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Built & Natural Environments

From public space transformations that support social interaction and informal learning, to buildings designed as healthy learning spaces, to accessible pedestrian and cyclist friendly pathways, UBC’s campus environments—both built and natural—play an important role in facilitating physical, mental, social and ecological wellbeing for all community members.

UBC has several plans that guide the physical planning of the University to ensure that we are designing and building complete campuses that are diverse, vibrant, lively and healthy. Through our campus planning, we are creating places that:

  • Promote physical activity;

  • Enable social connections;

  • Improve productivity, learning and overall health;

  • Reduce financial stress of housing and transportation costs;

  • Foster equity by creating a barrier-free campus.

Learning spaces are a key aspect of our approach to campus planning and are crucial to UBC's core mission of teaching, learning, research and engagement. The Learning Spaces Team collaborates to improve teaching and learning in the classroom through initiatives to expand technological capability in classrooms and lecture halls, improve scheduling and utilize rooms. UBC Collegia on the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses designed as a “home away from home” for commuter students, provide opportunities to connect and build community, while our commitment to embracing innovative policies and procedures in our building practices are helping to define what green buildings and communities can look like. 

Strategies

Targets were determined through extensive community engagement and inform actions in this wellbeing priority area. View the long-range description of success and why it matters here.

Targets

Active Transportation: 
Increase trips to and from UBC made by walking, cycling, or transit by 2025*.

Indicators 

Baseline and target established:
% commuting trips made by walking, cycling or transit

Target

Complete Communities: 
Increase opportunities for people to learn, work, play, and live on our campuses.

Indicator

Baseline and target established:
Change in housing, child care, and community amenities. 

Learn More

For more data, stories, and more, explore the sections below.

Examples and Research

  1. Students walking on UBC Okanagan campus
    February 1, 2025

    February is Move UBC!

    Move UBC is a university-wide initiative held every February to encourage increased physical activity and reduce the time students, faculty, staff, and the broader UBC community spend being stationary. Small changes can lead to big impacts—moving in ways that feel empowering, comfortable,…

  2. students sitting by a fire
    November 1, 2024

    Thrive is back this November

    Thrive is a time when we come together as a UBC community to learn about, talk about, and explore ways to support our mental health.  Promoting mental health literacy, reducing stigma, and fostering a supportive campus culture are key to living, learning and working well …


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