Campus Master Plans

In June 2022, the University of Kansas kicked off the process of creating a new Campus Master Plan, which will guide management of buildings and physical spaces on the Lawrence campus for the next five years. The master plan is designed to align the physical campus with the institutional strategy to ensure buildings, facilities and infrastructure support KU’s mission, values and priorities.

Creating the 2024 Campus Master Plan will follow a process of campus engagement during which hundreds of individuals will be engaged in meetings, focus groups, interviews and community forums. The process will also include extensive analysis of building and facility use, historic patterns, land use, program accommodation, sustainability and other areas. The process is intended to give all stakeholders — students, faculty, staff, and others — multiple opportunities to contribute ideas and feedback.

Central District Master Plan

KU is transforming its Central District into a new hub of education and research. This once-in-a-generation project addresses immediate infrastructure needs and positions the university for excellence for decades to come.

The focal point of the Central District is the new Integrated Science Building, which will comprise 280,000 square feet of space for teaching, learning and interdisciplinary research in chemistry, medicinal chemistry, physics, molecular biosciences and related fields. For our students, this means new classrooms, new ways of interacting with instructors and classmates, and close integration of their undergraduate studies with cutting-edge research activity. For our researchers, it means a state-of-the-art facility designed to spawn multidisciplinary research and be an anchoring point for collaboration among KU’s research centers and campuses.

The Central District also includes new student housing, parking, a student union, and a utility plant, which together will improve the living and learning environment for our students and provide tremendous new resources to our faculty and staff. View the Central District Master Plan map (pdf).

Campus Heritage Plan

The Campus Heritage Plan, finalized in 2008, provides the campus and University community with a broad, comprehensive understanding of the historic development of the campus. This wide perspective not only documents the incredible history of campus development but offers a rich resource for leaders addressing future changes to the physical campus. The Campus Heritage Plan is available by email request.

Landscape Master Plan

The Landscape Master Plan provides a general direction for preserving and enhancing the campus landscape. The main campus of the University of Kansas has a long and rich history. The Landscape Master Plan implements the concepts and recommendations of the 1997 Campus Plan, the accepted framework for campus renewal and future physical development. The Landscape Master Plan is available by email request.

2014 – 2024 Campus Master Plan

The 2014–2024 University of Kansas Campus Master Plan was KU’s fifth and most comprehensive master plan. The plan was developed over a 13-month period, during which hundreds of individuals were engaged in meetings, focus groups, interviews, and charrettes. Three campus and Lawrence community open forums were also held.

The Campus Master Plan physically embodied KU’s mission and vision through three broad physical concepts:

• Student Success, Campus Life
• Academic Communities
• Sustainable Land Use & Growth Patterns

The 2014-2024 Campus Master Plan was developed under the university's previous strategic plan launched in 2011, called Bold Aspirations. The video below provides insights on the history of campus planning and the development of the current Campus Master Plan.

A copy of the 2014-2024 KU Campus Master Plan is available by email request.