UC Berkeley has begun the process of updating its Long Range Development Plan (LRDP), which will guide campus growth to 2020. A campus LRDP is similar to a city general plan in that it creates a framework of land-use principles and policies to guide future growth and change. The new plan will replace the current LRDP, which was adopted in 1990 and runs to 2005.

Campus leaders are considering a number of issues: How can UC Berkeley maintain its historic excellence in instruction and research in an era of limited resources? How can it accommodate increased enrollment while also improving the quality of life for students and local residents? How can it renew and expand its facilities and preserve the beauty of the campus?

Most of the UC campuses statewide are updating their LRDPs to plan for the enrollment growth expected over the next decade. Due to the unprecedented growth in the state's college-age population, UC campuses, state universities and community colleges must increase their enrollments in order to ensure that a quality education is within the reach of every deserving California student. The ten-campus UC system is projected to grow by over 60,000 students by 2010. UC Berkeley has been requested to accommodate 4,000 more students, an increase of 14% from 1998-’99 levels. Some of this growth has already occurred and some will be absorbed through strategies such as expansion of summer programs and education abroad, but the campus will require more classrooms, more research and library facilities, and more housing.

As the oldest campus in the UC system, UC Berkeley also faces the challenges posed by its aging facilities, including seismic life- safety concerns and the functional needs of modern research and instruction.

The LRDP will be developed over the next several months. It is subject to a full environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act, which will provide opportunities for the university to hear and address local environmental concerns. A draft plan and environmental-impact review are expected be completed in fall 2003 and presented to the UC Regents for approval in spring 2004. Once approved, the 2020 LRDP will guide campus development for the next two decades.

Two open-house meetings are planned for March to take comments on the scope of the environmental analysis:

• Monday, March 10, 7-10 p.m., Clark Kerr Campus, Krutch Theater, 2602 Warring St.
  
• Thursday, March 13, 7-10 p.m., North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave.
  

A brief presentation on the LRDP will be given on the half hour (7:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.). Participants are invited to comment and to ask questions about the scope of analysis during the open-house hours. UC and consultant representatives will attend each meeting.

For the latest information on meetings, and to be placed on the LRDP mailing list, contact the campus planning office at 643-0313.