About LRDP
Why A New Long Range Development Plan (LRDP)?
UC Riverside has been growing consistently for many years. In pursuit of its own strategic enrollment goals, as well as in cooperation with State requirements regarding overall California resident and resident transfer student enrollment levels, UCR has steadily grown its student population year over year. For example, in Fall 2018 the campus enrolled approximately 600 more students than it did in 2017 – growth of nearly 3 percent.
The 2010 LRDP makes its land use assumptions on a projected maximum population of 35,000 students. UC Riverside has surpassed this important enrollment milestone. UC Riverside’s current vision regarding enrollment and the physical development necessary to support continued future growth.
How is the LRDP Related to the Strategic Plan?
As UCR enters into the development of its next strategic plan, it is helpful to understand the differences between the strategic plan and the LRDP. The LRDP is a long-range land use plan that looks at very broad growth assumptions and considers their environmental impact. The strategic plan focuses on UCR’s mission, vision, and values, and provides direction regarding our priorities and aspirational goals. The strategic plan drives the UCR operational and capital budget priorities, while the LRDP provides parameters for how land use can support those priorities. A strategic plan is important to guide an organization, but not required. The LRDP is required by the state.
Who All Were Involved?
The LRDP is an important reference document for the campus, University, and the general public. The Regents of the University of California, as well as the California Code of Regulations, require each campus to have a current LRDP, also subject to the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) that requires decision makers and the public be informed of the potential environmental effects of a proposed project. Consequently, the Regents must consider and certify the CEQA document prior to approving an LRDP.
UC Riverside has prepared a new LRDP and LRDP Environmental Impact Report. The Campus Planning unit of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Planning Budget & Administration managed the day-to-day LRDP effort, with a Steering Committee and Executive Committee providing oversight and direction. Additionally, subject-specific workgroups consisting of appointed stakeholders representing many campus perspectives provided critical insight on key issues such as Academic and Research needs, Housing, Safety, and Infrastructure, among others.
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What Will the Working Groups Focus On?
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Academics & Research
The Academics and Research Working Group discussed proposed enrollment and planning horizon, and identified the potential challenges and opportunities associated. Members were challenged to explore ways to balance and accommodate student growth and research growth at UCR, as well as help identify what some characteristics of future growth may be, and how those characteristics will influence physical planning decisions. In particular the group reviewed and discussed potential major changes in the delivery of instruction over time, including the use of technology and/or any anticipated major changes in the enrollment mix.
Working Group Members: Kan Barenklau, Charles Greer, Bracken Daly, Emma Wilson, Jennifer Brown, Philippe Rolshausen, Nicole Cleary, Djurdjica Coss, Miri Lim, Karolyn M Anders, Perla Fabela, Allison Cantwell, Michelle Baniqued.
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Student Experience
The Student Experience Working Group identified areas within the built environment that could enhance the student experience across various dimensions, as well as identify current deficits and missed opportunities. The group brought forward ideas and principles of how to incorporate a variety of uses that all relate to the overall student experience and how these uses physically and optimally interact with each other spatially and programmatically.
Working Group Members: Ellen Whitehead, Lindy Fenex, Tamica Smith Jones, Ann Frenkel, Julienne DeGeyter, Chelsea Davenport, Adam Daniels, Anahi Cruz, Paul Lyons, Brendan O'Brien, James Smith, Laura Riley, Jeff Girod, Robert Stephens, Toi Thibodeaux, Michelle Baniqued.
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Sustainability
The Sustainability Working Group was challenged to explore the three dimensions of sustainability – people, planet and profit – within the UC Riverside context. The group discussed the campus’ most challenging sustainability issues, and propose innovative ideas for addressing them via land use and design of the built environment. Particular emphasis was placed on developing strategies that could also assist the campus in meeting the University of California’s commitment to carbon neutrality, energy use reduction, water conservation, and more.
Working Group Members: Fortino Morales, Brian Siana, Francesca Hopkins, Irma Henderson, Gustavo Plascensia, Hassan Ghamlouch, Matt Barth, Austin Mok, Ella Deyet, Kate Gonzalez, Darrel Jenerette, Mary Droser, Ertem Tuncel, David Palacios, Kyle Walker, Jaime Engbrecht.
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Infrastructure & Technology
The Infrastructure and Technology Working Group explored aspects of infrastructure and technology that influence the larger campus physical environs for opportunities to realize greater efficiencies and longer building life-cycle time frames. Members were encouraged to imagine how evolving technology may influence physical future development on campus over the next five and ten years, and identify areas of campus where growth can most easily be accommodated. The group was also challenged to develop standards to support the campus wide storm water management plan and consider strategies that reduce UCR’s carbon footprint
Working Group Members: Susan Marshburn, Danna Gianforte, Amanda Grey, Cesar Higueros, Jaime Engbrecht, Georgios Vidalakis, Jiau Liao, Miriam Ochoa-Garibay, Jeff Williams, Jonah Myers, David Palacios, Gerald Caraig
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City & Community
The City and Community Working Group provided a forum to engage the Campus with city and community constituents on campus planning issues. This group was encouraged to imagine how the campus/community interface and relationship can be strengthened through the built environment, find opportunities for collaborations/partnerships, and furnish recommendations for consideration.
Working Group Members: Jeff Kraus, Gurumantra Khalsa, Kevin Dawson, Rich Davis, Miguel Lujano, Andy Melendrez, Mary Koopaskie Brown, Bob Stockton, Travis Tyson, Cindy Roth, Charlotte McKenzie, Sue Johnson, Bill Cole, Brandon Barbosa, Raoul Amescua, John Cioffi, Sohum Shah, Jeff Krynski , Rohan Kuruppu, Katie Pratt, Shannon Mead, Jalani Bakari, Melissa Garrety, Christina Duran.
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Agricultural Operations
The Agricultural Operations Working Group was tasked with developing a greater understanding of the nature of land-based research in the coming years, and how that research would influence land planning at UC Riverside. The group was encouraged to imagine how developing technologies and changes in research methodologies may influence how the campus conducts land-based research, and what implications that will have with respect to acreage, energy/water consumption, sustainability etc. The group recognized the importance of the LRDP to characterize land-based research that is supportive of the campus’ academic and research mission. This group also carefully reviewed the current assumptions about future development of the West Campus vs Agricultural Operations specific needs for the existing (and possible expanded) land.
Working Group Members: Tim Paine, Peggy Mauk, Deborah McWilliams, Phil Roberts, Tracy Kahn, Kylie Sanchez, Evelyn Hurtado, Raoul Amescua, Trapper McClean, Janette Ducut, Tricia Thrasher.
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Housing, Transportation, & Safety
The Housing, Transportation & Safety Working Group focused on the high-level logistics of supporting current and future campus population needs, how physical and environmental safety, and the residential experience are impacted. The group also discussed how ongoing major capital projects including the North District development, Student Success Center and UCR Mobility Hub will change campus traffic, deliveries, pedestrian movement, and safety as student and staff populations grow. Current demand, future capacity, and needed resources were also examined.
Working Group Members: Andy Plumley, Irma Henderson, John Freese, Sheila Hedayati, Scott Jackson, Bob Williams, David Henry, Mike Clemons, Bob Bumbrough, Nathalei De Paz, Elizabeth Martin, Wanjiku Gachiri, Raoul Amescua.
How Is The 2021 LRDP Different From The 2016 Physical Master Plan Study?
In 2016 UC Riverside prepared the Physical Master Plan Study (PMPS) to develop a vision for the physical environment of the campus. The study assumed a future growth of up to 30,000 students by 2030. During the PMPS process, the campus examined how it could grow and physically develop to achieve its goal of academic excellence, with a particular focus on the East Campus area.
In many ways, the PMPS puts forth the foundation for the 2021 LRDP. Many of the concepts and possibilities brought forth in the PMPS translated into more formal land uses and planning policies in the LRDP and LRDP EIR. In the pre-planning and preparatory efforts for the LRDP, the University agreed that a student enrollment of 35,000 would be in alignment with enrollment at UC Riverside's aspirational peers, and the planning horizon of 2035 would better reflect the campus' growth trajectory. Both of these baseline assumptions were confirmed in the ensuing planning dialogue for the LRDP. The LRDP process defined how much growth will be needed to achieve UC Riverside's academic goals and satisfy state requirements. Planning for additional students will necessitate some changes in how the campus approaches its land use and density assumptions, which are also reflected in the LRDP document.
Outreach for the 2021 LRDP
Work on the LRDP, including necessary pre-studies, started in 2018. In January 2019, the campus initiated an open process to help assure broad involvement in the LRDP update across campus and the surrounding community. Over six months of active engagement across its steering committee, and seven working groups, 121 members of its governance groups including academic leadership, faculty, students, staff, Academic Senate, Staff Assembly and student government representatives, community members, an elected official, a UCR Board of Trustee, and City of Riverside Council staff, City of Riverside Planning Dept. staff, and Riverside Chamber of Commerce and local agency representatives participated in approximately 50 work sessions.
More broadly, several campus-wide open forums occurred between May 2019 and October 2019 to afford a wider campus audience the opportunity to hear updates concerning the LRDP progress and to share their thoughts. Staff also met with City of Riverside planning staff, and provided regular updates at the monthly City-University coordination meetings.
The LRDP website provided information about the LRDP effort including content presented at the campus open forums, and posted information about upcoming events. Additionally, an online survey was conducted through several campus media outlets that generated approximately 500 responses.
Timeline for Completion
The 2021 LRDP EIR was certified by the Regents of the University of California, and the LRDP approved on November 17, 2021.