was created through an inclusive process involving a broad cross-section of stakeholders from the University community, including all senior administrators and academic Deans, faculty, staff and students; the local community, including residents, business owners and the Westdale BIA; the City Councillor; staff of the City of Hamilton Planning and Transportation departments; the Hamilton Street Railway; the Hamilton Conservation Authority; and the Royal Botanical Gardens. Student Centre

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

The campus planning process began in November 2000 with a physical analysis of the campus, including an inventory of current projects, and interviews with key University stakeholders, neighbours, and interested agencies. The information gathered was presented at a Campus Vision Workshop, held February 8, 2001, which was an opportunity for the McMaster community, its neighbours and other stakeholders to discuss and develop directions for a vision for the future of the campus. A public Open House presenting the ideas generated in the workshop was held on March 28, 2001. Throughout the spring and fall of 2001, campus options and a Draft Campus Master Plan were prepared. During this same time period, the University established two Campus Master Plan Sub-Committees: The Environment SubCommittee, whose work is reflected in the Natural Environment policies found in Section 6.6 of this document and in Appendix D, and the Transportation Sub-Committee, who provided input into Section 5 of this plan. A second public Open House presenting the Draft Campus Master Plan was held on November 21, 2001. In December, the Draft Plan was presented to the University Senate and Board of Governors. A great many comments were received following the November Open House and issuance of the first comprehensive Draft Campus Master Plan. The preparation of Final Draft of the Campus Master Plan, which incorporated comments from the Open House, the University Senate and Board of Governors, and interested individuals who had an opportunity to review the Draft Plan in the campus and neighbourhood libraries and on the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website, took place between January and March of 2002. The University Planning Committee commissioned an update of the Campus Master Plan in the fall of 2007 to ensure the document remained relevant as the University continues to accommodate growth. The update process did not amend any of the central tenets of the 2002 Campus Plan or the ultimate capacity of the Main Street campus. The body of the text and images have been updated to reflect the same vision for the future, based on the campus as it exists in 2008. The changes and revisions to the original Campus Master Plan have been reflected in this document and are outlined in Appendix C. McMaster University, the Campus Master Plan Steering Committee and the consultant team of Urban Strategies and MMM Group would like to sincerely thank all who took the time to review the plan and provide their feedback. McMaster University has committed to an open campus planning process and to maintaining a living Campus Master Plan. The plan will be evaluated annually and members of the University and neighbouring communities are invited to continue to provide their views to the University Planning Committee in order to effect revisions to the Plan. Throughout the planning process, the Campus Master Plan Steering Committee, the Office of the Vice President (Administration), the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Board of Governors, the University Planning Committee, and the Planning and Building Committee provided invaluable direction and guidance in the formulation of the current plan and implementing procedures.

The Campus Master Plan was created through an inclusive process involving a broad cross-section of stakeholders from the University community.

PART 2 BACKGROUND TO THE CAMPUS MASTER PLAN

2.4

Related Initiatives

Main Street Environmental Assessment - Completed The City of Hamilton reconstructed the section of Main Street West stretching between Gary Avenue and Cootes Drive due to poor pavement condition. The planning for that project provided McMaster University with the opportunity to formally request that the City also undertake a study to consider the development of a reconfigured entrance to McMaster University and the Medical Centre from Main Street West. This reconfigured entrance has since been constructed, replacing the previous Main Street access. The new facility improves visitor orientation to the University, provides a “sense of arrival” at McMaster, and creates a much more logical entrance to the University to improve McMaster’s profile and strengthen its presence within the City. Neighbourhood Plan - Completed The City of Hamilton undertook a Neighbourhood Plan for the community of Westdale/Ainslie Wood. The McMaster University Campus Master Plan was an important first piece of a study of the wider neighbourhood, outlining the future evolution of the campus. The completed Neighbourhood Plan continues to provide an important complement to the Campus Master Plan, and includes detailed studies of community land use issues; the Westdale commercial area; and the capacity of the neighbourhood traffic, water, power and other systems to accommodate growth and development, including the growth and development of the McMaster Campus. McMaster Area Task Force Recommendation Implementation Committee The McMaster Area Task Force Recommendation Implementation Committee (MATRIC) is made up of representatives from the Westdale/Ainslie Wood neighbourhoods, McMaster University, the McMaster Students Union, and the City of Hamilton. It has completed its work on recommendations from the McMaster University Area Neighbourhoods Task Force on issues relating to University impacts on its neighbours.

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Advisory Committee on Community Relations (PACCR) Following the completion of the MATRIC mandate (the finalization of the original Campus Master Plan and the Westdale/Ainslie Wood Neighbourhood Plan), the University established a new community liaison committee to provide a venue for ongoing two-way communication. PACCR includes representation from the Westdale/Ainslie Wood community, City of Hamilton staff and political representatives, McMaster University staff, faculty and students. A Community Report newsletter is published regularly updating members of PACCR on areas of common interest. Campus Town Association In 2005 the Campus Town Association was created including representatives from McMaster University, Westdale Village BIA and the Ainslie Wood Westdale Community Association of Resident Homeowners to work on ways to build a more balanced neighbourhood with engaged residents, including both homeowners and students. The association has consulted widely and has developed a list of priorities, including promoting the West End as a good place to live.

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McMaster University Medical Centre The McMaster University Medical Centre is an integral part of the McMaster Main Street Campus and a significant partner to the University. While the building is located on land owned by the University, the financial responsibilities and space allocations are split 40% and 60% between the University and the Hamilton Health Sciences, which is responsible for day-to-day operations and long term planning for the hospital functions. McMaster University governs the land on which the Medical Centre is located, and therefore physical expansion of the hospital is subject to the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approval. As the mandate for the Medical Centre evolves the University will continue to monitor its impact on the Campus Master Plan.

McMaster University Medical Centre

PART 2 BACKGROUND TO THE CAMPUS MASTER PLAN

Certainty and Flexibility

3.1

Creating the Setting for Campus Growth and Evolution

In all successful places there is an organizing structure of streets, open spaces and buildings that creates a setting for existing development and establishes a framework and appropriate pattern for new development and infill. In a healthy city fabric, the elements of the organizing structure â&#x20AC;&#x153;nestâ&#x20AC;? together and align in a way that creates an integrated whole that is much more than the sum of its parts. The parts of the campus making up its structure should also be expected to fit together like a small piece of such a healthy city fabric. When the Master Plan was first prepared in 2001 there were multiple issues with the organizing structure of the campus. The first edition of the Plan provided guidance to address these challenges and much work has been done to implement them in the six years between the release of the Plan and this update, including: the Main Street entrance/ University Gates, College Gates, and Kings Walk. Building a campus, however, is a long-term process and there is still work to be done to reinforce and enhance this structure. The original campus structure analysis is maintained here in the update to support the ongoing evolution of existing features, such as the University and College Gates, as well as the creation of new ones.

PART 3 CERTAINTY AND FLEXIBILITY

The Successful Campus Structure The structure surrounding the campus contains a well-established hierarchy of streets and natural features (illustrated in Figure 3-A). The structure is defined by Main Street, King Street and Sterling Street, which form the main approaches to campus; and Cootes Paradise, the Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG), Ancaster Creek, Cootes Drive, and Forsyth Avenue, which form the edges of the University lands. Cootes Paradise and the RBG provide a striking natural setting and are key defining features of the campus.

Further investment in the campus landscape, particularly at campus edges, is a significant opportunity.

Similarly, the internal campus structure (illustrated in Figure 3-A), which includes the Central Mall, Scholarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Road, College Crescent, and the existing University Avenue, provides a very strong setting and a logic for the placement of buildings and open spaces. Each building has been oriented to relate well to the streets, Cootes Paradise, or the Central Mall. This has created a series of attractive places, and is the part of the campus that people value and relate to the most.

By contrast, the campus edges lack an organizing structure (illustrated in Figure 3-B), and thus lack the qualities that McMaster University Campus M people find so attractive in the internal campus. The Inte

The Internal Campus Structure Figure 3-A

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Campus Boundaries PART 3 CERTAINTY AND FLEXIBILITY

Campus Entry Points (Vehicular / Pedestrian)

The Need for Structure at the Campus Edges The campus edges are disconnected from their surroundings: King and Sterling Streets have been cut off at the eastern edge of the Central Campus; Cootes Drive remains a heavy-traffic barrier separating the central and west portions of the campus. This has resulted in the lack of a strong and attractive “face” to the surrounding city. The campus today is very inwardly-focused, essentially turning its back to the surrounding city.

Lot I Parking

Streets at the campus edges are redundant in several places and have been designed exclusively for cars. This focus on vehicular movement has degraded the experience of the edge campus, making it unattractive, and unsafe for pedestrians. These redundant streets provide no logical pattern for pedestrian and vehicular circulation networks, and no clues about how to create attractive new buildings or places such as those found in the internal campus. There is no framework to help guide the creation of new areas for campus expansion. This is extremely significant, because it is in the edge areas that much of the campus growth and evolution will occur. The campus’s future rests in its edges; the current lack of structure there provides a significant challenge for McMaster.

Rethinking the Campus Structure

Cootes Drive

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McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

The answer to the challenge rests in rethinking the structure of circulation routes at the edge campus, and extending the strong system of primary streets and open spaces found in the internal campus to growth areas in the edges (illustrated in Figure 3-C). It is important to note that extending streets does not necessarily mean developing a system of high-traffic vehicular routes. Streets play a number of roles, including providing pedestrian and bicycle routes, a location for parking, space for trees, and places for utilities. They create address and frontage, and form a key part of the campus setting. The campus streets can be designed to slow traffic down and provide pedestrian amenities, particularly in the campus edges, but also in the core. For example, the redesigned Main Street entrance has enhanced the condition at the south campus edge and has created the structure for new building sites to further define the University’s presence on Main Street.

McMaster University Campus Master Plan

March 2002

Rethinking The Edge Structure Rethinking Figure 3-C The Edge Structure

McMaster University Campus Master Plan

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3.2

Certainty: Investing in a Permanent Campus Structure

Following the example of successful cities and towns, the campus needs a system of streets and open spaces that does not change, even as buildings are renovated, become larger, change use, or are replaced. This system becomes the permanent structure, or skeleton for the campus. It represents certainty that there will always be a consistent, attractive, functional and logical system of vehicular routes, pedestrian walkways and open spaces that are not to be built upon. For McMaster, creating a permanent structure involves maintaining and extending the network of circulation routes and open spaces that connect important places within the campus and surrounding community, and that provide a strong framework for future development of new buildings and open spaces. This structure can be created through five “key moves” that are explained in Section 4 of this document. Figure 3-D illustrates the permanent campus structure. In a symphony, some melodies lead while others play a supporting role, but all contribute and are a necessary part of the whole. On the campus, the permanent structure is the lead melody, to be supported by the places created by new buildings and open spaces. This analogy also applies to building and landscape styles. The landscaping of the Central Mall and the building materials and styles of the historic buildings and residences set the score. New buildings and landscapes will be encouraged to improvise, but need to fit within the overall symphony. Investing in a permanent structure will ensure that campus development and renewal, though it may be comprised of different “melodies”, will create a harmonious whole and a high quality image.

Streets and open spaces become the permanent structure for the campus.

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

Campus Structure Figure 3-D

Permanent Campus Right of Ways to be Preserved or Created

Permanent Open Spaces to be Preserved or Created

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3.3

Flexibility: Policies and Criteria to Accommodate Changing Needs

A successful Campus Master Plan will balance the certainty of the permanent campus structure with flexibility to allow the plan to respond to changing University needs, priorities and resources over time. The Campus Master Plan provides for flexibility within the development blocks that are defined by the permanent campus structure. Within these blocks, the University can develop different types of uses, buildings and landscapes as appropriate over time, guided by the overall objectives and policies outlined in the plan. This applies to both new buildings and to renewal or additions to existing buildings, as well as to various types of open spaces throughout the campus. For example, Figure 3-D illustrates the permanent structure including the permanent elements of the open space network recommended by the Campus Master Plan. These compelling places include both existing open spaces and courtyards, and recommended places where new spaces should be created. The design and configuration of these new courtyard spaces are important to the definition of the overall permanent structure, whereas the design of the buildings that surround these places need not be resolved until detailed proposals are submitted for the sites. Regularly reviewed and updated project criteria, including the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sustainable Building policy, will guide building development, the creation and design of open spaces, circulation, parking and servicing in each area of the campus. This approach will ensure that new initiatives, though permitted to be varied in their conception, are consistent with the intent of the Campus Master Plan and provide a good fit within the permanent structure of streets and open spaces in both the core and edges of the campus.

The permanent structure creates flexibility for change over time. 24

MCMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008 - DRAFT

PART 4 PRINCIPLES AND FOUNDATIONS FOR THE PLAN

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

4 4.1

Principles and Foundations for the Plan Six Principles

The vision for the campus is based upon the following six principles, which reflect the values and priorities expressed by the members of the McMaster community and its neighbours. In some cases, the ideas in the six principles overlap; the issues that they seek to address are often interrelated. They are intended to create a basic framework for the campus in which each principle supports the others.

PART 4 PRINCIPLES AND FOUNDATIONS FOR THE PLAN

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Principle

The Central Mall

McMaster’s Main Street campus will be the primary focus for future growth and evolution.

Maintaining the Main Street campus as a focus for the identity and hub for the McMaster community best supports the University’s academic mission and strong interdisciplinary culture, by allowing core University uses and functions to be within walking distance of each other. Continued investment in the Main Street campus is needed, desirable and appropriate even as it reaches its development capacity and while the University explores a distributive education model. Satellite facilities will be spokes to the Main Street campus’ hub. This overall guiding principle for campus evolution implies continued intensification of uses and activities on Central Campus and active use and development of the lands on West Campus. It will require continued investment in the existing buildings to allow ongoing rehabilitation and reuse as needs change, continued investment in the quality of the campus setting, improved pedestrian amenities, new parking and circulation strategies, enhanced interfaces with the community and environmental stewardship. The current campus precincts, such as the athletic precinct or the health sciences precinct, will evolve into placebased rather than subject-based areas as needs change and space for evolving programs becomes more widely distributed throughout campus. This is in keeping with the culture and philosophy of interdisciplinary connections at McMaster.

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This principle also contemplates the exploration of potential partnerships with landowners along Main Street West, to accommodate University and/or joint University-community facilities.

Arts Courtyard

Principle

The Campus Master Plan will be a living document that is practical and visionary, permanent yet flexible.

McMaster University is committed to creation of a Campus Master Plan that is a living document, actively utilized to effectively guide growth and change.

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This principle involves commitment to a strong campus structure to preserve the quality and functionality of the campus setting into the future. It entails the development of clear yet flexible project review processes to ensure that decisions for individual projects benefit and enhance the campus as a whole, and are in the interest of its neighbours. In addition, specific demonstration projects, and Annual Reports about the progress and quality of planning and development on campus and Environmental Report Cards will ensure that the Campus Master Plan’s policies and objectives are being achieved over time.

David Braley Athletic Centre 28

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

Principle

McMaster will have a pedestrian-focused campus that is accessible and user-friendly for all persons, regardless of their physical abilities.

One of the most important features of McMaster is its compact and walkable nature. This principle indicates McMaster’s intention to continue to build a pedestrian focus on campus, which implies redesigning pedestrian spaces, bicycle spaces and vehicular spaces in parts of campus to create true pedestrian priority – where the needs, comfort and safety of pedestrians (on foot or using a personal mobility aid) are foremost in the design of circulation networks. www.flickr.com

While creating pedestrian priority often (but not always) means designing areas to exclude vehicles, it is important to remember that car-free does not necessarily mean pedestrian-friendly. Creating pedestrian priority includes improving landscaping, lighting and seating on pedestrian routes; creating wide, continuous sidewalks on all campus streets with Urban Braille design features; separately designated bicycle routes; and extending pedestrian routes throughout campus to enhance access and safety, particularly at the campus edges. This principle also implies redesigning streets to include traffic calming design measures and to ensure safe relationships between vehicular and non-vehicular modes of travel.

Student Centre

Parking will be concentrated in the West Campus and in the south part of campus near the entrances at Main Street and Cootes Drive. Vehicular traffic through the heart of the campus will continue to be limited to emergency and service vehicles only, and in the short term, necessary transit. The ultimate goal is for transit routes to come to the edges of campus and not to pass through the pedestrian core. While it is recognized that McMaster is a very important destination for the HSR, the campus’ attractiveness and pedestrian focus should not be negatively impacted by transit service needs of the wider city. The use of Transportation Demand Management to reduce car trips to campus, and the provision of transit terminals at the edges of campus to improve the convenience of transit travel to and from the campus, will play an important role in reinforcing McMaster’s pedestrian nature.

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The campus’s pedestrian focus will work toward full accessibility for those with mobility challenges.

Pedestrian Priority Area

PART 4 PRINCIPLES AND FOUNDATIONS FOR THE PLAN

Principle

The setting and image of the campus will be enhanced and maintained at a high level of quality.

The core of the McMaster campus is well-known for its high quality setting of buildings and natural and formal open spaces. Much of this has to do with the relationship between the buildings and the open spaces, and the fine grain of pedestrian routes. This principle implies preserving this quality through the continued maintenance and upgrading of campus buildings and landscapes, and extending it to create attractive new places in all parts of the campus, including its entrances and the faces it presents to the surrounding community. This will provide positive first impressions and a high quality of life on the campus. The Central Mall

The Student Centre

The Rose Garden 30

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

Principle

The campus will be planned to achieve a high level of sustainable development and environmental stewardship and responsibility.

The McMaster campus enjoys a beautiful and ecologically significant natural setting connected to neighbouring Cootes Paradise in the Royal Botanical Gardens to the north, Ancaster Creek and Spencer Creeks and the Desjardins Canal to the west, and a local system of ravines to the east. This principle recognizes the importance of this setting, and encourages the University to be a leader in sustainability and environmental stewardship of its open spaces and surrounding environment. This includes promoting joint stewardship of shared environments between McMaster, the City of Hamilton, the Royal Botanical Gardens and the Hamilton Conservation Authority. It implies that environmental awareness should be promoted within the wider community, and that specific ties should be developed between academic programs, best practices in environmental management and the implementation of the University’s environmental objectives. The University will continue to produce and respond to an annual Sustainability Report Card, based on the Environmental Action Plan objectives. The surrounding environment also includes air – supporting transit and reducing vehicular travel to campus is another way that the University can show environmental stewardship. Reduce building heat absorption with planting.

This principle can also inform the project review process by requiring all new building projects and renovations to meet the University’s Sustainable Building policy and to include measures to conserve resources in both construction and ongoing maintenance, using native species and naturalized planting in landscape projects adjacent to natural areas, and employing measures to reduce waste, and stormwater runoff.

Enhance indoor air quality with tree planting.

PART 4 PRINCIPLES AND FOUNDATIONS FOR THE PLAN

Principle

The campus will function as a village and a partner within the larger community.

As a compact and walkable campus with attractive open spaces and a balance of academic facilities and campus life amenities, McMaster has the opportunity to continue to evolve as a village-like environment for a full variety of learning, working, living and recreational activities.

McMaster extends a sense of community spirit to the neighbourhood.

The village model will build on the important sense of community spirit within the campus and promote a sense of place for, and connection to the immediate neighbourhood and the whole district. This principle also involves strengthening partnerships with the local neighbourhood and the wider community, which implies committing to openness in communication, opportunities for neighbourhood input into campus planning efforts, and sharing facilities and amenities. Groups such as the President’s Advisory Committee on Community Relations and the Campus Town Association have been established to provide opportunity for open dialogue with the community. The University Planning Committee is also available to hear comment with respect to the Campus Master Plan. The campus can become a place that serves many communities in different ways, and continue to be a resource for different groups who may use facilities such as the athletic complex or the daycare. This means that the campus will need to become more “user-friendly” for visitors, providing clear orientation and access routes. This principle also requires a balance between the academic life of the University, and recreation, green space, and quality of life, to provide a full and rich experience for students, faculty, staff and neighbours.

The University offers annual summer camps for elementary and high school students.

Create attractive places to share with the community. 32

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

4.2

Foundations for the Plan and Key Moves to Achieve It

In addition to the six principles, there are five very strong features, identified in the discussion of the campus structure, that lay the groundwork for moving forward. These five features are highly valued by the campus community and its neighbours; they are the foundations upon which the campus vision is built. They provide the basis for a series of key moves that will strengthen and protect important campus places, and set the stage for campus growth and evolution by creating the permanent campus structure (illustrated in Figure 3-E). Figures 4-A, 4-B, 4-C, 4-D and 4-E illustrate the key moves that form the foundations of the campusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s permanent structure.

Key Move 1: Preserve, Rehabilitate, Reuse Heritage Buildings and Open Spaces Key Move 2: Extend the Relationship to Cootes Paradise Key Move 3: Extend the Experience of the Central Mall to the Campus Entrances

Cherished open spaces are preserved in the Campus Master Plan.

Key Move 4: Create a Full Pedestrian Network Key Move 5: Create Attractive and Memorable Campus Faces

PART 4 PRINCIPLES AND FOUNDATIONS FOR THE PLAN

Historic and Important Landmark Buildings and Open Spaces

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The heart of the campus has special qualities that make it the most memorable part of McMaster’s campus. It contains McMaster’s most historic buildings, including University Hall, Hamilton Hall, the Refectory, Edwards Hall, Wallingford Hall and Alumni Memorial Hall, all of which are designated under the Ontario Heritage Act. It also contains other buildings that surround the Central Mall, including Divinity College, which is notable for its architectural design; and the Burke Science Building and John Hodgins Engineering Building, neither of which are particularly significant architecturally, but, like the others, form wonderful relationships with their associated open spaces. The linear nature of the Science and Engineering buildings, their scale, and the location of their main entrances form a very strong relationship with the Central Mall and its surrounding streets. It is these relationships that should be maintained, even if the buildings are ultimately replaced. Together, the buildings in this precinct help to define the spaces, create visual landmarks, and establish what is arguably the most attractive part of McMaster.

Historic buildings are an important asset

Key Move

Preserve, Rehabilitate, Reuse Heritage Buildings and Open Spaces

• Preserve, rehabilitate, and where appropriate, reuse the historically designated buildings on the campus. • Maintain and preserve the important relationships that the buildings have to the open spaces, and create more places like them. (This is not to say that the old collegiate style of building must be duplicated, or that buildings must be preserved exactly as they are, though applicable preservation heritage legislation must be complied with). • Ensure any contemporary building or addition also preserves the important and unique relationships to streets and open spaces found in the heart of McMaster, in order to create beautiful places throughout the campus.

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

Heritage Buildings and Open Spaces Figure 4-A

Cootes Paradise

Key Move 1: Heritage Buildings and Open Spaces Important Buildings to be Preserved

Preserve relationships established by facades of science and engineering buildings

Facade Relationships to be Maintained Open Spaces to be Preserved Historic Core designated under Ontario Heritage Act

The Central Mall

Cootes Paradise

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PART 4 PRINCIPLES AND FOUNDATIONS FOR THE PLAN

Relationship to Cootes Paradise The relationship of the historic buildings and more contemporary student residences to Cootes Paradise is a defining feature of the campus..

Key Move

Extend the Relationship to Cootes Paradise

• Continue the wonderful relationship established between the campus and Cootes Paradise in the construction of new buildings beside the ravine. • Extend this relationship to West Campus to create a similar relationship between the campus and the ravine surrounding Ancaster Creek.

The landscape of Cootes Paradise can be extended southward, providing an enhanced setting for existing and proposed development.

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

• Reintroduce the natural ravine setting into both Central and West Campus along their edges, through tree planting and landscaping, to reinforce the importance of McMaster’s natural setting and create strong open space connections to natural areas.

Relationship to Cootes Paradise Figure 4-B

Cootes Paradise

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PART 4 PRINCIPLES AND FOUNDATIONS FOR THE PLAN

Central Mall The formal open space of the Central Mall has long been a feature of the campus. It is an important structuring element, defining the orientation of buildings, their relationship to surrounding streets, and to each other. It provides the experience of coming to the grand front lawn in the heart of the University and is an important space for recreation and special events. It is a space that will be preserved and enhanced for the future; no buildings will be permitted to be built upon it.

Key Move www.flickr.com

â&#x20AC;˘ Extend the structure that the Central Mall and its surrounding streets and buildings create to the edges of the campus to provide a setting for the placement of new development, infill and secondary formal open spaces.

The character of the Central Mall may be extended through landscaping and long views to campus entrances.

Extend the experience of the Central Mall to the Campus Entrances

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

â&#x20AC;˘ Carry the experience of the heart of the campus out to its entrance gateways.

Extend the Experience of the Central Mall to the Campus Entrances Figure 4-C

Dundas Gates

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University Gates

PART 4 PRINCIPLES AND FOUNDATIONS FOR THE PLAN

Pedestrian Focus and Accessibility As discussed above, the pedestrian orientation of the campus is one of McMaster’s hallmark features.

Key Move

Create a Full Pedestrian Network

• Continue to restrict vehicular traffic on University Walk along and north of the Central Mall, and Scholar’s Road while providing safe access for service and emergency vehicles. • Create a full, fine-grained network of routes to all parts of the campus, particularly through the athletic precinct and to the West Campus.

Opportunities exist for the creation of a full pedestrian network.

• Enhance this network with appropriate form such that pedestrians have priority on key rights-ofway, which may also accommodate other private or campus-related vehicles. Narrow pavements and continuous sidewalks are examples of such form. • Work with HSR to restructure transit access to terminate McMaster related routes at the edges of campus. This will maintain the walkability and universal accessibility of McMaster’s facilities as the campus grows and evolves, enhance safety and amenities for pedestrians and cyclists, and improve accessibility for the mobility-challenged.

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

Pedestrian Routes Figure 4-D

Key Move 4: Create a full Pedestrian Network Primary Pedestrian Routes Secondary Pedestrian Routes

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PART 4 PRINCIPLES AND FOUNDATIONS FOR THE PLAN

Community Context The high quality housing, unique shops and attractive streets and public spaces of the surrounding neighbourhood are a significant strength for McMaster and provide a very attractive setting for the campus. In turn, the character of the campus needs to contribute positively to the city and the surrounding neighbourhoods.

Key Move

Create Attractive and Memorable Campus Faces

• Create attractive and memorable campus faces through the improvement of the campus edges.

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• Provide gateways with distinctive landscape and architectural features that announce “arrival” to the campus.

Landscaping along Forsyth Avenue creates an attractive eastern campus edge.

• Design buildings at the edges of the campus so that they present attractive facades to both the adjacent public streets and the internal campus setting. • Enhance University-community partnerships that encourage communication to produce mutually supportive planning and development initiatives, and that facilitate the sharing of resources and amenities to reinforce the campus as an integral part of the surrounding community.

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

Campus Entrances Figure 4-E

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PART 4 PRINCIPLES AND FOUNDATIONS FOR THE PLAN

A Strategy for Access, Circulation and Parking

As development levels at the University intensify, the pressures on its transportation infrastructure will increase. The Campus Master Plan therefore identifies a strategy that will accommodate the campusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s transportation demands as it grows and evolves over the next 30 years, recognizing the need to control the impacts of this growth on the surrounding neighbourhoods.

PART 5 A STRATEGY FOR ACCESS, CIRCULATION AND PARKING

5.1

Access, Circulation and Parking

Access and Circulation

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There is a conceptual approach for the campus circulation network, one that would allow the greatest flexibility in meeting the travel and parking demand on the campus. Under this approach, the Main Street and Cootes Drive entrances serve as the primary focus for vehicles, while the Sterling Street entrance would continue to serve University users. All internal campus routes would be open to vehicular traffic, which would be controlled through the design of streets and dispersed on a fine network leading to buildings and small areas of parking throughout the campus. This would allow vehicular access to anywhere from anywhere on campus, enhancing convenience for campus users, and decreasing reliance on external roads as routes to different parts of the campus. Figure 5-A illustrates this conceptual approach.

Pure Circulation Theory

Figure 5-A

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Pure Circulation Theory

Biking is a popular mode of transportation on the campus.

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There are, however, factors that require modification to the conceptual theory. Pedestrian priority in the heart of the campus and accessibility and convenience for all users throughout the campus are important characteristics that the University wishes to enhance. This requires restricting vehicular presence, while continuing to provide safe access for service vehicles. A second factor is the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relationship with the neighbourhood, and the need to address the traffic and parking pressures that the community experiences as a result of the travel patterns to the campus. Figure 5-B illustrates the factors of pedestrian priority and relationship with the community.

Pedestrian Priority Circulation Theory Figure 5-B

Pedestrian Priority Circulation Theory

Primary Traffic Route

Cap parking level at current Capacity (Approx. 1100 cars)

Focus Parking on West Campus as in Interim use

Secondary Traffic Route Streets closed to public Traffic Streets to have reduced Traffic Impact

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cus Parking West mpus as in erim use

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PART 5 A STRATEGY FOR ACCESS, CIRCULATION AND PARKING

Traffic Calming Traffic calming design measures will be implemented in areas within the campus where creating safe pedestrian/ traffic relationships are of particular concern. Issues of concern may relate to the speed of traffic, complexity of turning movements, or sightlines for visibility of pedestrians. Traffic calming design measures to be considered for implementation include: •

widening of curbs/narrowing of road widths at key pedestrian crossings;

•

landscaped pedestrian refuge medians in wide roadways;

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enhanced crosswalk facilities (potentially incorporating textured or raised crosswalk pavements, and pedestrian-activated lighting to indicate that drivers should stop);

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textured pavements (e.g. cobblestones, patterned concrete) to reduce vehicular speeds;

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mid-block narrowing of roadways to reduce vehicular speeds;

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introduction of landscaping adjacent to roadways, which can create the impression of a narrower roadway, leading to reduced vehicular speeds.

Traffic calming design measures should reflect a high quality of design, in keeping with the surrounding features, buildings and landscaping within the campus. They should also be designed to maintain accessibility for the physically challenged. Temporary trials of traffic calming design measures should be as attractive as possible, to avoid negative perceptions related to their interim appearance. They should be signed to indicate their temporary nature, with an illustration of the proposed permanent installation to allow the community to judge the effectiveness of the measure. Areas where traffic calming design measures may be required are illustrated in Figure 5-D.

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

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Planted median (McMaster campus example)

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Traffic hump at crosswalk (McMaster campus example)

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Textured pavements (McMaster campus example)

Widening of curbs at key pedestrian crossings

Mid-block narrowing of roadways

Enhanced crosswalk facilities (McMaster campus example)

PART 5 A STRATEGY FOR ACCESS, CIRCULATION AND PARKING

Parking Supply The University currently has approximately 4,094 parking spaces in its seven on campus parking lots (illustrated in Figure 5-C). Under the current system, there is typically a waiting list for permits. A number of changes to the parking supply are either under construction or in the planning stages. These changes are in accordance with the Balanced Transportation Strategy adopted by the Board of Governors in the year 2000. That Strategy included a principle to limit parking changes to surface replacement of lost spaces, effectively maintaining the supply at its current level. The post-construction supply is projected to be in the range of 4,439 spaces (4.560 in 2002), and will include adequate disabled parking spaces, meeting City by-law requirements. The current ratio of parking spaces to undergraduate population is 0.221 spaces per student (0.335 in 2002). A similar parking ratio has been calculated for 11 other universities in Canada and the United States (including York, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Carleton, Guelph, UBC, Queens, Simon Fraser, the University of Washington, UCLA, and the University of North Carolina); the average ratio is 0.37 spaces per undergraduate student. While it should be noted that every university is unique in terms of its needs and constraints with respect to parking, based on its location within or outside an urban area, McMasterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current rate of parking provision is below the average. This relative position should be continued. The current ratio of parking spaces to building area, using the existing building area of 5,720,000 square feet (531,000 square metres), is 0.836 parking spaces per hundred square metres of building area. At the long-term horizon, corresponding with the 30 year vision of this Plan, there may be up to 2 million square feet (186,000 square metres) of additional building area on campus. Using the ratio of 0.836 parking spaces per hundred square metres of building space, an additional 1,550 parking spaces would be needed. The total supply would then be approximately 6,000 spaces.

West Campus provides much of the parking for the campus.

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

The Campus Master Plan proposes a cap on the parking levels in Lots B, C, D, E, F, G and H (formerly Zones 1 and 2) at their current supply (approximately 1,100 spaces). This would help to control University-generated traffic impacts on the Sterling Street entrance and adjacent neighbourhood. It also reflects a goal to limit the increase in the total number of single-occupant and peak hour vehicle trips to the University, recognizing that there may be short-term increases when parking garages are built before surface parking is replaced by new buildings. Any expansion of the parking supply would therefore have to occur in either Lot I (formerly Zones 3 and 3NX) or West Campus. In keeping with the overall goals of the Campus Master Plan, any parking expansion would also have to be determined to be feasible from a traffic impact perspective. Expansion in the West Campus would also have to take into consideration the Hamilton Conservation Authorityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goal of a minimum 30 metre wide naturalized buffer zone along Ancaster Creek.

Potential Parking Plan Figure 5-C

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A very important and unique aspect of McMaster’s current transportation system is its shuttle service from the parking lots on West Campus. This service is what makes the parking on West Campus work today. As parking becomes more concentrated on West Campus in the future, a shuttle service that can also accommodate the mobility-challenged will be even more important. While the provision of shuttle services is key to concentrating surface parking in West Campus, limiting the route of the shuttle to the edge of the Core Campus will promote the pedestrian-priority nature of the Core Campus and encourage active transportation for healthy lifestyles. The projected impact of the Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategy, outlined in Section 5.2, should be considered in estimating future parking demands. A rule of thumb is that such strategies can be expected to reduce single occupant vehicle demands by 10 percent. However, the constraints on access to the McMaster Campus – no increase of traffic at the Sterling Street entrance, Main Street effectively at capacity – suggest that congestion levels may dictate greater reductions than the Transportation Demand Management strategy alone would inspire. The goal of limiting the increase of single-occupant and peak hour vehicular trips indicates that the focus of the transportation strategy must be heavily oriented towards TDM and enhancing transit access into and within campus. Assuming that a 15 percent reduction in total demand could be realized through TDM and a shift to alternate travel modes in reaction to congestion levels, the total demand could be in the range of 5,100 spaces (6,000 less 15%). This would represent an increase of approximately 660 spaces over the existing supply. While recognizing the goal of limiting the increase of single-occupant and peak hour vehicular trips, it would be prudent for the University to protect for the option of creating structured parking in Lots I, M, N, O and P (formerly Zones 3, 6 and 7) to accommodate this expansion, should the TDM goals not be fully achievable, and to replace parking that will be gradually lost on the central campus.

The Access, Circulation and Parking Strategy The Campus Master Plan access, circulation and parking strategy contains the following specific provisions: Only emergency vehicles, or service vehicles will be permitted on University Walk.

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

5.1.1

In the long-term, only emergency vehicles, or service vehicles will be permitted on University Walk or on Scholar’s Road. This will create a pedestrian priority area within the internal campus. In the short-term, necessary transit vehicles will be accommodated on University Walk or Scholar’s Road until such times as appropriate facilities for transit vehicles are created at the edges of campus.

5.1.2

Vehicular focus remains on the Main Street, Cootes Drive and Sterling Street entrances.

5.1.3

Existing streets on the campus, except where routes are duplicated and redundant, will be preserved to maintain the campus structure and as important public spaces, to provide direct and efficient service vehicle routes throughout the campus, and to protect for future options with respect to circulation through the campus.

Vehicular Circulation Routes

Figure 5-D

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5.1.4

Campus streets will be designed for the safety and convenience of all users, but in particular pedestrians, cyclists, and the mobility-challenged, including those using a variety of personal mobility aids. The University will implement continuous sidewalks on all campus streets, and traffic calming design measures will be applied where appropriate.

5.1.5

The campus will include adequate disabled parking spaces to meet the University communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs, and in accordance with the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s zoning requirements. McMaster will work towards implementing a campus shuttle system that can be used by the mobility-challenged.

5.1.6

University faculty, staff and graduate students will have the option of parking in the area currently occupied by Lots B through H (formerly Zone 1 and 2 in the North Campus). The parking in this area will be subject to higher fees in return for the benefit of convenience and proximity to the heart of the campus.

5.1.7

Access to the North Campus parking facilities will be for faculty, staff, evening and weekend students and graduate students, persons with mobility challenges or special visitors (e.g. guest lecturers, conference attendees) only, through a program such as parking access cards or transponders. This will limit the use of Sterling Street as an access point to the campus by visitors, except during special public events.

5.1.8

Parking in the North Campus will be limited to the current level (approximately 1,100 spaces), which will limit vehicular traffic accessing the campus via Sterling Street to current levels, and control impacts on the neighbourhood.

5.1.9

Visitors to the campus will be accommodated via the Main Street or Cootes Drive entrances and directed to parking Lot I (formerly Zone 3). A limited amount of short-term visitor parking, for those attending clinics or participating in research programs, and particularly for the mobility-challenged, will be provided in pockets of parking near buildings and along the edges of the campus, to provide convenient access to buildings.

5.1.10

Any additional transportation demands resulting from the ongoing growth and evolution of the Main Street campus will be managed through the Transportation Demand Management strategy identified in Section 5.2 of this report, and by beginning the process of expanding Lots N through P surface parking supply (formerly Zone 7).

Well landscaped parking lots can improve the image of campus and improve both vehicle and pedestrian safety.

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Stadium during construction

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Completed stadium

Underground parking, such as under the Ronald V. Joyce Stadium, should be considered as part of new development projects. 54

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

5.1.12

As parking is shifted from North and Central Campus over time to West Campus and the existing Lot I (formerly Zone 3), the campus shuttle routes will be reviewed to maintain adequate service levels between parking areas and a new transit terminal (described in section 5.2).

5.1.13

The Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Parking and Transit Services Department has developed a Shuttle Bus Service and Parking Plan, which will be refined as required in response to parking distribution changes on the campus and to meet the unique needs of individual special events.

5.1.14

The University will charge parking fees for sporting/public events, to cover the cost of providing parking attendants, etc.

5.1.15

The potential for off-campus parking facilities with shuttle buses, or in close proximity to regular transit routes, may be explored. Such facilities would need to be carefully sited to ensure compatibility with surrounding uses.

5.1.16

The Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Parking and Transit Services Department will continue to advance the use of technology for parking control and payment to improve the efficiency of the system.

The vehicular circulation network, including potential campus shuttle routes, is shown in Figure 5-D. Pedestrian routes were illustrated in Figure 4-D. Potential parking structures and surface parking areas are shown in Figure 5-C. The areas illustrated are recommended or potential areas only, and are not intended to preclude other options for surface lots, structures and pockets of parking.

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In the longer term, to replace surface parking spaces lost to development, parking structures will be constructed in Lot I (formerly Zone 3) for visitors, and on West Campus for students and other regular users, where the traffic flow can be accommodated via Main Street and Cootes Drive. The proposed site in Lot I (formerly Zone 3) (south of College Crescent, adjacent to Cootes Drive) will be the first to be considered for a parking structure, as it has good access to the regional road network via the new entrance from Cootes Drive. It is also in Central Campus, convenient to the hospital, and thus higher rates associated with structured parking will likely be more accepted by visitors. Second priority parking structure sites include the sites adjacent to Westaway Road, followed by the West Campus sites (see Figure 5-C).

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5.1.11

Above ground parking structures should be aesthetically pleasing and have active uses at ground level.

PART 5 A STRATEGY FOR ACCESS, CIRCULATION AND PARKING

5.2

Transportation Demand Management

As the University grows, it will need to become increasingly proactive in managing its traffic impacts and implementing measures to ensure that travel demands can be met by the campus infrastructure. The campus lies on Main Street West, the busiest east/west road in Hamilton, in an area where expansion of the road network is not possible to a significant degree. As a result, the University must move beyond accommodating the majority of its transportation demands though single occupant vehicle trips. Managing the need to accommodate more cars on campus will preserve the physical amenity of the campus, minimize negative impacts on the surrounding neighbourhoods, and defer or reduce the need to develop costly parking structures. This will also increase the long-term sustainability of the campus. The campus has already demonstrated success in managing its parking and travel demand by locating the majority of its parking supply on West Campus, serviced by a shuttle bus to the edge of the core campus and by increasing parking fees. It has also, through the McMaster Students Union, raised the level of transit use by including the cost of transit passes in the fees for undergraduate students. The University continues to install bicycle racks and lockers across campus to encourage cycling. McMaster facilities in satellite locations have helped to decrease vehicular travel to the campus. A Transportation Demand Management strategy can build upon these successful initiatives to further reduce vehicular travel to campus. A new transit terminal, accommodating GO Transit and campus shuttle buses, is located on campus, improving the convenience of transit use. Additional local transit routes could also be served by this terminal or another dedicated space. Encouraging transit use and thereby reducing auto trips is a crucial part of the Transportation Demand Management strategy. The University will work to encourage the City to develop its own transit strategy to allow transit routes to serve the campus and surrounding neighbourhood effectively, while not creating safety concerns on campus or affecting its functionality or attractiveness. Promoting use of the campus shuttle bus is an important part of campus transportation demand management.

There is a consensus among the University and City staff that some form of transit priority will be essential to make the transit terminal work and to significantly increase the transit modal split to campus. The new Main Street intersection and University Gates entrance to the campus accommodate transit priority for outbound buses. There are two key components to a transit priority strategy that should be reflected in the ongoing evolution of the Main Street entrance and south campus area. These will support the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role as a major transit supporter and a major employer in the City. First, buses must be able to exit effectively onto Main Street eastbound, without being trapped in queues of other vehicles. To ensure this transit priority, the entrance must reflect bus priority in signals and/or design. Second, buses must be able to proceed with priority along Main Street in both directions, to make transit service attractive and shift

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

trips away from single-occupant vehicles. The provision of transit priority on campus will minimize on-campus delays for HSR buses, however, the overall time saving will be minimal if no transit strategy on Main Street is implemented. Therefore, a transit priority strategy for Main Street east of the campus is needed. This strategy would be developed by the City, and would address signals and design treatments. Designs for Main Street and the southern campus frontage should be transit-supportive and of high quality. The primary focus should be on improving the design and capacity of the pedestrian realm (and access for cyclists), both in and out of the campus and along Main Street. The second priority should be on transit, followed by commercial vehicles and the private car.

Parking Fees Parking fees for 11 other universities in both suburban and urban locations in Canada and the United States were reviewed in 2002 to inform the discussion of McMaster’s fees for permit parking. At that time McMaster’s fees were well below average. The parking fees at McMaster have since been increased to be more in keeping with similar institutions and now range from $116 per semester on West Campus to $268 per semester in Lots B, C, D and G (formerly Zones 1 and 2). These on-campus permits are also subject to a monthly levy to finance the construction of the parking garage below the Ronald V. Joyce Stadium. Relative to other Canadian universities McMaster’s current rates are still at the low end: low rates are charged at Simon Fraser University, which is in a suburban/rural location, between $142-$348 per semester ($95 in 2002), whereas University of Ottawa, which is in an urban location and includes structured parking on campus, charges at the higher end of the scale $340-$505 per semester ($250 in 2002).

The University will review parking fees for permit parking.

PART 5 A STRATEGY FOR ACCESS, CIRCULATION AND PARKING

A Transportation Demand Management Strategy The following initiatives should be undertaken by the University to promote the use of alternate transportation modes – transit, walking, cycling, rollerblading and carpooling – to reduce the burden of cars on the campus and neighbourhood transportation and parking network and promote a healthy lifestyle within the University community: 5.2.1

In addition to the goal of capping parking levels on the North Campus to alleviate traffic on Sterling Street, the University will seek to limit the increase of peak hour and single-occupant trips to today’s levels, to limit further traffic impacts on the surrounding neighbourhoods.

5.2.2

The University may need to consider limiting on-campus parking to certain groups if demand exceeds supply to a significant degree. This could based on undergraduate year (e.g. providing permit parking only for those in second year or higher), or proximity to campus (e.g. providing permit parking only for those students, faculty and staff who live more than one or two kilometres away from campus).

5.2.3

Improvements to transit, pedestrian and cyclist access will be prioritized in any enhancements of access into campus.

5.2.4

Pedestrian connections will be made more attractive, convenient and safe to encourage walking to campus.

5.2.5

The University has developed and is in the process of implementing a Cycling Plan, in which bicycle routes to and through the campus will be improved and expanded in partnership with the City. Figure 5-E illustrates the Campus Bicycle Routes in the Cycling Plan, which extend along both new and existing campus streets and link to existing routes and trails within the surrounding area. Wherever feasible, campus bicycle lanes will be separately marked within the street right-of-ways, to ensure safe relationships between bicycles, vehicles and pedestrians.

5.2.6

The University will continue to designate congested areas on campus as “bike-walking” zones, where people will walk their bicycles, rather than ride them, to ensure safe relationships between pedestrians and cyclists, and cyclists and vehicles.

5.2.7

Secure bicycle storage and change/shower facilities will be installed as needed to encourage more people to cycle to campus.

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Lot N Parking

Cycling to the University will be supported as part of a transportation demand management strategy.

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Campus Bicycle Routes Figure 5-E

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GO Transit service has a significant presence on campus.

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5.2.8

A transit terminal for campus shuttles and GO buses has been developed on campus. The University will strongly encourage the City of Hamilton and the HSR to implement a transit strategy to ensure that transit routes are efficiently and effectively serving the campus and surrounding neighbourhood. This strategy may also include the development of an HSR turn-around serving the McMaster community on or adjacent to the campus.

5.2.9

The GO transit terminal is located adjacent to Mary Keyes Residence on the west side of Core Campus. While HSR buses could also be accommodated at this location the different needs and operations of local transit may be better served by a turn-around in another location. A preferred location for an HSR transit turn-around is north of the Sterling Street entrance. This is a central location, adjacent to the new University Centre, serving a large population of University users and local commuters, with good potential connections to future development in North Campus. The Sterling Street entrance could also be used to accommodate a turnaround on the Wentworth House development site.

5.2.10

The University will work with the HSR to reduce transit fares for the entire McMaster community, improve service levels to key points of origin and schedule buses to coincide with class schedules.

5.2.11

The University will work with GO Transit to explore the potential to reduce fares and accommodate more trips to campus, by expanding services from Halton and Peel Regions, and other outlying areas. McMaster will continue to explore the potential for better GO service, by tracking home locations of students, faculty and staff.

5.2.12

Any future satellite or off-campus housing opportunities will be coordinated with transit routes, wherever feasible.

5.2.13

The University will work with the City to determine its potential role in accommodating more high occupant vehicle trips to campus. Potential strategies include transit priority systems (including signal system priority, queue jump lanes and other design features), carpool programs and the creation of commuter parking lots around the periphery of the City at access points to the HSR network.

5.2.14

Classes will continue to be scheduled evenly throughout the day and week to reduce peaks in parking and travel demand.

5.2.15

The location of on-campus evening classes will be reviewed to shift more classes to the west or south side of campus to better distribute parking demand and reduce the load on the parking in North Campus, which is accessed by Sterling Street.

5.2.16

The University will consider increasing parking rates to achieve the following four goals: • to meet or exceed the cost of public transit, in order to shift as much travel demand as possible to transit; • to cover the operating cost of shuttle bus services; and • to create a parking fee structure that relates the cost of parking to the proximity to the heart of the campus. Parking & Transit Services staff will continuously review and update the financial elements of the Parking Strategic Plan to cover their projected costs related to these items.

5.2.17

The University will work with the City to see that parking bylaws on neighbourhood streets are enforced, to discourage campus users from parking on neighbourhood streets in response to higher campus parking fees.

5.2.18

The University will support the implementation of a carpool program, whereby interested participants are matched with potential travel-mates based on similarities in points of origin and travel patterns. Carpool participants will be permitted to park closer to their destination and/or at a reduced rate.

PART 5 A STRATEGY FOR ACCESS, CIRCULATION AND PARKING

Overall Policies for the Campus

The overall planning policies for the McMaster Campus follow from the six principles outlined in Section 4. They are intended to guide the University’s growth and renewal over time. They are supplemented by area-specific policies for the campus, found in Section 7 of this document. In all cases, the policies are intended to reflect the intent of the University’s Environmental Policies, including its Sustainable Building Policy (Appendix B), the City of Hamilton’s Official Plan and Zoning By-law, the principles of Hamilton’s Vision 2020 document, and the planning and environmental policies of the Hamilton Conservation Authority and Royal Botanical Gardens.

PART 6 OVERALL POLICIES FOR THE CAMPUS

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

6.1

Accommodating University Growth and Evolution

6.1.1

New development and infill will continue to be accommodated on Central and West Campus, to provide up to maximum of 2 million square feet (185,800 square metres) of building area over the next 30 years. This amount of building area is consistent with the average rate of McMasterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth since the 1960s.

6.1.2

The core area of the campus, south of Cootes Paradise and the new University Centre, will continue to accommodate incremental additions of academic buildings.

6.1.3

The rehabilitation, reuse and maintenance of existing buildings, both historic and new, will be an important component of accommodating the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s changing needs within its current campus.

6.1.4

The areas around the Main Street entrance, along the south frontage of the campus and along Cootes Drive will be the priority areas for new short-term growth and development of academic and parking facilities.

6.1.5

Development on West Campus should proceed in such a way that a critical mass of buildings can be created in a relatively short period of time. Therefore, mutually reinforcing uses that can be developed on West Campus should be identified. Potential uses can include academic buildings, athletic facilities, or student housing. Any such development will not preclude the construction of infrastructure.

6.1.6

Increasing development levels on the campus will be balanced by preservation of important green spaces and continued provision of a high-quality campus setting, to maintain positive impressions and ongoing quality of life on campus.

6.1.7

The internal campus structure of streets and open spaces will be extended to the campus edges to establish an appropriate framework for new development and infill. (See Figure 4-A)

6.1.8

Campus growth will be coordinated with the capacity of both University and City services and infrastructure.

6.1.9

Satellite facilities will be contemplated as they are needed to accommodate fluctuations in space requirements, the desire for a distributive education model, and/or for uses that are sufficiently independent from day-to-day University activities. Uses will be evaluated for sufficient independence by the University, in accordance with existing guidelines.

6.1.10

The Campus Plan is to be maintained and updated by the University Planning Committee. All construction, building and landscape projects are to be reviewed by the office of the Vice President (Administration).

6.2

Range and Patterns of Use

6.2.1

The campus will be a full-service environment for lifelong learning, living, working and playing, to provide a well-rounded university and community experience.

6.2.2

The current campus precincts, such as the athletic precinct or the health sciences precinct, will evolve into place-based rather than subject-based areas, in keeping with the culture and philosophy of interdisciplinary connections at McMaster.

6.2.3

Planning for the campus will seek to provide a good distribution of support services and amenities, to ensure that all precincts are well served.

6.2.4

Priority will be given to uses that are core to McMasterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s academic mission. These uses will be encouraged to locate within close walking distance of one another, within the Central Campus.

6.2.5

The campus will be planned and designed to facilitate the interdisciplinary and interactive nature of learning at McMaster, and will include flexible buildings and outdoor spaces for interaction. All core uses will be located to minimize distances for the greatest number of people.

6.2.6

The importance of supporting uses such as athletics and recreation, student housing, shared community facilities such as daycare, and facilities related to other partnerships such as the McMaster Medical Centre and related health care or research partners, will also be recognized, to promote the village model.

6.2.7

Athletic uses will be consolidated in the North Campus, with additional playing fields on West Campus.

6.2.8

Residential uses will continue to be consolidated along Cootes Paradise.

6.2.9

Contiguous expansion of the campus libraries is limited by site constraints. The University will encourage the preparation of efficiency studies to determine opportunities to make maximum use of existing facilities. In the event that new library buildings/additions are required, opportunities will be explored to provide abovegrade connections to existing library buildings.

6.2.10

Wherever appropriate, the campus edges will contain uses that are both core to the University and can be shared with the community.

6.2.11

The Campus Master Plan recognizes the important role of the McMaster Medical Centre and Hamilton Health Sciences on the campus. The University will continue to recognize the needs of the hospital in balance with the needs of the University.

Main Campus provides a full range of facilities for learning, playing and living.

PART 6 OVERALL POLICIES FOR THE CAMPUS

www.flickr.com The campusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historic structures and landscapes will be protected.

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

6.2.12

Uses related to the University will be encouraged along the south side of Main Street, in partnership with private landowners, to provide amenities for both students and the community and to revitalize the street across from the campus with active University uses. Compatibility with the adjacent community will be an important consideration for siting University uses on the south side of Main Street. This further reinforces the need for convenient and safe crossings of Main Street.

6.3

Heritage Preservation

6.3.1

The McMaster campus includes a historic area including six buildings that have been designated under the Ontario Heritage Act (see Figure 4-A). This area will be maintained to promote and preserve the cultural and built heritage of the University and the surrounding community. The University believes that there may be appropriate opportunities for additions/modifications to certain of the designated buildings, and will discuss these with the City.

6.3.2

A continued maintenance program will ensure that the historic buildings and landscapes remain in good repair and are upgraded or retrofitted where necessary to keep them useful to the University.

6.3.3

The campusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important structures, building facades, and the quality of the relationships between buildings and open spaces, courtyards and the Central Mall, will be preserved.

6.3.4

New buildings, additions to historic structures, new landscaping in the Central Mall or streetscaping initiatives in the older part of the campus will be sensitively designed and carefully reviewed to ensure an appropriate fit with the architectural character of the buildings, the attractive historic image they create, and their relationships with the Cootes Paradise Ravine and other important open spaces.

6.3.5

Materials for new additions and building upgrades such as new windows or other building elements should be as close as possible to those used originally, to ensure consistency and harmony with the existing palette of materials. The University is developing detailed design, architectural and materials guidelines to address this issue more specifically.

6.4

New Projects

6.4.1

Planning for all projects, including individual new buildings, additions, parking, infrastructure and landscape projects will be subject to the implementation process outlined in Section 9 of this document. All projects will be actively coordinated with and cognizant of other current and anticipated initiatives throughout the campus, and in particular those in proximity to each other, to begin to create attractive and cohesive public places rather than isolated projects.

6.4.2

Landscape improvements will be coordinated with or incorporated into new capital projects and regular repairs of infrastructure to realize synergies in timing and reduce costs to the University.

6.4.3

All building, parking, infrastructure and landscape projects will contribute to and reinforce the campus structure of streets and open spaces. In this way, investments made to support even temporary uses such as surface parking will strengthen the campus and can be carried forward in support of future uses. This will allow the University to utilize its resources effectively and efficiently.

6.4.4

New buildings should be designed to be flexible and easily adaptable to new configurations and uses, in order to easily accommodate changes in space requirements as academic programs change over time.

6.4.5

New buildings and facilities will be conceived with a broad mandate to include the possibility for a variety of uses. For example, a new building may include space for more than one department, or for a use that can be shared between the University and the community.

6.4.6

The existing daycare on campus is currently in need of a new facility. Ideally it will become part of a new campus development where it can enjoy a permanent location. The daycare facility will need easy pedestrian access to all parts of the campus, be located near green space and with access to short-term parking and drop-off spaces.

6.4.7

The Main Campus continues to grow and improve.

New buildings or additions will be planned and designed to make maximum use of the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capacity. Buildings or additions that are too small in relation to their surrounding context do not realize the full development potential of a site, and make additional development to accommodate moderate growth and fluctuations in space needs difficult and/or expensive.

Rendering of the new engineering building (provided by Vermeulen Hind Archi

PART 6 OVERALL POLICIES FOR THE CAMPUS

Mills Memorial Library

Accessible ramp 68

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6.4.8

New buildings or building additions on the campus will be planned and designed to fit within their existing context, through the use of a consistent (though not necessarily identical) vocabulary of materials, relationships to streets and open spaces, and appropriate massing. An excellent example on campus is the addition to the Mills Memorial Library. The University is preparing detailed design, architectural and materials guidelines to assist the proponents of new developments.

6.4.9

New buildings or additions will be designed to ensure accessibility for the mobility-challenged, including the installation of Urban Braille features in the surrounding street- and landscapes.

6.4.10

New buildings that are attached to existing buildings will be planned to include an internal infrastructure of public spaces and pedestrian connections to avoid large complexes that are difficult to navigate and reduce the walkability of the campus.

6.4.11

All projects related to the Campus Master Plan (new buildings, additions, renovations, landscaping, streetscaping etc.) will be reviewed and approved by the University Planning Committee to ensure adherence to this plan and its principles.

Open Spaces and Landscaping

6.5.1

The quality of the campusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s landscape and open spaces is critical in creating positive first impressions and memorable images. All building projects will include landscape design and funding to contribute to the beauty of the campus landscape, which will be unified through a consistent palette of high-quality landscape materials.

6.5.2

The University should develop a Landscape Master Plan, to implement the compelling places and priority landscape projects identified in this Campus Master Plan. The Landscape Master Plan should include renewal plans for existing compelling places (see Figure 1-B) such as the Central Mall and Edwards Quad; guidelines for building-related landscapes including forecourts, courtyards and foundation plantings around existing buildings, new buildings and additions; new landscapes such as the Main Street frontage, and the spaces at the campus edges and interfaces with the community. The preparation of a Landscape Master Plan should be a Priority Project, as outlined in Section 8.4 of this Plan.

6.5.3

Capital funding and ongoing operating and maintenance funding will be provided for landscape projects to keep campus landscaping attractive.

6.5.4

Important green spaces will be preserved to ensure that development does not erode the campus landscape. Significant tree specimens will be preserved where possible and existing landscapes will be integrated into new building development, to create landscaped places that serve to relate new projects to each other and the existing campus.

6.5.5

Landscape projects, including those in pedestrian areas, parking lots and structures, and at the transit terminal/bus turn-around, will be carefully planned to balance design objectives with the need to maintain sightlines to ensure safety.

6.5.6

Safety measures, such as emergency phones and lighting for pedestrian routes and in parking lots and structures, will be implemented in the campus open spaces and trail systems.

6.5.7

The playing fields and other actively programmed open spaces on campus will be multi-purpose, to allow for a variety of games to be played within the same space to maximize their use and efficiency.

6.5.8

Landscape design will be actively considered during project planning to address vehicular traffic and pedestrian flow issues.

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6.5

Investment in open spaces continues to be made.

PART 6 OVERALL POLICIES FOR THE CAMPUS

Landscape Design Competition A landscape design competition was held in 2005 to find a design direction for the McMaster Campus. The winning entry was prepared by Fleisher Ridout Partnership Inc. and is included as Appendix D in this document. The proposed design has not yet been adopted but elements are being implemented through discrete projects. Additional elements of the landscape plan should be considered for implement as the Campus continues to evolve. As stated in policy 6.5.2, the University should prepare and adopt a Landscape Master Plan to formalize this process. Landscape Competition Winning Design

Landscape Master Aerial Perspective (provided by Fleisher Ridout Partnership Inc.)

Landscape Master Plan, McMaster Plaza (provided by Fleisher Ridout Partnership Inc.)

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

6.6

The Natural Environment

6.6.1

The campus will be a leader in management and stewardship of its open spaces and surrounding natural environment, in keeping with its beautiful and ecologically significant setting.

6.6.2

Campus planning will be aligned, where possible, with the goals of Vision 2020 and other documents promoting sustainable and environmentally sensitive development in the Hamilton area.

6.6.3

The University will promote environmental awareness within McMaster and the surrounding neighbourhoods, through courses, workshops and information sessions, to create a community of environmentally-conscious citizens.

6.6.4

The University will apply its expertise to environmental initiatives on campus, through knowledge gained by its research programs, and as part of academic programs. For example, demonstration projects such as stormwater ponds, habitat restoration, or landscaping can be implemented and monitored by students as part of an interdisciplinary program or set of courses.

6.6.5

All new construction or renovation projects will adhere to the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sustainable Building Policy with respect to building design, materials and operational practices.

6.6.6

The University will implement programs to reduce solid waste, hazardous waste and waste water. The University will promote recycling facilities and practices to achieve this goal.

6.6.7

The campus environment will include both landscaped and naturalized places, including the extension of indigenously vegetated spaces into campus to reinforce and extend the natural setting.

6.6.8

Wherever appropriate, non-invasive plant species will be used in campus landscape projects, to minimize threats to the stability of the Cootes Paradise ecosystem, and to minimize maintenance, irrigation and fertilizer application. Where possible, organic pest control including integrated pest management, fertilizers, and landscape management practices will be applied.

University Hollow

PART 6 OVERALL POLICIES FOR THE CAMPUS

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

6.6.9

Open spaces will be connected to provide wildlife corridors and linkages between campus green spaces and off-campus natural areas, including connections to recreational trails from West Campus, and to Cootes Paradise/RBG lands from Central Campus.

6.6.10

Development projects adjacent to Cootes Paradise and Ancaster Creek will be located to maximize buffer areas and ensure stable slopes. Where appropriate, the landscaping associated with these new projects will contribute to the habitat of Cootes Paradise or Ancaster Creek.

6.6.11

The University will work to manage stormwater on campus, through measures designed to reduce runoff from building roofs, streets and paved areas, and to improve the quality of the stormwater runoff. Stormwater ponds will be considered in plans for new developments, particularly adjacent to Ancaster Creek and Cootes Paradise.

6.6.12

Joint stewardship of shared environments between McMaster and the City of Hamilton, the Royal Botanical Gardens and the Hamilton Conservation Authority will be encouraged. Examples include tree-planting and streetscaping on Main Street, Cootes Drive and Forsyth Avenue, and the rehabilitation of Ancaster Creek.

6.7

Community Partnerships

6.7.1

The campus will continue to be a place that serves many different communities in different ways and will be a resource for many kinds of groups from the local neighbourhoods and the wider city/region.

6.7.2

Physical interfaces and connections with the city and the surrounding community will be improved, through the creation of active and inviting campus edges with new pedestrian access points, landscaped buffers, and new buildings that present an attractive and welcoming face to both the campus and its immediate neighbours.

6.7.3

Any satellite facilities developed by the University in off-campus locations must be a good fit with the host community or shared ventures with the community.

6.7.4

The University will work together with its neighbours, the City, the Hamilton Street Railway, the Conservation Authority and the Royal Botanical Gardens to create partnerships and to solve issues that impact relationships between them.

6.7.5

The University will work with community partners to naturalize the buffer between Ancaster Creek and the West Campus parking areas with native trees, shrubs and plants.

6.7.6

The University will work with the Conservation Authority and the Royal Botanical Gardens to develop lists of appropriate plant materials for the campus.

6.7.7

The University will be open in its planning and communication with members of the surrounding communities, the City, and impacted agencies. A number of mechanisms will be employed to achieve this end, including Public Information Sessions, Community Open Houses, and regular meetings of the President’s Advisory Committee on Community Relations, as detailed in Section 9 of this plan.

6.7.8

McMaster recognizes that the intensity of activity on campus has a number of external impacts, which are of legitimate concern to its surrounding neighbourhoods. These include, but are not limited to, impacts related to the number of McMaster students living in the neighbourhoods; certain incompatibilities between student behaviour and a more family-oriented lifestyle; and traffic, particularly truck-related, that travels through the neighbourhoods to reach the University. The University is committed to continuing to work with its neighbours and the City to develop appropriate and achievable solutions to these issues, through the President’s Advisory Committee on Community Relations and other University-Community forums that may be established from time to time.

6.7.9

As per its commitment in Recommendation 6.1 of the McMaster University Area Neighbourhoods Task Force Report, the University intends to work with the community and the City to review student housing options.

6.7.10

McMaster will continue its current initiatives to encourage appropriate student behaviour in the neighbourhoods and will work with the neighbouring communities/City to develop new initiatives as required. Support from the university is in the form of its Off-Campus Resource Centre (OCRC) which works in collaboration with the McMaster Students Union (MSU) on most projects. Current initiatives include the Living Off-Campus: Student Success Guide booklet, which includes a review of the Residential Tenancies Act, indicates what students should consider when choosing rental accommodation, and outlines tenant responsibilities related to noise, parking and property standards. McMaster hosts annual Information Sessions for students to communicate the information included in the booklet. Further student education occurs through ad-hoc articles in the Silhouette, informing students about City noise and property standards by-law requirements and other issues related to appropriate behaviour and practices for students living off-campus. The Student Community Support Network is a McMaster Students Union-sponsored initiative that appoints student representatives throughout the local neighbourhoods, to act as liaisons and encourage appropriate behaviour. A Rental Accountability Program (RAP) was introduced in 2008. This voluntary program requires landlords to make a public “declaration of accountability”, stating that they promise to keep their rental accommodations safe and habitable as per the Residential Tenancies Act. Biannually the OCRC hosts a Landlord Information Night to bring together interested landlords to discuss changes to government legislation, local by-laws, new initiatives offered by McMaster (such as RAP), in an effort to keep them informed and updated about programs related to their business. The University and the MSU also partner with Hamilton Police Services (HPS) to provide extra policing on two or three nights per week during the school year. The university has developed (with HPS) a “Community Accountability Program” as a potential diversion program (modelled on the Youth Criminal Justice Act) for students identified in possible criminal behaviour off campus.

McMaster will continue its current initiatives to encourage appropriate student behaviour in the neighbourhoods.

PART 6 OVERALL POLICIES FOR THE CAMPUS

The University will continue to work with the surrounding communities to strengthen partnerships.

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

6.7.11

As per its commitment in Recommendation 13.2 of the McMaster University Area Neighbourhoods Task Force Report, the University will install signs near each of its current and proposed entrances to promote behaviour conducive with quiet neighbourhoods, on the understanding that the City will post similar signs within the neighbourhoods.

6.7.12

McMaster will support area residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; desire to explore the potential to implement changes to the neighbourhood traffic system, including cul-de-sac closures of Arnold and Traymore; Mayfair Crescent, Mayfair Place, and Forsyth Avenue at the north end; and the reopening of Forsyth Avenue to Main Street.

6.7.13

Community consultation undertaken in preparation of this Campus Master Plan has highlighted the concerns of those living on the east side of the McMaster University Medical Centre, related to truck traffic travelling through neighbourhoods streets to reach the hospital loading dock. There are also a number of specific concerns related to operations at the loading docks themselves. Jurisdiction for these matters rests with Hamilton Health Sciences, not McMaster University.

6.7.14

Success of the Campus Master Plan depends in large measure on the ability to increase the proportion of trips made to campus on transit. While the Plan contains a number of campus-specific initiatives which will contribute significantly to achieving this objective, it will be necessary for the City of Hamilton to also develop a transit strategy for the Main Street West corridor. The University will continue to advocate that the City develop such a strategy, and will offer its participation as appropriate.

6.7.15

The University will encourage the City to support the quality of the campus interfaces with the community, by improving the public realm leading to all campus entrances. The replanting of declining trees on Sterling Street, as well as improvements to the public realm of Main Street West and Cootes Drive can serve as demonstrations of partnerships and initiatives that will create positive campus faces.

6.7.16

The University values the retail uses located along King Street in Westdale and along Main Street West, as providers of important services and amenities to the University community It will work to ensure that campus planning and related initiatives continue to support these businesses.

6.8

Transportation, Access and Circulation

6.8.1

The University will implement the Access, Circulation and Parking strategies, including the Transportation Demand Management strategies, outlined in Section 5 of this document.

6.8.2

The campus transportation system will support the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision for its future, while enhancing the valued pedestrian priority in the heart of the campus.

6.8.3

The campus entrances will be made more functional for better access to the University. Entrances will be designed to accommodate a variety of modes of arrival, including cars, buses, pedestrians, service vehicles, bicycles, rollerbladers, etc., recognizing that the relative priority given to each mode will be different at each entrance. Pedestrian/cyclist amenity and safety will be a priority at all entrances.

6.8.4

Safe relationships between pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles will be ensured through careful design of entrances, buildings, pedestrian routes, bicycle routes, and vehicular routes, including service vehicle routes and loading areas. Particular attention will be paid to the Sterling Street entrance, and the area around the Psychology Building where University Avenue meets College Crescent, as well as the service area near the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Learning and Discovery.

6.8.5

The number of safe and convenient access points to the campus for pedestrians, rollerbladers and cyclists will be increased along all main faces of the campus.

6.8.6

The University Gates on Main Street will be the â&#x20AC;&#x153;front doorâ&#x20AC;? for the campus, a very public and active place providing a logical and attractive entry point for visitors who arrive on foot, via a personal mobility aid, by bicycle, transit or car. It will also accommodate everyday University/McMaster Medical Centre users who arrive on foot/bicycle.

6.8.7

Given that the current desire within the university community is to prohibit vehicular traffic on University Walk, traffic on the segments of University Walk and Sterling Street should be limited to McMaster University service vehicles and shuttle buses, service vehicles of contractors working with the University, and, in the short to medium term, Hamilton Street Railway buses which are focused on serving the McMaster campus community. McMaster University will work with the HSR to plan for an appropriate level of service serving the campus and neighbourhoods adjacent to it. Ultimately the University and HSR will plan for services and facilities that eliminate routes running through the core of campus.

6.8.8

The transportation and circulation network balances access between many types of vehicles.

The Sterling Street entrance will be a primary entrance for pedestrians. It will also serve a restricted number of regular University car trips and transit, primarily those accessing the north parking zones including the garage under the David Braley Athletic Centre.

PART 6 OVERALL POLICIES FOR THE CAMPUS

Campus entrance improvements continue to be made.

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

6.8.9

Truck traffic related to construction projects on campus should be managed so as to minimize interference with the pedestrian focus of University Walk, recognizing designated City of Hamilton Truck Routes and the limitations of the structural and geometric design of the campus road network.

6.8.10

The Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Walk entrance is an important pedestrian entrance to campus, and will be appropriately maintained to continue to provide both a safe pedestrian access, and an aesthetically attractive element for the campus edge.

6.8.11

The University will work with the City of Hamilton to provide a safer and more convenient crossing for pedestrians and cyclists through the redesign of the intersection of Cootes Drive and Main Street.

6.8.12

The at-grade access at College Crescent and Cootes Drive enhances the ease and safety for pedestrians and cyclists crossing Cootes Drive. It also acts as a continuation of the City bicycle route that exists on Sanders Blvd.

6.8.13

At-grade crossings of busy arterials such as Cootes Drive are recommended rather than below-grade tunnels or above grade bridges for a number of reasons. One reason is cost â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a structure is far more expensive than an improved grade crossing. Another reason is convenience â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an at-grade crossing is easiest for all users, regardless of differences in levels of physical ability. Finally, because tunnels or bridges are less convenient, people tend not to use them, making them unsafe, or perceived to be unsafe, because they are not populated.

6.8.14

The entrance to Westaway Road from Cootes Drive will continue to accommodate the majority of car trips to campus, providing access to a large supply of parking available on West Campus.

6.8.15

Opportunities will be explored to create an additional access point to West Campus from Cootes Drive (the Dundas Gates). This access will serve West Campus parking and will become more important as West Campus becomes developed.

6.8.16

Each entrance (University Gates, Sterling Gates, Kings Gates, College Gates and Dundas Gates, etc.) will have a high quality image, consisting of landscaping and/or buildings of an appropriate gateway character, to announce the arrival to the University. The gateway landscaping and buildings will begin an attractive sequence of entry to the campus, which will be reinforced along the key campus routes.

6.8.17

Gateways and “Gates” such as King’s Gates, the University Gates, Scholar’s Gates, and others, are intended to mark thresholds, not to be imposing structures that could be perceived as being designed to keep people out or make them feel unwelcome. They will be designed to be compatible with the campus buildings and landscaping, and the adjacent city/neighbourhood context.

6.8.18

The design of all entrances will be simple to navigate and provide improved visitor orientation information, as well as logical routes to parking and buildings.

6.8.19

The campus circulation network will include consistent signage for visitors, to improve way-finding both to and through campus. Way-finding will be place-based, referring to the notable and memorable buildings and compelling places, rather than on abstract campus “zones”.

6.8.20

Routes to appropriate parking for special events or facilities shared with the community, such as the athletic facilities, will be clearly marked for visitors.

6.8.21

Pedestrian space, bicycle space and vehicular space (including space for transit) will be clearly delineated on campus circulation routes, to ensure safe relationships between each mode of travel.

6.8.22

Existing pedestrian routes will be improved throughout campus, with wide and continuous sidewalks on all campus streets, lighting, landscaping and seating. New pedestrian routes will be extended to and through campus edges, following pedestrian desire lines.

6.8.23

Wherever feasible, bicycle routes to and through campus will be improved by marking separate lanes and/ or routes on new or redesigned campus streets, to ensure safe relationships with pedestrian and vehicular traffic. The University may also consider designating congested areas on campus as “bike-walking” zones, where people will walk their bicycles, rather than ride them. Convenient and well-lit bicycle parking facilities will be provided throughout campus.

6.8.24

Westaway Road is an important vehicle and pedestrian connection between Main Campus and West Campus.

The plan for any development will consider the ability of the campus and external road network to accommodate the traffic volume associated with the development, and the ability to provide adequate parking.

PART 6 OVERALL POLICIES FOR THE CAMPUS

Service and loading areas will continue to be carefully planned and consolidated.

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

6.9

Parking and Servicing

6.9.1

A broader range of parking “products” will be provided throughout campus. These will include small, sensitively placed and appropriately screened pockets of parking, on-street parking, and short-term spaces close to buildings; large surface lots; parking structures in proximity to important vehicular entrances; and parking below new construction.

6.9.2

The long-term parking supply on West Campus will be significantly increased through the construction of multi-level parking structures on either side of the Westaway Road bridge, and potentially with single-level structures above existing surface parking in Lot M (formerly Zone 6). The latter would be subject to review with the Hamilton Conservation Authority.

6.9.3

Surface parking in areas to be displaced by new buildings will be replaced with at least one level of parking beneath buildings, wherever possible.

6.9.4

Service/loading areas for new and/or existing buildings will be carefully planned and consolidated to minimize conflicts with pedestrian circulation networks, reduce visual impacts within the campus and in the neighbourhood, and minimize the use of University Walk and Scholar’s Road by service vehicles.

Area-Specific Policies for the Campus

The following detailed policies outline the overall design objectives for specific areas of the campus, and are intended to provide a road map for realizing the vision for the campus. These policies will assist project planners in developing designs that will allow the campus to achieve a high quality image and preserve and enhance its important aesthetic and pedestrian-focused characteristics.

7.1

The Core Campus

The Core Campus boundaries are roughly defined by Cootes Paradise and the University Centre complex to the north, Forsyth Avenue, Main Street and Cootes Drive. It can be divided into four subprecincts: Cootes Paradise; Core Campus – East; Core Campus – West; and Core Campus – South. The vision for the campus retains the Core Campus in essentially its current form; it is, after all, the most attractive place on the campus, and forms the image that automatically comes to mind when thinking about McMaster. The campus planning policies enhance this image, and include guidelines for new development and infill that reinforce the strong structure of this part of the campus. Specific policies relate to the design and function of the entrances to the south part of the Core Campus. The policies are illustrated in Figures 7-A1 through 7-A4.

Core Campus

PART 7 AREA-SPECIFIC POLICIES FOR THE CAMPUS

Overall Core Policies The following policies apply to all four sub-precincts of the Core Campus: Cootes Paradise; Core Campus – East; Core Campus – West; and Core Campus – South. They focus on the Central Mall, achieving pedestrian priority, maintaining green spaces, and on creating a cohesive image for the Core Campus.

College Crescent

University Mall

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

7.1.1

The role of the Central Mall as a ceremonial space, an informal recreation space, and as the heart of the campus will be reinforced. It will remain an open space with no buildings encroaching upon it.

7.1.2

Landscape improvements will reinforce the structure and function of the Central Mall and its surrounding streets and buildings. Beautiful plantings and walkways within the Central Mall will create a high standard for other campus open spaces.

7.1.3

New development and infill will be placed so that front entrances are facing the Central Mall, University Walk, College Crescent, King’s Walk, and Scholar’s Road so that they reinforce existing open spaces, view corridors and pedestrian circulation routes.

7.1.4

View corridors along the Central Mall will be reinforced by landscaping and streetscaping, in particular the view along the Sterling Street Mall, the extension of University Avenue south of College Crescent, and King’s Walk.

7.1.5

New open spaces created by new development and additions to existing buildings should be regularlyshaped and fairly formal in character, to echo the Central Mall.

7.1.6

Courtyards and interstitial spaces between buildings, particularly west of the Central Mall, but also to its east and south of College Crescent, will be landscaped and improved to provide smaller more intimate open spaces and a pleasant environment for pedestrians as they walk through the Core Campus.

7.1.7

Materials for new development and new landscaping will be consistent and harmonious with the predominant materials used in the Core Campus.

7.1.8

Distinctive and consistent paving for pedestrian paths will be used in the core, to indicate its character as a pedestrian priority area.

7.1.9

The pedestrian priority of University Walk will be enhanced by narrowing the roadway to one lane in each direction, expanding sidewalks, and adding seating, landscaping, and lighting to improve the amenity for pedestrians. Urban Braille concepts will be incorporated into the landscape and public realm to enhance accessibility for all.

7.1.10

Servicing/loading areas and access to underground parking for new buildings should as far as possible be consolidated with existing servicing areas to minimize impacts on pedestrian routes and open spaces.

Scholarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Road

PART 7 AREA-SPECIFIC POLICIES FOR THE CAMPUS

Cootes Paradise (see Figure 7-A1) 7.1.11

Historic buildings and landscapes will be preserved through funding for ongoing maintenance.

7.1.12

University Walk will be extended north of the Sterling Street Mall to create an important pedestrian route with connections to the Cootes Paradise ravine, and an address for the new development sites identified east of the existing residence buildings.

7.1.13

New development will follow the successful pattern of buildings nestled against Cootes Paradise with a relationship to both the ravine and the campus.

7.1.14

The Cootes Paradise edge of the core of campus is also home to two important compelling places: Edwards Quad and University Hollow. Edwards Quad is a formal landscaped space and should be protected and enhanced with improved paving and street furniture. University Hollow is a pastoral landscape and is the setting for some of the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oldest buildings. The continued maintenance of this naturalized area will preserve its informal qualities.

7.1.15

The ravine walkway along Cootes Paradise will be extended as a key pedestrian route between North and West Campus.

7.1.16

Building setbacks from Cootes Paradise will be maximized and buffer areas will be created wherever feasible, with guidance from the Hamilton Conservation Authority, in order to preserve the slope stability and ecological integrity of the ravine. A minimum 7.5 metre setback from the stable top of the ravine slope will be required for new buildings along Cootes Paradise.

Cootes Paradise

The University setting is nestled against Cootes Paradise

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

Legend

Landmark Building Element

Service court

Compelling Places

View Terminus

Recommended pocket and street parking

Gateway

Potential Building Infill

Appropriate location for new building entrance

Key pedestrian connection

17 18 19 20 21 22

Parking structures Existing & Proposed

Bike Route

Edwards Quad University Walk Marauders Walk Marauders Quad Stearn Drive Marauders Plaza

* Red numbers indicate projects that have been recently completed or are in progress

Refer to Figure 7-A1 on page 83

Both solid and dashed lines indicate extent of project/location

Cootes Paradise Figure 7-A1

Extend ravine landscape to provide attractive new setting and street connection

23 19 18 This area contains a number of existing compelling places, including Marauders Quad & Plaza, and Stearn Drive. Together these places will form a significant new setting for development

22 21

17 Extend Ravine Walk as Key pedestrian connection between North and West Campuses

PART 7 AREA-SPECIFIC POLICIES FOR THE CAMPUS

Core Campus â&#x20AC;&#x201C; East (see Figure 7-A2)

Core Campus - East

7.1.17

The design of the Sterling Street entrance will reflect its historic nature as a main campus entrance. It will be transformed into a beautiful entry sequence known as Sterling Gates and Mall. Its pedestrian focus will be significantly enhanced. The design of the entrance will be appropriate in scale to both its pedestrian nature, and the surrounding neighbourhood. Special attention will be paid to ensuring safe relationships between pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles (private, service, and transit).

7.1.18

The University will encourage the City to replace declining trees along Sterling Street, to create an enhanced approach to this important campus entrance.

7.1.19

New buildings along the Sterling Street Mall should be of high quality and provide distinctive design elements that address the Sterling Gates. The buildings should be oriented to address the Sterling Street Mall primarily, with secondary frontages addressing a new north-south street and Forsyth Avenue.

7.1.20

Wentworth House, slated for eventual demolition, will become an important gateway development site.

7.1.21

The landscaping along the eastern edge of the campus will be improved and expanded to extend the natural ravine setting into the campus, improve the attractiveness of the buffer along Forsyth Avenue and create Mayfair Grove.

7.1.22

New buildings along the eastern edge of the Core Campus will present an appropriate face to Forsyth Avenue as well as addressing the campus.

7.1.23

The existing drive aisle providing access to Lots B through D will be formalized into a proper street, to be known as Students Walk, with wide sidewalks and a landscaped boulevard. This will calm vehicles through this area and provide additional amenity for the many pedestrians that use this route between the Michael DeGroote Centre for Learning and Discovery and the David Braley Athletic Centre.

7.1.24

The University will consider opportunities for an HSR bus turn-around adjacent to the Sterling Street entrance.

Parking adjacent to the David Braley Athletic Centre

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

Legend

Compelling Places

Landmark Building Element

Service court

View Terminus

Recommended pocket and street parking

Gateway

Potential Building Infill

Appropriate location for new building entrance

Key pedestrian connection

Parking structures Existing & Proposed

Bike Route

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 24 27 29

Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Walk Central Mall Sterling Street mall Sterling Gates University Hallow Edwards Quad University Walk Mayfair Grove Students Walk Divinity Garden

* Red numbers indicate projects that have been recently completed or are in progress

Refer to Figure 7-A2 on page 85

Both solid and dashed lines indicate extent of project/location

Core Campus - East Figure 7-A2

University Walk pedestrianization and landscaping

Create Sterling Gates and Plaza

Sterling Street Mall re-design and landscaping

29 13

Replace Wentworth House Enhance landscape buffer

PART 7 AREA-SPECIFIC POLICIES FOR THE CAMPUS

Core Campus â&#x20AC;&#x201C; South (see Figure 7-A3) 7.1.25

The Main Street entrance is a compelling place, not simply a functional entrance. It consists of the University Gates and front lawns, and is the most significant place in the entry sequence to the campus. Landscaping, including gateway markers will improve visitor orientation and better announce the University as a landmark institution on Main Street. University Avenue, the southerly extension of University Walk, will lead south from the heart of the campus to the University Gates, west of the McMaster Medical Centre.

7.1.26

Landscaping along the University Avenue extension will define the new street and screen the McMaster Medical Centreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side facade and existing service areas.

7.1.27

Building T-13 will be demolished and a landmark building which would include a Welcome Centre, will be constructed to provide information and orientation for visitors to the campus and to help define the University Gates as a point of arrival. It is a key corner building and should address both Main Street and the University Avenue extension. Signage will be included to direct visitors to parking, information areas and other campus amenities.

7.1.28

Brockhouse Way is currently being established as a main north-south pedestrian route parallel to University Avenue, linking Main Street and the University Gates to the Central Mall.

7.1.29

The University will continue work with the City of Hamilton to enhance the public realm of Main Street West through improvements to landscaping, the planting of trees in the boulevards, improvement of sidewalks, and street furniture, to provide a strong primary face to the campus. Paving, street furniture and landscape materials should be consistent with that used for the University Gates. An overall design strategy should be prepared in partnership between the University and the City, to guide the Main Street West public realm improvements.

Core Campus - South

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

Legend

Landmark Building Element

Service court

Compelling Places

View Terminus

Recommended pocket and street parking

Gateway

Potential Building Infill

Appropriate location for new building entrance

7 8 9 10 11

Key pedestrian connection

Parking structures Existing & Proposed

Bike Route

College Gate McMaster Lawn South Campus Walk Brockhouse Way University Gates

* Red numbers indicate projects that have been recently completed or are in progress

Refer to Figure 7-A3 on page 87

Both solid and dashed lines indicate extent of project/location

Core Campus - South Figure 7-A3

Continue creation of College Gates

Screen existing service area

9 Create McMaster Lawn

Demolish Building T-13

Continue Creation of University Gates and Entry Plaza

Advocate substantial pedestrian realm improvements and traffic calming

Create attractive new facade on parking garage

PART 7 AREA-SPECIFIC POLICIES FOR THE CAMPUS

Main Street Entrance

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

7.1.30

The University will consider opportunities for an HSR bus turn-around related to the Main Street entrance. The campus’s south edge along Main Street, including McMaster’s property east of Forsyth Avenue, will undergo a substantial landscape improvement program to enhance the attractiveness and visual impact of this important edge.

7.1.31

Opportunities for well-designed signage indicating arrival at McMaster University should be explored along Main Street West, in particular at McMaster Lawn, University Gates and the University’s property east of Forsyth Avenue.

7.1.32

New buildings along the south edge of the campus will have their primary facades along Main Street, to improve the campus image and help revitalize this portion of this important City street. Attractive secondary facades and entrances will provide welcoming faces to the interior of the campus.

7.1.33

The existing McMaster Medical Centre’s parking garage should be expanded and/or refitted with a new facade along Main Street to provide additional capacity and improve its appearance. The University will support local residents’ desire to explore the potential to create a separate entrance from Main Street West to the parking garage, close the existing roadway south of the garage, and reopen Forsyth Avenue to Main Street.

7.1.34

The northeast corner of Main Street and Cootes Drive will be redesigned to create McMaster Lawn, to provide an attractive pedestrian gateway to the campus with connections to the core through new courtyards and South Campus Walk. Its barrier effect should be enhanced by the removal of the dedicated right-turn lane from Main Street to Cootes Drive, in partnership with the City.

7.1.35

Enhanced landscaping of the traffic island at the corner of Main Street and Cootes drive will provide a sense of arrival to McMaster, and will be designed to ensure visibility for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers crossing the intersection.

7.1.36

New buildings will incorporate special design features to identify the gateway character of McMaster Lawn.

7.1.37

The University will work with the City to reconfigure the intersection of Cootes Drive at Main Street to develop a separate eastbound left turn lane to maximize the east/west through capacity of Main Street; and to remove the dedicated right turn lane from Main Street westbound to Cootes Drive northbound to significantly improve the safety of the pedestrian crossing to McMaster Lawn. Currently at this intersection, there is no protection for pedestrian crossings from the large island adjacent to the high speed dedicated right turn lane. Plantings on the island restrict pedestriansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; visibility for drivers making the right turn.

7.1.38

South Campus Walk will be established as a pedestrian link between Main Street and College Crescent, south of the Engineering buildings. It will also provide service and emergency vehicle access to the Information Technology building and other development west of University Gates.

The northeast corner of Main Street and Cootes Drive has the potential to be redesigned to create McMaster Lawn.

PART 7 AREA-SPECIFIC POLICIES FOR THE CAMPUS

Core Campus – West

(see Figure 7-A4)

7.1.39

The entrance point at College Crescent (College Gates) will begin an attractive sequence of entry along College Crescent for pedestrians and cyclists. This gateway will be enhanced with landscaping and special gateway markers at the entry point.

7.1.40

The western face of the Central Campus will be improved through landscaping. New buildings will provide a face to Cootes Drive as well as to the campus.

7.1.41

New development, infill and building additions will be planned and designed to support pedestrian connections through the west part of Core Campus, and will not encroach onto identified courtyard spaces.

7.1.42

Scholar’s Gates will be created as an important access point and place on campus. The design should reinforce the sense of transition from Central to West Campus, while serving to actively connect them. Scholar’s Road will continue to provide an important pedestrian connection to West Campus, through Scholar’s Gates.

7.1.43

An additional pedestrian connection to West Campus will be explored adjacent to the President’s Residence.

7.1.44

The University will work with the City of Hamilton to enhance the public realm of Cootes Drive through improvements to landscaping, the planting of trees in the boulevards, improvement of sidewalks, and street furniture, to provide a strong primary face to the campus. Paving, street furniture and landscape materials should be consistent with that used for the College Gates and Scholar’s Gates. An overall design strategy should be prepared in partnership between the University and the City, to guide the Cootes Drive public realm improvements.

Core Campus - West

Core Campus - West is home to many of the Faculty of Science facilities.

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

Legend

Landmark Building Element

Service court

Compelling Places

View Terminus

Recommended pocket and street parking

Gateway

Potential Building Infill

6 7 13 29

Appropriate location for new building entrance

Key pedestrian connection

Parking structures Existing & Proposed

Bike Route

Scholar’s Gates College Gate Central Mall Divinity Garden

* Red numbers indicate projects that have been recently completed or are in progress

Refer to Figure 7-A4 on page 91

Both solid and dashed lines indicate extent of project/location

Core Campus - West

Create Scholar’s Gates

Figure 7-A4

Scholar’s Road to remain an important “address” and major pedestrian connection to West Campus

Improve landscaping on Cootes Dr. Consolidate service area and screen from green courtyards Continue creation of College Gates

Potential building infill

College Crescent to be narrowed and its pedestrian environment improved and extended to Cootes Drive

PART 7 AREA-SPECIFIC POLICIES FOR THE CAMPUS

7.2 The North Campus (see Figure 7-B) The North Campus is the area north of the University Centre complex. It includes the athletic precinct, and a small amount of surface parking. It is currently difficult to navigate as a pedestrian, with convoluted road networks and conflicts between pedestrian routes and routes for cars accessing the parking lots. The campus vision illustrates this area as a strengthened academic, residential and/or athletic district with a new structure of streets and open spaces that provides a logical template for new development and infill.

Policies

North Campus

7.2.1

The prominence of surface parking on the North Campus will be reduced by replacing surface lots with parking below new buildings.

7.2.2

Vehicular access to Michell Crescent along the west side of Mayfair Oval will be protected to allow access to the northernmost part of campus.

7.2.3

New streets will be designed to ensure a safe relationship between pedestrian and vehicular traffic. They will be arranged to provide a porous pedestrian network through the North Campus, particularly within the athletic precinct.

Playing fields in the northeast corner of the campus are to remain.

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

Legend

Landmark Building Element

Service court

Compelling Places

View Terminus

Recommended pocket and street parking

Gateway

Potential Building Infill

Appropriate location for new building entrance

19 21 24 25 26

Key pedestrian connection

Parking structures Existing & Proposed

Bike Route

Marauders Walk Stearn Drive Mayfair Grove Mayfair Oval Mayfair Arboretum

* Red numbers indicate projects that have been recently completed or are in progress

Refer to Figure 7-B on page 93

Both solid and dashed lines indicate extent of project/location

North Campus Figure 7-B

Playing fields to remain

Create Mayfair Arboretum

Create new street

26 19 North Campus Quad enhancement Marauder’s Plaza

21 Stearn Drive to be re-landscaped and developed as an important “address” on the campus

Develop Mayfair Oval as an active recreation park, tied to athletics programming

New playing fields

PART 7 AREA-SPECIFIC POLICIES FOR THE CAMPUS

Two significant landscaped streets will be developed to provide view corridors within the North Campus that echo the view corridors of the Central Mall. Stearn Drive will provide an east-west view between Cootes Paradise, Edwards Quad and the Mayfair Oval. A new north-south street, Marauders Walk, will provide a view from Marauders Quad and the stadium to Cootes Paradise. The street will have generous landscaping and broad sidewalks connecting the residences and parking west of the stadium with Marauders Plaza and the buildings lining Stearn Drive. Some on-street parking is appropriate on the new street, acting as a buffer between pedestrians and vehicles. Detailed design of this street should consider the servicing needs of the Athletic Centre, new development blocks and stadium.

7.2.5

A new open space, called Marauders Quad, will be created providing a connection and view corridor along Stearn Drive between Cootes Paradise and the Mayfair Oval. Marauders Quad will act as a forecourt for new development adjacent to the stadium and will also provide additional outdoor gathering places for visitors attending events at the stadium or theatre. The interim use of the space is for surface parking although nearterm improvements to the streets surrounding the Quad are proposed above.

7.2.6

The recently completed Marauders Plaza creates a formal entrance to the David Braley Athletic Centre. It is a â&#x20AC;&#x153;hard-scapedâ&#x20AC;? space complementing the softer landscaping of the new Quad directly west across Marauders Walk.

7.2.7

The natural setting provided by Cootes Paradise and the ravine system to the east of the campus will be reclaimed through the introduction and enhancement of naturalized and treed areas along the edges of the North Campus, including the Mayfair Arboretum and Mayfair Grove.

www.flickr.com

7.2.4

Marauders Plaza creates a formal entrance to the David Braley Athletic Centre.

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

7.2.8

The Ten-Acre field will continue to be used as an active recreational space.

7.2.9

The Mayfair Oval will be actively used by the University for recreational space. This space may include areas for activities such as soccer, football and, tennis, as well as passive areas for activities such as picnicking, or pathways for walking. The University uses will be buffered from the neighbouring residences by welldesigned landscaping on the eastern edge of the Oval. The University will communicate in a timely manner with neighbouring residents regarding any plans it may have for future use of the Oval.

7.2.10

The natural landscape of Cootes Paradise is extended southward to improve the setting for campus residences in Residence Glen. This setting also incorporates improvements to the meandering street connection (Michell Crescent) between Lot H and the northern extension of University Walk.

Alumni Field

PART 7 AREA-SPECIFIC POLICIES FOR THE CAMPUS

7.3 The West Campus

(see Figure 7-C)

The West Campus currently comprises a few buildings, a predominance of surface parking, baseball diamonds, and a great deal of beautiful natural landscape. It is separated from the Central Campus by a significant change in grade, and by Cootes Drive. The vision for the West Campus preserves its function as the location for the majority of the campusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parking, but at the same time creates a strong sense of place, by providing up to 500,000 square feet (46,450 square metres) of development, creating a critical mass of activity. West Campus will become well-integrated with the Central Campus through innovative building types that will create a comfortable transition between the grade changes. Playing fields and a formal open space, along with environmental improvements to Ancaster Creek and connections to the surrounding trail system will provide a very attractive setting for this part of the campus.

West Campus

Parking is the predominant use on West Campus.

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

Legend

Landmark Building Element

Service court

Compelling Places

View Terminus

Recommended pocket and street parking

Gateway

Potential Building Infill

Appropriate location for new building entrance

Key pedestrian connection

1 2 3 4 5 6

Parking structures Existing & Proposed

Bike Route

Ancaster Creek Ancaster Creek Flats Dundas Gates Railway Trail Westaway Plaza Scholarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gates

* Red numbers indicate projects that have been recently completed or are in progress

Refer to Figure 7-C on page 97

Both solid and dashed lines indicate extent of project/location

West Campus Figure 7-C

Create Dundas Gates with a “right-in-and-right-out” traffic movement onto Cootes Drive

Redevelop rail alignment as pedestrian path

Heli-pad to remain as interim use

Enhance landscaping on Cootes Drive

New Parking lot

4 Protect and enhance central open space Ancaster Creek Flats

Create Westaway Plaza

Create Scholar’s Gates

Figure 7-B

Protect Ancaster Creek habitat. Preserve 30 metre wide minimum space corridor

Screen yard with landscaping

PART 7 AREA-SPECIFIC POLICIES FOR THE CAMPUS

Policies

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

7.3.1

Parking will be a predominant use on West Campus. The parking will be provided in above-ground facilities, surface parking lots, and integrated into buildings where possible.

7.3.2

West Campus will have a distinct sense of place through the provision of a strong public realm, comprised of an attractive entrance plaza (Westaway Plaza), an enhanced Ancaster Creek corridor, a landscaped pedestrian path along the rail trail, and a central multi-use open space and playing field (Ancaster Creek Flats) echoing the space-defining character of the Central Mall.

7.3.3

The existing entrance to West Campus from Cootes Drive will be designed to accommodate cars, shuttle buses, pedestrians and cyclists.

7.3.4

The development of Westaway Plaza implies the construction of a multi-purpose building that provides a transition from the level of the Westaway Road bridge to the ground level of West Campus, to enhance access and integration between Central and West Campus.

7.3.5

Pedestrian access to West Campus will be further improved by enhancing the pedestrian environment of the Westaway Road bridge, providing a new stair from Westaway Road, and through the provision of a new improved pedestrian crossing in the vicinity of the former Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house.

7.3.6

A potential entrance to West Campus (Dundas Gates) will be considered at its north end. This will likely be a limited-movement entrance, with right-turn-in and right-turn-out vehicular movement only. The final location and design of the Dundas Gates will be subject to discussion with and approval by the Hamilton Conservation Authority, given its location in the floodplain and in an environmentally significant area. The ability to provide adequate sightlines for access and egress will also be key.

7.3.7

Routes through West Campus will be balanced to provide vehicular access to parking and pedestrian access to buildings, open spaces, and connections to surrounding natural spaces and trail systems.

7.3.8

New development will be oriented along the central open space (Ancaster Creek Flats) and the new streets, to define them and create a sense of place. Development may also be focused along Cootes Drive to provide a strong edge for this portion of the campus and enhance integration with the Central Campus.

7.3.9

The University will work with the City of Hamilton to enhance visibility along the exit ramp from West Campus to Cootes Drive.

7.3.10

The landscaping along the West Campus edge facing Cootes Drive will be enhanced.

7.3.11

Existing treed areas along the rail trail, Cootes Drive, Ancaster Creek and adjacent to Westaway Road, will be preserved as much as possible as the West Campus becomes intensified.

7.3.12

A number of opportunities exist for campus development to contribute to enhancing the water temperature, water quality and fish habitat of Ancaster Creek. A continuous stream buffer with a minimum width of 30 metres will be provided between the stream bank and the parking lot edges. This will in certain cases involve cutting back the edges of existing parking lots. The University will work with community partners to naturalize the buffer with native trees and shrubs.

7.3.13

Development of West Campus should proceed on the basis of an appropriate, state-of-the art stormwater management plan that directs site-related stormwater run-off water into a system of wet ponds, constructed wetlands or hybrid wet ponds/wetlands. An appropriate location for such a system would be between the rail trail and Cootes Drive, outside the 30 metre stream buffer, as illustrated in Figure 7-C.

7.3.14

The University shall pursue opportunities to implement a variety of techniques to clean and cool water that runs off from surface parking lots before it reaches Ancaster Creek, including but not limited to: sand filters, to screen out and trap pollutants; oil and grit separators which remove sediment, screen debris and separate free oil from stormwater; and bio-retention areas, which are depressional areas designed to mimic pollutant removal processes present in natural ecosystems. The West Campus vision indicated in Figure 7-C demonstrates how ditches planted with vegetation that prefers moist soils but can survive dry periods can be introduced in place of medians in surface parking lots, to collect, clean and cool run-off water.

7.3.15

The University should explore a variety of opportunities to implement environmental demonstration projects on West Campus, such as installing porous paving in surface parking lots to mitigate stormwater runoff.

7.3.16

Additional improvements will be made to the environment surrounding Ancaster Creek, in partnership with the Hamilton Conservation Authority.

Cootes Drive

PART 7 AREA-SPECIFIC POLICIES FOR THE CAMPUS

Realizing the Vision

8.1

Describing the Potential

The foregoing policies will create a wonderful campus over the next 30 years, with a strong system of pedestrianfocused streets that define and connect high quality landscapes and buildings. The Campus Master Plan provides for the development of up to 1.5 million square feet (140,000 square metres) of building area over 30 years, assuming an average new building height of 4 to 6 storeys. This rate of growth is consistent with the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth trend since the 1960s. While McMaster is not planning for significant additional growth in its student population over the next 30 years, the Campus Master Plan will provide the necessary foundation and structure to make the campus a beautiful place. Should it not be necessary to build out the development sites to their maximum capacity, the campus structure defines how open spaces and parking lots can contribute to making the campus a special place. There is additional room for further intensification. However, at this density important issues begin to emerge. For example, it may not be possible to provide sufficient parking to meet demand, and access routes would likely exceed their capacity. Therefore, a growth projection of 2 million square feet reflects the likely maximum amount of growth that can be accommodated on the Main Street Campus.

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8.2

Development Sites

In all parts of the campus, development sites are defined by the campus structure of streets and open spaces that has been strengthened in the core and extended to the edges. Throughout the campus, existing surface parking lots become future development sites. The permanent campus structure (identified in Figure 3-D) will be implemented incrementally through individual projects, such as developing new buildings, landscaping of open spaces, infrastructure improvements, ongoing maintenance and retrofits. Even temporary facilities will begin to implement the campus structure, to effectively prepare sites for future development, ensuring that preliminary investments in new streets, landscaping and pedestrian connections are carried forward. In the Core Campus there is potential for a few new buildings and building additions, as follows:; along Scholar’s Road east of Mary E. Keyes Residence; north of Bates Residence beside the President’s Residence; sites along the Cootes Drive, Main Street and Forsyth Avenue frontages; and significant gateway/landmark development sites at the locations of two existing buildings that are to be removed, T-13 and Wentworth House. Even with years of substantial building activity in North Campus (the David Braley Athletic Centre, Stadium and Les Prince Hall), there remains a significant amount of development potential, west of the athletic centre. Development here should line Stearn Drive and the new Marauders Walk adjacent to the football stadium. Similarly, West Campus has substantial potential to accommodate new buildings outside of the Ancaster Creek floodplain, subject to more detailed investigations regarding soil bearing capacity. The area within the floodplain is not suitable for most buildings but could potentially accommodate two single-level parking structures.

Some surface parking lots may be redeveloped as building sites.

Figure 8-A illustrates the potential development sites identified for the next 30 years of growth. Table 1 at the end of this section provides a breakdown of the potential building footprints, height, floor area and use. The numbers represent approximate and conservative calculations of floor area; the sites could accommodate slightly more in each case.

8.3

Land Use

While the potential development sites have the flexibility to accommodate whatever uses are required by the University, there are recommended land use patterns and preferences, reflected in the policies in Sections 6 and 7, that rest on the concept that for each district, there is a highest and best use. The recommended land uses are in keeping with the concepts of achievement of the University’s academic mission, the desire to preserve McMaster’s interdisciplinary and interactive culture, strengthening existing patterns of use, maintaining the campus as a walkable village, and the creation of better connections to the surrounding neighbourhoods.

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Development Sites Development Sites Figure 8-A Potential Development Site Potential Expansion Site

P P E C

E A

B D

M M

Potential Development Site Potential Expansion Site * â&#x20AC;&#x153;Missingâ&#x20AC;? letter denotes sites which were developed between 2000 and 2008, or have been reconsidered regarding their development potential.

* we or de

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8-A 0

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Table 1 : Development Sites Site

Site Area

(*high profile site)

(storeys) 21,500 sq. ft. 2,000 sq. m.

4-6

20,400 sq. ft. 1,900 sq. m.

4-6

18,300 sq. ft. 1,700 sq. m.

4-6

25,800 sq. ft. 2,400 sq. m

4-6

16,100 sq. ft. 1,500 sq. m.

4-6

104

Height

Potential Use

Total Gross Development Area 86,000-129,000 sq. ft. 8,000-12,000 sq. m. 81,600-122,400 sq. ft.

•

Academic, research or residence above parking structure

•

Academic, research or residence above parking structure

•

Academic, research or residence above parking structure

•

Academic, research or residence above parking structure

•

Residence, amenity/ conference, research, academic

7,600-11,400 sq. m. 73,100-109,800 sq. ft.

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

6,800-10,200 sq. m 103,200-154,800 sq. ft. 9,600-14,400 sq. m 64,400- 96,600 sq. ft. 6,000-9,000 sq. m

Site

Site Area

(*high profile site)

Height (storeys)

51,100 sq. ft. 4,750 sq. m.

4-6

10,750 sq. ft. 1,000 sq. m.

38,700 sq. ft. 3,600 sq. m.

4-6

17,750 sq. ft. 1,650 sq. m.

4-6

40,900 sq. ft. 3,800 sq. m.

4-6

Potential Use

Total Gross Development Area 204,400 - 306,600 sq. ft. 19,000 - 28,500 sq. m. 43,000 - 64,500 sq. ft. 4,000 - 6,000 sq. m. 154,800-232,200 sq. ft. 14,400-21,600 sq. m. 71,000 - 106,500 sq. ft.

•

Parking structure

•

Welcome Centre, academic, clinic

•

Academic, uses serving the broader community

•

Academic, uses serving the broader community

•

Academic, research

6,600 - 9,900 sq. m. 163,600 - 245,400 sq. ft. 15,200 - 22,800 sq. m.

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The Core Campus is the heart of the University’s academic functions, with residential uses at its northern end. Development within this district should continue this pattern, to maintain uses that are core to the academic mission within easy walking distance of one another. The North Campus currently contains a mix of academic, residential and athletic uses. Again, this pattern should be reinforced, and these same uses should be developed here, as needed by the University. In order to further reinforce the desire to keep core uses close to each other, clear preference should be given to academic uses at the south end of the north district. Future residential uses should continue to be sited beside the edge of Cootes Paradise. The edges of the Central Campus should contain uses that can be shared with the community, such as additional recreational facilities, a performing arts centre, or other similar uses that can accommodate both University and nonUniversity events. The uses along the Main Street frontage might also include a retail component, to both serve the University and to help reinforce this portion of one of Hamilton’s most important streets. The West Campus is nearly a clean slate, with several possibilities. The Geotechnical and Environmental Issues Study completed by Marshall Macklin Monaghan (October 2001) confirms that there is approximately 6.2 ha of land on West Campus that is outside of the Ancaster Creek floodplain, and therefore developable. However, this same study also indicates that there are issues related to the load-bearing capacity of the soils in this area, which may constrain the kinds of buildings that can be developed on West Campus and/or increase their construction cost. Therefore, lands in the Core and North Campus areas should be valued very highly, and used both wisely and efficiently. West Campus can accommodate a substantial amount of building area, and may be suitable for a number of potential land uses: a new series of residence buildings, perhaps for older students who wish to have some degree of separation from the Core Campus, which could free up valuable space in the Central and North Campus areas for additional academic uses; an affiliated academic precinct, perhaps as a partnership with another facility; new science buildings, given its proximity to the existing science precinct in the Core Campus; or it could be an excellent site for partnership uses, such as expanded health care facilities possibly affiliated with Hamilton Health Sciences or other suitable partner. The West Campus is also a very suitable location for shared community facilities such as a new sporting or performance facility, since it is highly accessible by car. The potential development pattern shown on West Campus in Figure 1-A is focused on accommodating University uses; Figure 8-B contains an alternate option for the configuration of development on West Campus, which could also be well suited to a residential village, or other community partnerships. The important issue for West Campus development is the need to create a critical mass of uses and activities, to avoid isolated “pioneers”, and to provide the rationale for construction of the parking structures proposed adjacent to Westaway Road (on top of which future buildings are proposed). The University should develop a phasing plan for West Campus, including pedestrian connections along Westaway Road and through Scholar’s Gates, to ensure maximum integration with the Central Campus and minimum isolation of early buildings. 106

McMASTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MASTER PLAN - NOV 2008

8.4

Priority Projects

Achieving the full potential of the campus will be limited to the availability of resources. The Campus Master Plan assists in prioritizing the use of limited funds, by identifying a number of initiatives that should be considered as priority projects for early implementation. The projects below have been prioritized either because they are already in the planning stages or are related to projects in the planning stages, or because they would contribute significantly toward achieving key design goals identified for specific campus areas. The implementation of these projects would demonstrate a commitment to the campus planning policies related to better access points, pedestrian focus, an improved campus image and interfaces with the community.

Preparation of a Landscape Master Plan

McMaster should prepare a comprehensive Landscape Master Plan, as outlined in Policy 6.5.2, to define and begin to implement the various compelling places and key moves outlined in this Plan. Development of landscape strategies for the campus edges, integrated with and/or protecting options for the designs for the campus access points (Sterling Gates, , University Gates, McMaster Lawn, College Gates, Scholarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gates and Westaway Plaza), and additional key pedestrian routes such as Marauders Walk and Students Walk should be a particular priority. Landscaping along the east, south and west edges of the campus will improve its image, help to improve the interfaces between the campus and the community, particularly along Forsyth Avenue, and help to announce the campus to visitors and passers-by. Along the east edge, the buffer can extend the natural setting created by Cootes Paradise and the neighbourhood ravine system. Along the south edge, the landscaping would be integral to the Main Street entrance and University Gates. Along the west edge, the landscaping would continue along the West Campus interface with Cootes Drive. The Landscape Master Plan should include renewal plans for existing compelling places such as the Central Mall and Edwards Quad; guidelines for building-related landscapes including forecourts, courtyards and foundation plantings around existing buildings, new buildings and additions; new landscapes such as the proposed new Main Street frontage, and the spaces at the campus edges and interfaces with the community. It should identify the list of plants and materials that will be used on campus, in collaboration with the Royal Botanical Gardens and Hamilton Conservation Authority.

Landscaping on Main Street has recently been completed by the City.

The Landscape Master Plan adopted by the University should be substantially based on and incorporate the winning scheme from the landscape competition which was completed in 2005. It should also incorporate additional ideas and applicable policies that have been developed since.

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Alternate option for West Campus

University Walk Pedestrian Improvements

While general car traffic is not permitted along University Avenue next to the Central Mall, the wide roadway and minimal landscaping does not provide a space that is friendly for pedestrians. An initiative to install new lighting along the existing University Avenue has recently been completed, and will help to improve the attractiveness and safety of this space. Pursuing further pedestrian improvements such as sidewalk widening, road narrowing, landscaping and distinctive paving in conjunction with this infrastructure initiative would provide an exciting opportunity to pull together initiatives that implement the policies for pedestrian improvements and landscaping, rebalance the space provided for vehicular and non-vehicular modes of travel, create true pedestrian priority and enhance the aesthetic environment of the Central Mall and entire Core Campus. The University should prepare a Project and Design Brief outlining the design goals and program requirements for University Walk, to guide a detailed Landscape Plan for the improvements.

Central Mall Landscape Improvements

The implementation of this project will contribute to a high quality image for the most important space on campus and set a benchmark for the landscape quality of open spaces throughout the rest of the campus. An important opportunity exists to enhance the walkways and gardens along the axis between the Burke Science Building and the Sterling Street Mall, and can be tied into the design of the Sterling Street Gates and Sterling Street Mall landscaping. A Project and Design Brief to guide the development of a detailed Landscape Plan for the Central Mall should be developed and coordinated with landscape improvements along University Walk and the Sterling Street Mall, to ensure consistency in materials and harmonious design.

3. The Further Refinement of the Main Street Entrance and Brockhouse Way While the functional Main Street entrance has been in place for some years the further evolution of the south end of campus, along Main Street, is only just beginning. The implementation of this project, including the construction of a new building, potentially a “Welcome Centre”, on the T-13 site will greatly improve the image of the campus, providing a “front door” and an important sense of arrival. Additional improvements of the Main Street streetscape, including both future buildings facing the street and landscaping, would further enhance the University’s presence in the community, improve orientation for visitors, enhance transit service, and improve pedestrian access and convenience. It would also begin to establish a parking zone dedicated to visitors that is close to the major vehicular routes of Main Street and Cootes Drive, decreasing the pressure of visitor traffic on the Sterling Street entrance and associated impacts on the neighbourhood. The University should prepare a Project and Design Brief outlining the project’s design goals and program requirements, and work with the City, the Community Advisory Committee established under the Environmental Assessment Study, and Hamilton Health Sciences to develop a design for the entrance that meets the objectives of all parties. The University is also considering the Main Street entrance as an alternative location for developing a bus turn-around for campus related HSR (the preferred location for this facility is at the Sterling Gates).

Figure 8-B

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Given recent and planned construction projects in the area and the ongoing transformation of Brockhouse Way into a key pedestrian route, creating an appropriate transit facility related to the Main Street entrance may prove challenging. Any design will have to accommodate the turning radii of transit vehicles while maintaining pedestrian amenity, smooth traffic flow and a strong sense of arrival at this ceremonial entrance. Should this location be selected, the University, with input from the HSR, should prepare a Project and Design Brief outlining the projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design goals and program requirements, to develop a design for the facility that meets the stated objectives.

Transit Turn-Around and Students Walk

The Campus Master Plan is recommending a location for a local transit turn-around for HSR buses adjacent to the University Centre (an alternative location on the Wentworth House development site is also being considered). The University, with input from the HSR, and the neighbouring community, should prepare a Project and Design Brief outlining the projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design goals and program requirements, to develop a design for the facility that meets the stated objectives. This project should be incorporated with plans to formalize a right-of-way in place of the existing parking lot drive aisle on the east side of Mills Memorial Library and the Student Centre. This internal campus street (to be called Students Walk) is already a key pedestrian access route and a narrow pavement with wide sidewalks and a landscaped buffer strip will provide further pedestrian amenity and safety in this area. Students Walk will provide access to parking Lot C and will connect to Stearn Drive at the David Braley Athletic Centre.

Mayfair Oval Playing Fields and Buffer

The Mayfair Oval is an important interface and transition between the campus and the community. It is currently undeveloped and used only sporadically by the University. While it provides a large buffer area between the campus and the community, visual impacts affect the neighbours. By planting a landscape buffer along the eastern part of the Oval, the University can provide separation between its activities from the neighbourhood. The University should create a Project and Design Brief, and then a detailed Landscape Plan for the buffer, with input from the surrounding neighbours. Developing active playing fields would maintain the transitional nature of the Oval, while demonstrating the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to using all of its lands wisely and to their most appropriate potential.

West Campus Parking Lots and Open Space

The expansion and addition of the new surface parking lots shown in the Campus Master Plan for West Campus would assist in accommodating the demand for parking at McMaster. The University should create a Project and Design Brief to guide development of these surface parking lots as demonstrations of appropriate environmental practices (including provision of the minimum 30 metre stream buffer; planted medians within the lot to collect, cool and clean run-off; the use of porous paving materials; etcetera). The design of the parking lots should also begin to implement the significant open space to be known as Ancaster Creek Flats, as part of the permanent structure for West Campus.

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8.5

The interim plan (Figure 8-C)

An interim plan illustrates the potential implementation of the updated campus plan polices over the next 10 years. It includes projects that are currently under construction or active discussion, the priority projects identified above, the access points and gateways, and the permanent structure for the campus. The interim plan places currently planned development projects and surface parking areas in the context of the permanent campus structure, in order to implement key aspects of the structure and begin to set up the pedestrian connections, address-making streets and compelling places identified in the Campus Master Plan. It illustrates a number of new buildings: a new gateway building or Welcome Centre in the location of the existing T-13; and the addition to the Clarke Centre, as well as new development on the north side of the Sterling Street Mall, the formalization of Students Walk as a north-south street directly east of Mills Memorial Library and the Student Centre, and a new north-south street adjacent to the Ronald V. Joyce Stadium â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Marauders Walk. Each of these can demonstrate policies related to maintaining a pedestrian focus on campus, improving campus edges and reinforcing gateway locations. The surface parking lots are configured so that they create pedestrian connections and courtyard spaces that will be preserved and enhanced by future development on the parking lot sites. The interim plan provides an illustration of how the next phase of near-term campus growth should continue the process of realizing the vision over the longer term. The significance of the Interim Plan is the illustration of how incremental change should contribute to achieving the permanent campus structure.

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Interim Plan Figure 8-C

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Implementation of the Campus Master Plan

9.1

A Living Document

The Campus Master Plan provides a framework for managing growth and change on the McMaster campus over the coming decades. It will assist in identifying the best location and scope for new building, landscape and infrastructure projects, giving guidance to their form and their relationships with the rest of campus. Adherence to the Plan will achieve the vision for a liveable campus that has been expressed by the McMaster community and its neighbours. The Campus Master Plan will be given the highest policy recognition through its formal adoption by the University Senate and the Board of Governors. One thread that weaves throughout the Campus Master Plan is the need to balance permanence with flexibility, to maintain and enhance the quality of the campus setting while meeting McMasterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s changing needs and priorities over time. It is no use to have a plan and implementation strategy if the vision no longer meets the needs of the University. The Campus Master Plan will therefore be regularly reviewed and updated. The preparation of Annual Reports can be an effective way to confirm that the Campus Master Planâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s policies and objectives are being achieved, in accordance with a set of predetermined benchmarks and indicators, which can be developed by the University in conjunction with its stakeholders. These can be the basis for regular Campus Master Plan Updates and Amendments, to ensure that the document remains current and relevant over time.

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The implementation and administration procedures outlined below are intended to provide a guideline for the University as it develops a detailed implementation policy document, as outlined in Policy 9.2.2. Adherence to this framework will ensure that the polices of the Plan are actively utilized. The framework is intended to be consistent with the current mandates of the University Planning Committee and the Planning and Building Committee, and the implementation policy document will be developed in conformity with the upcoming Senate Committee review of the University Planning Committee’s mandate.

9.2

Campus Master Plan Implementation

9.2.1

The McMaster University Campus Master Plan will be formally adopted as policy by the Senate and the Board of Governors.

9.2.2

The University will develop a detailed Implementation Policy document that elaborates the framework outlined in the Campus Master Plan. This implementation document, which will be adopted as policy by the Senate and the Board of Governors, will indicate how the Campus Master Plan will be related to the University’s academic mission, priorities and financial plans.

9.2.3

The University will develop Urban Design Standards, Landscape Standards and Architectural Standards to ensure that campus projects achieve a consistent high quality. These will be formally adopted by the Senate and the Board of Governors.

9.2.4

The Senate and the Board of Governors will approve all future elaborations or amendments to the Campus Master Plan, and will receive an Annual Report from the University Planning Committee, indicating how the Campus Master Plan has served the University over the past year. The Annual Report may detail recommended amendments to be made to the Campus Master Plan so that it remains current to the University’s needs.

9.2.5

The University Planning Committee will have responsibility for: • monitoring, reviewing and updating the Campus Master Plan, to ensure that it continues to support the achievement of McMaster’s academic mission over time; • providing an ongoing forum for the discussion of campus planning issues by interested parties both inside and outside the University;

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• recommending Campus Master Plan elaborations or amendments to Senate and the Board of Governors; and • submitting an Annual Report to the Senate and Board of Governors indicating how the Plan has served the University over the previous year. 9.2.6

The Planning and Building Committee will have responsibility for: • recommending capital projects for the approval of the Board of Governors; and • assuring the compliance of capital projects – building, renovation, landscape and/or infrastructure – to the detailed principles, policies and design objectives established in the Campus Master Plan.

9.2.7

The Office of the Vice-President (Administration) will provide staff assistance to the University Planning Committee and the Planning and Building Committee. The Office of the Vice-President (Administration) will prepare the project reports outlined below in Section 9.3.

9.3

Administering the Campus Master Plan

The procedures for planning the McMaster campus should be made as simple and efficient as possible. The review and approval process set out below is intended to supplement, not replace, the present system of project management and approval undertaken by the Physical Plant Department, under the direction of the University Planning Committee and the Planning and Building Committee. The suggested process for formulation and review of significant capital projects is outlined below. It will be further elaborated by the implementation document to be prepared by the University and adopted by the Senate and Board of Governors.

Proponent’s Project and Design Brief The proponent of a proposed building, landscape or infrastructure project will prepare a Project and Design Brief, which describes how the project complies with and/or varies from the specific principles, policies and design objectives of the Campus Master Plan. The Project and Design Brief should address the specific considerations outlined in the Checklist for Project Formulation and Review, detailed in Section 9.5. The proponent will be encouraged to consult with the Vice-President (Administration) during this process.

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Preliminary Planning Report The Project and Design Brief will be submitted to the Vice-President (Administration), who will complete a Preliminary Report which evaluates the proposal, as described in the Project and Design Brief, against the principles, policies and design objectives of the Campus Master Plan and the specific considerations set out in the Checklist for Project Formulation and Review. At this stage the Vice-President (Administration) will look for synergies with other proposals that have been submitted, or other projects that have been reviewed, approved or are anticipated, to identify opportunities to consolidate design considerations and think ahead to other projects in the same area. At the same time, undesirable design solutions that would disrupt important circulation networks or spaces on the campus can be identified and avoided. The Preliminary Planning Report, which will be submitted to the Planning and Building Committee, will conclude with one of the following four types of recommendations: • project complies with the Campus Master Plan and should proceed; • project generally complies with/could be revised to comply with the Campus Master Plan, and should proceed with modifications; • project does not comply with certain elements of the Campus Master Plan but represents an interesting new direction for the University, and should be considered together with appropriate amendments to the Campus Master Plan; or • project is at odds with the Campus Master Plan and should not be further considered.

Meeting of the Planning and Building Committee The Planning and Building Committee will receive the proponent’s Project and Design Brief and the Vice-President (Administration)’s Preliminary Planning Report. It will meet to make its decision regarding the next steps for the project, based upon the recommendations contained within the Preliminary Planning Report. The proponent of the project would be given the opportunity to address the Committee at this time, to present their proposal.

Status and Final Reports The Vice-President (Administration), in collaboration with the Facilities Services Department, will then oversee the refinement and implementation of the project. Status Reports and/or a Final Report documenting the evolution of the project in relation to the recommendations made in the Preliminary Report and the provisions of the Campus Master Plan will be submitted to the Planning and Building Committee at appropriate intervals in the process. 116

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Elaborating the Campus Master Plan: Area Plans/Project and Design Briefs /Urban Design Guidelines From time to time, it will be important to elaborate the provisions contained within the Campus Master Plan, to provide more detailed specifications regarding the programmatic and design objectives for individual projects, and in particular to achieve coordination between a number of current and/or future projects. The Priority Projects identified in Section 8.4 are the first candidates for such elaboration.

President’s Advisory Committee on Community Relations One of the goals of the Campus Master Plan is to improve flows of information between the University and the surrounding community on matters related to campus growth and evolution. The existing President’s Advisory Committee on Community Relations is the logical forum to review and advise on campus development proposals as they relate to the surrounding community. The President’s Advisory Committee on Community Relations includes representatives from the local residential and business communities, the City, the University, students, staff and faculty. The RBG, Conservation Authority, HSR and other City of Hamilton staff will be called on when the Committee requires additional information and assistance on development and planning issues. These meetings will provide members of the community and City representatives with regular opportunities to have input into campus planning initiatives. The President’s Advisory Committee on Community Relations will continue to meet 5-6 times per year, to review University and/or community developments, with special meetings to be scheduled as needed to discuss major projects or Campus Master Plan amendments.

Public Information Sessions/Community Open Houses The University Planning Committee and/or Planning and Building Committee, in collaboration with the President’s Advisory Community on Community Relations as appropriate, will host public information sessions to provide information regarding major University projects and significant amendments to the Campus Master Plan. These Information Sessions/Community Open Houses will provide members of the community and City representatives with further opportunities to have input into campus planning initiatives.

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9.4

Amending the Campus Master Plan

While the Campus Master Plan provides a strong understanding of the present and likely future, it cannot anticipate all potential eventualities. It is therefore essential that McMaster institute a system whereby the Campus Master Plan will be regularly updated, amended and/or elaborated so that it will remain a relevant guide to manage growth and change. There are two primary ways in which updates/amendments to the Campus Master Plan will be identified: in order to implement proposed projects that do not fit with the current Campus Master Plan but are deemed to be positive directions for the University; or through the Vice-President (Administration) Annual Report to the University Planning Committee. Updates, amendments, and elaborations of the Campus Master Plan will first be endorsed by the University Planning Committee, and then be given final approval by Senate and the Board of Governors.

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9.5

Checklist for Project Formulation and Review

The Checklist for Project Formulation and Review is intended to be used as a key tool in shaping and evaluating all building, renovation, landscape and/or infrastructure projects, so that they will fit with the provisions of the Campus Master Plan. The Checklist for Project Formulation and Review has several levels of detail; it should therefore be revisited as the project progresses, to ensure that refinements and changes, and resolution of project details, continue to support the Campus Master Plan principles, policies and design goals.

□□

Project Cost/Business Plan Does the project have a business plan detailing the required capital budget and the source(s) of funds required to support it? Fit with the Principles, Policies and Figures of the Campus Master Plan

□□

Does the project implement the campus planning principles outlined in Section 4.1 of the Campus Master Plan?

□□

Does the project comply with the policies in Sections 5.1 and 5.2, 6.1 through 6.9, and 7.1 through 7.3 of the Campus Master Plan? If it does not comply with certain of the Campus Master Plan policies, are there good reasons why the University should consider amendments to the Plan that would permit the project?

□□

Does the project comply with the Figures contained within the Campus Master Plan, in particular Figures 3-D; 4-A; 4-B; 4-C; 4-D; 4-E; 5-B; 5-C; 5-D; 5-E; 7-A1 through 7-A4; 7-B; 7-C; and 8-C.

PROJECT FORMULATION CHECKLIST

Use and Location

□□

Does the project represent an appropriate use of scarce campus lands, or would it be better suited to an offcampus location?

□□

Is the proposed site appropriate for the proposed use, considering existing patterns of use/interaction in the vicinity?

□□

Would locating the project on the proposed site preclude other more important uses from locating on the site or in the area? Would it disrupt important existing patterns of interaction?

□□

Is the project the appropriate size – neither too big nor too small – for the proposed site?

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□□

Does the project create flexible spaces that can be adapted to changing needs?

□□

If the project includes uses that are shared with the community, is it accessible from the neighbourhood?

PROJECT FORMULATION CHECKLIST

4. □□

Does the project demonstrate appropriate relationships with the existing campus structure of primary streets, open spaces and natural features, as detailed on Figure 3-D? If it is in a new development area, does it specifically define and begin to implement the extension of the campus structure of primary streets, open spaces and natural features, as detailed on Figure 3-D?

□□

If the project is to be located on a site identified for a “landmark element” on Figure 3-E, will it be of sufficient architectural prominence to realize the full potential of its key location?

□□

If the project is to be located on a site fronting Main Street West, Forsyth Avenue or Cootes Drive, will it create an appropriate “face” for the University to the surrounding city, in urban design/architectural terms?

5. □□

Does the project achieve the specific objectives detailed in the policies contained in Section 7.1 through 7.3 and on Figures 7-A1 through 7-C, related to building footprint and orientation; pedestrian connections; landmark elements (building, gateway, view terminus); service courts; courtyards/open spaces; pocket/street parking; campus structure/connections and the creation/reinforcement of compelling places? Does the project fit with the palette of materials used in its vicinity, to reinforce the character of a particular campus area? Fit with Design, Landscape and Architectural Standards Does the project comply with the University’s Urban Design Standards?

□□

Does the project comply with the University’s Landscape Standards?

□□

Does the project comply with the University’s Architectural Standards?

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Fit with Area-Specific Design Goals

□□

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Relationship to Campus Structure

Accessibility and User-Friendliness Does the project provide measures to ensure convenience and accessibility for all users, including the mobility-challenged?

Does the project contribute to enhanced visitor orientation on the campus? If it is a building, is the main entrance easy to find? If it is near a campus entrance, does it help to guide visitors so that they can easily find entrances and exits into or out of the campus? Coordination with Other Current or Anticipated Projects

□□

Does the project coordinate well with other planning initiatives or existing buildings/open spaces?

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Is the project in conformity with the Campus Trucking Plan?

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Has a Communications Plan been developed?

□□

Can or should the project be enlarged to provide space for other uses? Could it be combined with other current or upcoming projects?

□□

If on West Campus, are there other developments that it can be partnered with, to contribute to a critical mass of activity?

Servicing /Infrastructure /Resource Requirements

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Is there sufficient parking supply and shuttle bus capacity to service the development?

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Is there sufficient traffic capacity, on campus and/or boundary streets, to service the development?

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Is there sufficient utility capacity (campus and municipal) to service the development?

10.

Environmental Impacts

□□

Is the project environmentally appropriate? Is it resource and waste efficient?

□□

Does the project comply with the regulations of the Hamilton Conservation Authority and policies 6.6.10, 7.1.17, and 7.3.13, 7.3.16, with respect to Cootes Paradise and Ancaster Creek?

11.

PROJECT FORMULATION CHECKLIST

□□

City Site Plan Approval Requirements and Heritage Permits

□□

Can the project meet the City’s requirements for Site Plan Approval?

□□

Does the project require a heritage permit?

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9.6

Partnership Opportunities

There are not many proposals for significant campus projects that come with a full complement of funding for implementation. While these do occur, many more have only partial funding, or in some cases none at all. The University should foster partnerships with a variety of other institutions that can help provide funding or expertise to achieve mutual goals. • Partnerships with the Royal Botanical Gardens can provide landscape expertise, or perhaps sharing of landscape materials. • Partnerships with the Conservation Authority for the rehabilitation of Ancaster Creek will not only improve the environment for wildlife but will also improve the aesthetic environment of the West Campus. It may provide benefits to the University when it is time to develop parking facilities or buildings on West Campus, which would require negotiation with the Conservation Authority. • Partnerships with the City to improve the streetscapes of Main Street and Cootes Drive, or an ongoing relationship with the HSR to assist with Transportation Demand Management initiatives would further the goals of the University and benefit the City and HSR as well. • The University could engage its students and the local artistic community to produce public art for the campus. • The University and Hamilton Health Sciences should continue to work together, to take advantage of opportunities for mutual benefit. • Similarly, the University could form partnerships with other health or health-related research organizations, such that the University could provide land to build upon (perhaps in the West Campus) while a partner organization develops or cost-shares the development of a building, or leases land to provide an income stream to the University. • The University already has a relationship with Mohawk College, which could be expanded to create a partnership whereby capital funding may be shared for projects that would reinforce the program relationship between the two institutions. There are many other partnership opportunities that the University could explore. These would not only assist in implementing projects, but they would reinforce the University’s role as a partner in its community.

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9.7

Ongoing Building/Landscape Improvements and Maintenance

Enhancing the Campus Setting The many projects undertaken by the University and the City of Hamilton present opportunities to improve the open space and landscape of the campus as a whole. Generally these projects fall into three categories: renovations to existing structures; new buildings created on identified sites throughout the campus; and infrastructure upgrades. In fact, one of the most successful methods of changing the landscape and site conditions on campus will be to build change into the ongoing process of reconstructing campus streets, services and infrastructure. The University has existing policies that create budgets for landscape development within projects. In the past, these budgets have been project-specific and without the benefit of an overall plan for improvements. Resources for building additions or renovations have been scarce and often the improvements that provide academic space or facilities have been considered more important than issues associated with the campus landscape and open spaces. Two possibilities exist to connect individual projects to improvements for the larger campus setting: â&#x20AC;˘ a percentage of the budget for all capital projects could be contributed to a central fund for landscape, open space and campus improvements, as prioritized annually by the University, and/or; â&#x20AC;˘ all projects could be required to undertake improvements to immediately adjacent streets and open spaces.

Protecting the Campus Setting A significant investment in the campus setting brings with it the requirement to undertake a three-part management process: short term maintenance, medium term upgrades/repair and long term replacement. Each aspect of this three-part process should be considered in both the design process and within the annual maintenance programs established for the campus. Annual maintenance budgets should be adjusted to support any new open space installations and include annual programs to augment plantings. Landscape improvements require time to reach their full potential; success will be measured by the level of upkeep of the spaces. While it is one thing to raise funds for the development of specific campus projects, the more mundane aspects of ongoing maintenance can get overlooked. It will be important, therefore, for the University to consider implementing a special fund for ongoing maintenance of campus buildings and landscapes. Consideration should be given to requiring all new projects to allocate a portion of their funding to this landscaping and overall campus maintenance fund, to ensure that the compelling places that are created do not fall into neglect or disrepair.

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10 Appendices

PART 10 APPENDICES

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Appendix A Glossary of Terms Address

A recognizable location for the main entrance or main “face” of a building or place.

Address-making street

A street that is an important component of the campus’s public realm and a place in itself, which may or may not contain vehicular traffic. It is often landscaped, and defines sites for buildings and open spaces.

Campus edges

The portions of the campus that lie between the internal campus (Scholar’s Road, University Avenue, College Crescent and the buildings and open spaces surrounding these streets), and the public streets of Forsyth Avenue, Main Street West, and Cootes Drive, as well as West Campus. The campus edges currently lack a coherent system of streets and open spaces and are comprised mainly of surface parking.

Campus face/ interface

The border between the campus and Forsyth Avenue, Main Street West, and Cootes Drive, including the landscapes and building faces along these borders.

Campus setting

The physical (natural and built) context in which the McMaster campus is situated, including Cootes Paradise, the Westdale-Ainslie Wood neighbourhoods, and the regional and local infrastructure of streets (Main Street, Cootes Drive, King Street and Sterling Street).

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Campus structure/ Urban structure

The integrated system of streets and important open spaces in the campus/urban area that creates a framework for development by defining sites and addresses for buildings, parking areas and green spaces. The campus/urban structure is also the public realm, and provides a place for interaction and circulation.

Central Campus

The portion of the campus bounded by Cootes Paradise to the north, Mayfair Crescent and Forsyth Avenue to the east, Main Street West to the south, and Cootes Drive to the west.

Compelling places

Spaces on campus that have a special and memorable quality and that may form an iconic image associated with McMaster, such as the existing Central Mall, or Edwards Quad.

Core Campus

The portion of the campus bounded by Cootes Paradise and the new University Centre to the north, Forsyth Avenue to the east, Main Street West to the south, and Cootes Drive to the west.

Desire lines

Informal pathways through open spaces that have been worn down by pedestrians as they walk from one desired destination to another.

FaĂ§ade

The public face of a building, including the architectural treatment of doors, windows, rooflines, and other design elements. Includes the main front face as well as secondary or rear faces of the building.

Floodplain

The area of land on West Campus that is subject to flooding by Ancaster Creek during large storms. Generally, most types of buildings are not permitted within floodplains. The floodplain can be modified to create more developable area, by grading the land so that the volume of water accommodated within the floodplain remains constant â&#x20AC;&#x201C; i.e., a deeply sloped floodplain can be smaller in area than a more shallow floodplain, while still holding as much stormwater.

Frontage

The area adjacent to a street or an open space that contains or can potentially contain the front or public face of buildings (with doors, windows and architectural features). The word can also refer to the front facades of the buildings themselves.

Gateway

An identifiable access point that announces arrival to the campus, often with special landscaping, paving, signage and/or buildings.

Gateway marker

A visible and distinctive landscape or architectural element that identifies a gateway.

Green buildings, materials and maintenance

Systems in which environmentally-friendly and resource-efficient products and practices are used. For example, green buildings can contain highly efficient heating and cooling systems, solar panels, or can be surrounded by landscaping and vegetation that minimizes the need to cool in summer and heat in winter. Green building materials can include wood products that were not harvested from old-growth forests or rare tree species, or recycled synthetic materials. Green maintenance can include using recycled wastewater in landscape irrigation.

Infill

Buildings or additions that are placed on small sites within developed areas, often between existing buildings or on small open spaces or parking lots.

Internal campus

The heart of the campus, including Cootes Paradise, Scholarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Road, the Central Mall, University Avenue, College Crescent and the nearby buildings and open spaces.

North Campus

The portion of the campus bounded by the new University Centre to the south, Mayfair Crescent and Forsyth Avenue to the east, and Cootes Paradise to the west. The North Campus currently contains the School of Business, the athletic facilities, a number of residence buildings, the 10-acre field, and Lot B, C, D, E, G parking.

Pedestrian focus

An emphasis on walkability and accessibility, including a full network of routes throughout the campus, and streets and paths designed for comfort, amenity and safety for pedestrians, cyclists and those with mobility-challenges.

Pedestrian priority area

The area in the campus that prohibits automobile traffic, except transit, service vehicles and shuttle buses. University Walk and Scholarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Road will be redesigned in this area, to provide wider sidewalks, narrower roadways, landscaping, seating, pedestrian-scale lighting and other amenities to enhance comfort and safety.

Permanent structure

See Campus structure

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Place-based

Associated with the image of a compelling place or other memorable location.

Porous pedestrian network/ Pedestrian porosity

The maintenance of a network of routes for pedestrians, cyclists and those with mobility-challenges through all parts of campus, particularly in places where there are large complexes of buildings and fenced-off areas, such as the athletic complex or the McMaster Medical Centre.

Pockets of parking/ Pocket parking

Small, discrete areas of surface parking along streets or adjacent to buildings providing convenient short-term parking. These parking areas could be incorporated into service areas, or otherwise screened with landscaping. The pockets of parking are intended for a wide variety of users, but in particular, special needs visitors, people with mobility challenges, or people attending special programs such as research programs or clinics. The spots can be regulated with a time limit to keep them shortterm, or metered or charged at a premium, to reflect their convenience and proximity to buildings.

Stormwater management

The practice of regulating the amount and condition of rainwater that runs off from building roofs and paved areas into sewers and natural waterways. Measures can include storage ponds, or porous paving material that allows rainwater to filter into the ground.

Stormwater pond

A storage reservoir for rainwater, to manage stormwater runoff. Stormwater ponds can be integrated into the landscape to create attractive water features.

Streetscape

The aesthetic design and pedestrian amenity of the full right-of-way of a street. This can include trees or other landscaping along the street boulevards (edges) or within a median, special paving on sidewalks and/or within the pedestrian portions of intersections, lighting, public art, street furniture such as benches, transit shelters, etc.

Streetscaping

Providing amenities and unified landscaping within the right-of-way of a street.

Structure

See Campus structure/Urban structure

Traffic calming

Measures to slow and/or reduce traffic through street design. These can include speed bumps, roadway narrowing, textured paving or other distinctive paving in pedestrian crossing areas, and landscaping to create the appearance of narrower roads.

Transportation or Travel Demand

The level of vehicular travel to the campus.

Transportation Demand Management

Measures to reduce the impact of traffic on the campus and in the surrounding neighbourhood. These measures focus on reducing single-occupant vehicle trips to the campus and promoting alternatives to travel by car.

View corridor

A long view along a street or open space, framed by buildings or landscaping. The view is often to a focal point such as a notable building element or natural feature.

Way-finding

The system of orientation throughout the campus, to direct people to different buildings, areas and places.

West Campus

The portion of the campus bounded by Cootes Drive to the north and east, and by Ancaster Creek to the west.

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Appendix B McMaster University Environmental Policy STATEMENT OF PURPOSE This policy demonstrates McMaster University’s commitment to sustainable development and responsible environmental practices by: • identifying and establishing environmental principles, objectives and goals; • providing a framework for developing environmental procedures and initiatives; and • communicating its approach for addressing environmental issues and managing the impact of McMaster’s operations, services and activities.

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GENERAL PRINCIPLES The following general principles act as overriding guidelines which apply to, and embody, McMaster’s environmental goals and objectives, and provide direction in achieving those goals.

Legal and Moral Obligations The University will ensure that it meets, and when possible exceeds, the legal and moral obligations of relevant international, federal, provincial and local legislation and voluntary agreements as outlined in the section titled Obligations, below.

Sustainable Development The University is committed to sustainable development and the preservation and enhancement of the natural ecosystems on campus and integrating human activities with these ecosystems. Sustainable development is the utilization of resources to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The University will support the City of Hamilton’s Vision 2020 policy and ensure that all operations support the development of a sustainable region. The University recognizes the important contributions made by the Royal Botanical Gardens and the Hamilton Conservation Authority to the preservation of adjacent protected areas and will cooperate with these authorities to ensure the impact of University operations on these protected areas is minimized and after appropriate consultation with users, will develop a plan to minimize impacts on these protected areas.

Strategic Planning and Implementation The University will incorporate the ideas of sustainable development and environmental awareness into all stages of planning, design, and decision-making processes of all proposed projects, developments and activities pertaining to the University. In order to adhere to this principle, the University will: • provide incentives to appropriate decision makers for achieving continuous environmental improvements; • ensure that all changes to the campus are designed, constructed and maintained in a manner which promotes environmental sustainability; and • encourage innovation in building construction/systems maintenance and retrofits/landscape plantings and maintenance.

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Education and Training The University acknowledges its role as an academic institution to provide students with the tools to be environmentally conscious citizens. The University also recognizes its role as an environmentally responsible organization and is committed to promoting environmental awareness, and educating and training the University community of the collective responsibility to implement this policy. To adhere to this principle, the University will: • provide students, faculty, staff and administration with courses, workshops and information sessions which will increase their environmental awareness and knowledge; • provide students with internships and volunteer opportunities in the areas of environmental awareness and sustainable development; promote leadership roles among individuals from a variety of levels, providing inkind support for environmental initiatives; • promote interdisciplinary education and research across faculties and departments; • coordinate and cooperate with other student groups, organizations, institutions, and surrounding communities pursuing environmental programs and initiatives; and • apply research/demonstration projects to campus initiatives, as part of academic programs (e.g. engineering).

Monitoring and Reporting The University is committed to measuring and monitoring its progress towards reaching its environmental goals and objectives outlined in this policy. To adhere to this principle, the University will: • evaluate the University’s conformance with its environmental policies and standards; • use a set of meaningful indicators that measure the University’s performance and aid in identifying areas of improvement; • benchmark its performance against other academic institutions; and • prepare an annual environmental report that contains quantitative indicators to measure progress toward meeting the obligations contained in this policy.

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Open Communication The University encourages all members of the University community at large to report any incidents, actions, or concerns, which may potentially harm the environment. To adhere to this principle, the University will: • establish a hotline for reporting environmental concerns; • implement a feedback mechanism for all interested parties through means such as the Daily News website, an Environmental Policy Steering Committee website and other venues as deemed appropriate; • create and present an annual report that will be made public and accessible; and • provide timely and regularly scheduled public presentations.

Purchasing Policy The University is committed to purchasing products which balance quality and cost, and which promote environmental sustainability. The University will encourage its suppliers and contractors to provide environmental data about their products and to develop products that are environmentally friendly. To adhere to this principle, the University will: • maintain a five-percent purchasing policy whereby if a more environmentally friendly product or service falls within five percent of the price of the normally purchased product, it will be purchased instead; • communicate this policy to its suppliers and contractors; • purchase products that are produced from recycled material, can be recycled or re-used, reduce waste, and/or conserve natural resources; and • purchase products and services from suppliers or contractors who exercise environmentally friendly procedures and have environmental policies.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES McMaster’s environmental goals and objectives are provided in this section. Accompanying each goal is a set of environmental objectives that outline the actions necessary for achieving these goals. Each area will have an assigned management representative who will be responsible for the implementation and annual reporting to the Environmental Policy Steering Committee.

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Solid Waste The University is committed to minimizing the amount of solid waste generated on campus. In order to adhere to this goal, the University will pursue the following objectives: • adopt the 4 R’s of reducing, reusing, recycling and redesigning; • develop and implement effective programs and practices that support the 4 R’s; and • ensure that recycling is widely available on campus.

Hazardous Waste The University is committed to minimizing the amount of hazardous waste produced on campus. To adhere to this goal, the University will pursue the following objectives: • adopt the 4 R’s; • develop and implement effective programs and practices that support the 4 R’s; and • develop and implement a hazardous materials waste tracking system and long-term waste disposal database.

Indoor and Outdoor Air Quality The University is committed to improving indoor and outdoor air quality. In order to adhere to this goal, the University will pursue the following objectives: • identify problems of indoor air pollution and implement efficient and effective programs to address these areas; • use environmental and health conscious materials in building construction and renovation that protect and improve indoor air quality; • identify problems of outdoor air pollution and implement effective programs to address these areas; • identify and quantify the solid, liquid, and gaseous emissions from all University-related activities, operations, and services; • minimize greenhouse gas emissions in the University’s activities, operations, and services; and

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• identify actions to be taken during regional smog alerts that would reduce emissions from University operations.

Energy The University is committed to reducing its energy consumption, implementing conservation programs, and promoting energy efficiency. To adhere to this goal the University will pursue the following objectives: • develop and implement energy retrofit programs; • encourage students, faculty, staff and administration to practice energy efficiency; and • implement energy efficient systems in all new construction.

Transportation The University encourages environmentally friendly modes of transportation and recognizes the need to balance the demands of pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles. To adhere to this goal the University will pursue the following objectives: • collaborate and coordinate with other community agencies and groups (e.g., Hamilton Street Railway, City of Hamilton, neighbouring communities) to develop methods to reduce the impacts associated with its transportation practices, • promote the use of public transit, walking, bicycling and other environmentally-friendly modes of transportation; • promote pedestrian and bicycle safety in and around the campus; and • examine the operations of University-owned vehicles, and identify and implement alternatives that will reduce environmental impacts.

Water The University recognizes its proximity to the Hamilton harbour watershed and its impact on this area. The University will: • reduce the quantity of water used and waste water produced;

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• employ natural storm water management procedures: ponds, porous paving, roof gardens and other mitigation, • reduce landscape irrigation needs by planting appropriate species • implement water recycling program to use grey water for landscape irrigation; and • identify and minimize sources of water contamination.

Groundskeeping – Pesticides The University is committed to limiting and reducing the cosmetic use of pesticides. The University is committed to finding alternatives to road salt that balances the safety and environmental sustainability objectives. • plant species that are disease and pest-resistant, use organic pest control methods and fertilizers • commitment to rehabilitation of Ancaster Creek with HRCA; especially slope stability, large buffers and habitat; and • commitment to creating more habitat on campus, through landscaping to extend ravine and creek vegetation, create linkages.

Accountability The Vice-President (Administration) will convene a Standing Environmental Policy Steering Committee comprised of stakeholders. The Committee will monitor and assess the implementation of these principles and review and revise on a regular basis. The committee is responsible and accountable for implementing this policy. This policy will be reviewed, and revised if necessary, every two years and reauthorized by the Board of Governors every five years.

OBLIGATIONS The relevant legal and moral obligations applicable to McMaster University include, but are not limited to: • Canadian Environmental Assessment Act • Canadian Environmental Protection Act

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• City of Hamilton By-laws • Dangerous Goods Transportation Act • Endangered Species Act • Energy Efficiency Act • Environmental Bill of Rights • Nuclear Safety and Control Act • Occupational Health and Safety Act • Ontario Environmental Assessment Act • Ontario Environmental Protection Act • Ontario Water Resources Act • Pesticides Act • Plant Disease Act • Smoking in the Workplace Act • Talloires Declaration • Topsoil Preservation Act • Vision 2020 • Waste Management Act • Weed Control Act

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Appendix C Revisions to the 2002 Campus Master Plan The following list outlines the updates that have been made to the 2002 Campus Master Plan, to create the 2008 Campus Master Plan, which is this document. The changes listed below have also been reflected in the Executive Summary, and in the appropriate Figures. Minor wording changes and corrections in the text and drawings have not been listed.

Overall Changes â&#x20AC;˘

here appropriate the tense of certain policies has been revised to reflect the fact that some initiatives W originally proposed in the 2002 Plan have since been implemented.

â&#x20AC;˘

T he campus is referred to throughout the update as the Main Street Campus in light of the fact that McMaster is embracing a distributive education model with satellite locations.

â&#x20AC;˘

The parking zones have been update to use the new nomenclature.

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•

References to the double cohort as a driver for future growth and development have been removed.

•

eferences to the position of University Planner have been removed and where appropriate replaced with R reference to the Vice-President (Administration).

The Vision for the McMaster Campus

•

The research space at Innovation Park has been acknowledged in the Vision.

•

Urban Braille has been added to the list of features of the campus’ public spaces.

•

Reference to the expansion of the shuttle service has been updated to reflect changes to the shuttle service.

•

paragraph has been added envisioning greater use of sustainable modes of transportation for trips to and A from Campus.

•

Athletes Plaza has been changed to Marauders Plaza to reflect the established name of the space.

•

cMaster Plaza has been renamed McMaster Lawn to better reflect the type of landscaping appropriate for M that place.

•

Reference to College Gates as an access point for vehicles has been removed.

•

T he concept of the Master Plan graphics as guiding suggestions and not required or defined building forms has been reinforced.

•

A paragraph has been added describing the need for the 2008 Update.

Background to the Campus Master Plan

• A paragraph has been added describing the 2008 Update: the final build- out of the Main Street Campus remains but development sites and open spaces have been updated to reflect current conditions.

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•

T he University Planning Committee has been specified as the appropriate venue for the community to share thoughts on the Campus Plan.

•

T he list of Related Initiatives has been updated with comments on those initiatives that have since been completed and new initiatives added.

Certainty and Flexibility

Section 3.1 Creating the Setting for Campus Growth and Evolution •

paragraph has been added acknowledging the significant improvements to the campus structure that have A been made since the 2002 Plan was released.

•

eferences to the Main Street entrance have been updated to reflect the implementation of that original R recommendation.

Section 3.3 Flexibility: Policies and Criteria to Accommodate Changing Needs •

dditional emphasis has been added to the concept of the campus’ permanent structure, which is defined by A the open space network and anchored by compelling places.

•

eference to the University’s Sustainable Building policy has been added to the project criteria that will be R reviewed during the development of the permanent structure.

Principles and Foundations for the Plan

Section 4.1 Six Principles •

eference to the Visioning Workshop held in 2001 in Principle 1 has been deleted as its specific direction is R no longer directly relevant.

•

paragraph has been added to Principle 1 describing the ongoing need for investment in the Main Street A campus, the subject of the Plan and this Update.

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•

T he reference to Annual Report Cards in Principle 2 has been revised to refer to Annual Reports. Environmental Report Cards have been added as one of the mechanisms for ensuring appropriate implementation of the Plan.

•

T he Urban Braille concept has been added to the description of pedestrian priority routes through campus in Principle 3.

•

I n Principle 3, the desire for a pedestrian priority central campus has been enhanced with the concept of eliminating bus traffic from University Walk in the long term.

•

T he concept of sustainability has been added to Principle 5, broadening the discussion from McMaster’s landscapes to its built-up areas and operations as well.

•

paragraph has been added to Principle 6 describing the various groups through which the community can A get involved with the ongoing evolution of McMaster’s Main Street campus.

Section 4.2 Foundations for the Plan and Key Moves to Achieve It •

K ey moves have been updated to reflect recommendations that have been implemented since the 2002 Plan was released.

•

The Central Mall has been further described as a place for recreation and special events.

•

T he need for a pedestrian friendly form for the network of streets that make up the permanent structure is reinforced in Key Move 4. This key move has also been updated with the suggestion to limit HSR movements on campus to the edges for further pedestrian priority on campus.

A Strategy for Access, Circulation and Parking

Section 5.1 Access, Circulation and Parking

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•

eference to changes to the shuttle routes that now terminate at the edge of campus has been added to R reinforce the desire for pedestrian priority in the heart of campus.

•

P olicy 5.1.1 has been updated to suggest that in the long term only emergency and necessary service vehicles will be permitted on University walk to protect the pedestrian safety of that area.

•

P olicy 5.1.3 has been updated to refer to preserving campus streets for use by service vehicles instead of shuttle services.

•

The list of users of North Campus parking has been expanded to reflect actual regular users.

•

P olicy 5.1.13 addressing the need for parking for sporting events has been deleted in light of the construction of the lot beneath the new stadium.

•

new Policy 5.1.16 has been added encouraging the further implementation of technology to improve the A parking control and payment systems.

Section 5.2 Transportation Demand Management •

T he explanatory text has been updated to reflect the changes to the shuttle service, and to acknowledge the ongoing improvements to campus cycling facilities.

•

T he explanatory text has also been updated to reflect the implementation of the GO Transit Terminal and suggest that a similar facility for HSR vehicles could be considered.

•

paragraph has been added describing priorities for the further evolution of the Main Street streetscape A along the campus frontage.

•

T he Parking Fees section has been updated to reflect the implementation of increased parking fees and to acknowledge the construction of the parking garage under the new stadium.

•

P olicy 5.2.8 has been updated to reflect the implementation of the transit terminal for GO Transit, and suggest the possibility of a similar facility for HSR vehicles.

•

P olicy 5.2.9 suggests that an appropriate location for an HSR bus facility would be at the Sterling Street entrance.

•

The former Policy 5.2.10 has been deleted.

•

T he list of goals to be met by increased parking fees in Policy 5.2.16 has been reduced. It is no longer intended that parking fees cover the cost of expanding the shuttle service or to build a reserve for the construction of structured parking.

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Overall Planning Policies for the Campus

Section 6.1 Accommodating University Growth and Evolution •

T he priority areas for short term growth identified in Policy 6.1.4 have been amended to reflect the near build out of North Campus. New priority areas include the south and west frontages of campus.

•

new Policy 6.1.10 has been added indicating that the Campus Plan is maintained by the University Planning A Committee and that all related projects must be reviewed by the office of the Vice-President (Administration)

Section 6.4 New Projects •

Policy 6.4.6 has been amended to refer only to the on-campus day-care facility.

•

The use of Urban Braille features has been added to Policy 6.4.9 regarding ensuring building accessibility.

•

new policy 6.4.11 has been added indicating that all related projects are to be reviewed by the University A Planning Committee.

Section 6.5 Open Spaces and Landscaping •

P olicy 6.5.2 has been clarified with respect to compelling places on campus and a reference to that figure has been added.

•

new Policy 6.5.8 has been added indicating that landscape design will be actively considered during the A project planning process to address pedestrian and vehicular traffic flow issues.

Section 6.6 The Natural Environment

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•

eference to the University’s Sustainable Building Policy has been added to Policy 6.6.5 regarding green R buildings.

•

Integrated pest management has been added to the approaches to landscaping suggesting in Policy 6.6.8.

•

P olicy 6.6.11 has been updated to add improvements to the quality of stormwater run-off to the impetus for the management of stormwater on campus.

Section 6.7 Community Partnerships •

eference to specific recommendations in the McMaster University Area Neighbourhoods Task Force Report R (May 1999) has been deleted as it is no longer timely.

•

T he President’s Advisory Committee on Community Relations has been identified as the appropriate venue for University–Community communication in Policy 6.7.8.

•

Details around the exploration of student housing options have been deleted from policy 6.7.9.

•

etails on the University’s initiatives for better integrating students into the neighbouring communities have D been expanded.

•

eference to the Westdale/Ainslie Wood Neighbourhood Plan has been deleted in Policy 6.7.12 and 6.7.13 as R the plan has been completed.

Section 6.8 Transportation, Access and Circulation •

P olicy 6.8.7 has been updated to suggest that in the long term vehicular traffic on University Walk should be limited to service vehicles and shuttle buses, and that the University should work with HSR to plan for routes that serve campus and the community without necessarily running through it.

•

ore specificity has been added to Policy 6.8.8, indicating that the Sterling Street entrance will serve vehicles M accessing north parking areas.

•

new Policy 6.8.9 addresses the need to manage truck traffic on campus to minimize interference with the A pedestrian priority of University Walk.

Area-Specific Policies for the Campus

Section 7.1 Overall Core Policies •

In Policy 7.1.1 the role of the Central Mall as an informal recreation space has been recognized.

• Policy 7.1.9 has been update to include Urban Braille features as part of the pedestrian priority strategy for University Walk.

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Cootes Paradise •

The former Policy 7.1.13 suggesting that Edwards Quad be enhanced as a connection between Stearn Drive and Cootes Paradise has been deleted.

•

Policy 7.1.14 has been expanded to describe the compelling places of Edwards Quad and University Hollow. The reference to a new courtyard east of Hedden Hall has been deleted.

Core Campus – East •

Policies 7.1.22-7.1.25 referring to the creation of Kings Walk have been deleted as this project has been completed.

•

A new Policy 7.1.23 has been added to recommend the formalization of the parking drive aisle adjacent to the east side of the Student Centre and DeGroote School of Business into a street connecting Sterling Mall to Stearn Drive.

•

A new Policy 7.1.24 has been added suggesting that the University look for opportunities to accommodate an HSR bus turn-around facility at the Sterling Street entrance.

Core Campus – South

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•

Policy 7.1.25 has been revised to acknowledge the construction of the Main Street entrance and to suggest that additional landscaping in this area would better announce the University’s presence on Main Street. Policies formerly numbered 7.1.29 and 7.1.30 have been deleted as the Main Street entrance has been constructed.

•

Policy 7.1.28 has been added to reflect the establishment of Brockhouse way as a key pedestrian route connecting to Main Street.

•

Formerly numbered Policies 7.1.34 through 7.1.38 have been deleted as the Main Street entrance has been constructed.

•

Policy 7.1.30 has been amended to add that the University could consider an HSR facility in the south campus area.

•

The reference to the Westdale/Ainslie Wood Neighbourhood Study has been deleted from Policy 7.1.33 as it has been completed.

•

Policy 7.1.34 recommends that McMaster Lawn connect to the core campus through new courtyards and pedestrian paths.

•

A new Policy 7.1.38 has been added to propose the creation of South Campus Walk - a new pedestrian path between Main Street and College Crescent.

•

Policies 7.1.48 and 7.1.49 have been deleted as they refer to the creation of an access point at College Crescent and Cootes Drive which has been completed.

Core Campus – West •

The former Policies 7.1.50 through 7.1.52 have been amended into Policy 7.1.39 to reflect the creation of the pedestrian access at College Crescent and Cootes Drive. Additional landscaping has been proposed to enhance this entrance.

Section 7.2 The North Campus •

Reference to large amounts of surface parking in North Campus have been revised to refer to small amounts of surface parking.

•

Policy 7.2.4 has been amended to add reference to a new north south street adjacent to the new stadium.

•

A new Policy 7.2.5 has been added to recommend a new open space at the corner of the new north south street and Stern Drive enhancing east west views between Mayfair Oval and Faculty Hollow.

•

A new Policy 7.2.6 has been added to describe the relationship between the new open space and Marauders Quad.

•

A new Policy 7.2.10 has been added to suggest that the natural landscape of Cootes Paradise be extended through the residence areas.

Realizing the Vision

Section 8.1 Describing the Potential •

T he growth statements have been amended to reflect the University’s position on maintaining population levels and not anticipating growth. Furthermore additional clarity around the flexibility of the Campus Plan to respond to both growth and no growth scenarios has been added.

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Section 8.2 Development Sites •

The areas with potential in Core Campus and North Campus have been updated to reflect existing conditions.

Section 8.3 Development Sites •

T he reference to using West Campus as an athletic precinct has been deleted in light of the investment in athletics facilities in North Campus. Removing this reference does not preclude the creation of stand alone athletic facilities in West Campus.

Section 8.4 Priority Projects •

new list of Priority Projects has been developed to guide the University over the next 10 years of A the Campus Plan. These are: Preparation of a Landscape Master Plan, University Walk Pedestrian Improvements; Central Mall Landscape Improvements; The Further Refinement of the Main Street Entrance and Brockhouse Way; A Transit Turn-Around and Students Walk; Mayfair Oval Playing Fields Buffer; and West Campus Parking Lots and Open Space. Some of these projects have been carried over from the 2002 Plan because they have not been implemented and are still important and others have been revised to reflect some implementation to date and work still to be done. Still others are new projects that will contribute to the physical character of the Campus in the short term.

Section 8.5 Interim Plan •

T he interim plan has been revised to look forward to the next phase of campus evolution. It focuses on projects that will contribute to the permanent structure of campus but does not rely on significant building development, with the exception of replacement buildings for T-13 and Wentworth House, both in key gateway locations.

•

The Development Sites table has been updated.

Implementation of the Campus Master Plan

Section 9.5 Checklist for Project Formulation and Review •

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T wo new questions have been added to the checklist under Coordination with Other Current or Anticipated Projects that refer to requiring a Communications Plan and conformity with the University’s Trucking Plan.

9.6 Partnership Opportunities â&#x20AC;˘

Reference to partnerships with the HSR and City resulting from the Main Street Entrance project have been deleted as the project has been completed.

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Appendix D Landscape Design Competition A landscape design competition was held in 2005 to find a design direction for the McMaster Campus. This is the winning entry, which was prepared by Fleisher Ridout Partnership Inc. The proposed design has not yet been adopted but elements are being implemented through discrete projects. Additional elements of the landscape plan should be considered for implement as the Campus continues to evolve. As stated in policy 6.5.2, the University should prepare and adopt a Landscape Master Plan to formalize this process.

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INGENUITY WITHOUT BOUNDS

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Ca ampus

Set on a flat plain above the wooded slopes of Cootes Paradise, with a clear vista of the Niagara Escarpment, the McMaster Campus is expanding at an unprecedented d t d rate. t A projection j ti off University values into public life, the campus is integrated with the city around it. This interconnectivity has evolved into a nexus of satellite campuses, with research and teaching partnerships reaching out to affiliated institutions. Inspired by this dynamic integration, the Gateway site on Main Street West creates a new threshold at the interface between nature, culture and innovation. Building on the dominant Modernist aesthetic of Main Street, the Gateway overlays a new vocabulary of landscape elements engaged in a dialogue between planning and ecology. From Cootes Paradise to Main Street, a clear and distinct identity for the campus is established that at the same time engages the life of the city.

McMASTER UNIVERSITY GATEWAY

Conce ept

The Gateway concept builds upon the predominant design aesthetic of modernism found across the Main Street frontage, establishing a new vocabulary of landscape elements combining scale and Beaux Arts planning principles with a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;McHargianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; McHargian ecological thesis. The result is a clear and distinct identity for the University within a new landscape creating a tension between nature and culture, tradition and invention, theory and practice. The Gateway to the campus is an assembly of five pieces. Anchored by the landscape elements of the Carolinian Curtain, Living Colonnade and Escarpment Park along the entire Main Street frontage, the Gateway occurs where the ordered rhythm of landscape and colonnade of the streetscape is interrupted by opening and angle.

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M Master Plan

The Master plan recognizes that the heart and identity of the McMaster Campus lies in the heritage buildings that define the Common. It restores the long north-south axis that originally defined the campus, starting at the foot of University Hall and running south to Main Street. The restored axis is an armature that connects the major landscape forms and features of the campus, including the relocated Rose Garden and new outdoor Student Centre. The Gateway location, at the south th end d off th the axis, i engages th the faรงade of the Medical Science Building, and carries the new order of Main Street north into the heart of the Campus. The order extends across the new vehicular plaza defining a pedestrian-priority zone, plaza, zone which, extends north along a new 6m wide promenade re-claimed from the existing asphalt roadbed. The bricksurfaced Pedestrian Promenade counterbalances the manyy paths p that bisect the Common, and is reinforced by an orderly rhythm of benches and light standards.

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Gatewa ay McMASTER UNIVERSITY GATEWAY

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Liv ving Colo onnade

The stark faรงades of the parking garage and the Medical Science Building are enlivened with a Living Colonnade that provides dappled light and shade. Engaging the structural rhythm of the buildings behind them, columns and overhead joists provide a frame for native vines i th thatt fform a green skin ki off vegetation. t ti

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Vegetation The pink flowers of the Hairy Honeysuckle vine forms a canopy along the entire length of colonnade Âˇ a double row of Pin Oak defines a pedestrian arcade in front of the colonnade Âˇ Burning Bush and Shining Sumac create a hedge backdrop in front of the parking garage

PARK Vegetation A mix of Red Oak, sugar Maple, Kentucky Coffee Tree, White Pine, Tamarack, Hemlock, Shagbark Hickory, Blue Beech, Ironwood, Tulip Tree, and Sassafras are composed amid groups of Redbud, Trillium and Yew. Stone Sittable, weathered face, sawn side, Limestone plinths and cubes demark secondary entrances and axis Surface Crushed limestone paths define the garden compartments and allow the user a more intimate experience. Broom finish concrete forms the central east/west passage

M Materials

LIVING COLONNADE

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Colum mns

A modern interpretation of Classical models, the clean, strong shapes and repetitive rhythm of the Columns organise the architectural forms and spaces along Main Street and reinforce the campus' edge. Whil id While identical ti l iin size, i each h column l iis an individual expression of materials and planting. At both ends of Main Street, the columns are covered with ivy; as they approach the Gateway, the columns become more explicitly architectural to create a focus around the main entry point to the campus. Made of rolled Cor-Ten steel sheets, the columns will be perforated with artistdesigned patterns and lit from within at night.

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Ca arolinian c curtain

A linear meadow across the entire Main Street frontage, the Carolinian Curtain sets the stage for the Gateway. Indigenous trees, shrubs, h b fl flowers and d grasses are punctuated t t d by limestone outcrops. From west to east, ordered gardens devolve into natural habitats, leading to a neighbourhood park at Dalewood Avenue and Main Street, a collective arboretum. arboretum

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CAROLINIAN CURTAIN g Vegetation Red and Chinquipan Oak, White Pine and Hemlock anchor the western end of the curtain · Blue Beech forms Cloister and Feature · Tulip Tree, Tamarack and Sassafras specimens are found throughout · clusters l t off Fl Flowering i D Dogwood, d A Arrowwood d and Hazelnut identify passage · carpets of Trillium, Maidenhair Fern, Tall Bellflower, Yellow Lady's Slipper, Blueberry Porcupine Grass and Prairie Dropseed enrich the ground plane · a mix of Red Oak, Oak sugar Maple, Kentucky Coffee Tree, White Pine, Tamarack, Hemlock, Shagbark Hickory, Blue Beech, Ironwood, Tulip Tree, and Sassafras are composed amid groups of Redbud, Trillium and Yew

Surface Crushed limestone paths define the garden compartments and allow the user a more intimate experience · broom-finished concrete forms the central east/west passage

M Materials

Stone Sittable, weathered face, sawn side, Limestone plinths and cubes demarcate secondary entrances and axes

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Escarpm menta

Defining the threshold of the campus at the new Main Street entrance, Escarpmenta is a metaphor for the Escarpment landscape. Water flows down a series of low limestone terraces, animating the environment with its peaceful sound. This cascade leads into a cut-stone staircase on the sunlit side of the street. A row of steel columns along Main Street turns and heads north into the campus, th iintersection the t ti off th the ttwo lilines punctuating t ti the corner.

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ESCARPMENTA Metal The three columns of the gateway are formed of rolled, rusted Cor-Ten steel each with a slightly individual taper and seam

Water Water trickles from the calcitic crevice into a Cascade of limestone slabs, coming to rest in the natural repose of the Reflecting Pool. S f Surface run-off ff ffrom th the plaza l iis collected ll t d iin stone filled troughs feeding a subterranean cistern

Vegetation the gateway landscape features pockets of Blue Beech, with an understory of Spreading Hemlock, Sweet Woodruff and purple flowered Vinca minor Âˇ a Honey Locust bosque bosque, with features of Prairie Rose and Crab Apple frame the sod ground plane of the Gateway Plaza

M Materials

Stone A composition of local Limestone, from the boulders and weathered surfaces and rock faces of the cascade to the sawn dimensions plinths of the staircase and p

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Univerrsity Plaz za

The University Plaza unifies the space between the Hospital, parking garage and the proposed Gateway Building with a consistent ground plane material and planting. The limestone outcrops of the Escarpment p are re-interpreted p as p plaza,, staircase, cascade, and plinth. A bosque of Honeylocusts commands the plateau of the new terrace lawn, a respite from the activity of Main Street. The staircase takes advantage of its southern exposure with oversized treads that encourage sitting and meeting. The stone plinths of the new McMaster University sign flatten out to become the limestone floor and podium. Marking the interface between City City, University and Hospital, the Gateway Plaza is a place of both passage and repose.

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Sus stainability

The Nautilus Th N til M Meadow, d it form its f suggesting ti the balance between nature and structure, is a model of sustainable design. Between University Drive and the west face of the Medical Science Building, Ancaster Creek is excavated at intervals intervals, a Bio-swale meandering northwards between ribbons of grassland, cattail and washed stones. Collectively, the promenade, creek and meadow come together as the new outdoor

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Plaza

Student Centre, complete with a portico, amphitheatre, and bus shelter. The ground plane is unified by simple concrete pavement and a large 'obelisk' sculpture on axis with College Crescent, the Gateway, and the Pedestrian Promenade. Four satellite vehicular plazas are connected to the Pedestrian Promenade by east-west axes. Each plaza is anchored by a large-scale, brightly-coloured, abstract sculpture and a central pedestrian walkway. These plazas mark secondary gateways to the University University, and are located at the foot of University Hall, the Mill Memorial Library, the A.N. Bourns Science Building on Cootes Drive, and at the west end of the Scholars Road turnturn around.

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McMASTER UNIVERSITY GATEWAY