About the LRDP and the University's Mission

UCSB has been an important part of the Santa Barbara community for more than 60 years. We value the strong relationship we have with our community and strive to be responsive to it.

LRDP Document

Aerial Image of Storke Tower

The University is a dynamic organization with a challenging mission. We offer higher education to our state's residents; we continue to reach new heights of academic excellence. We prepare an educated workforce that will keep California's economy strong, and we reflect the changing demographics in our fast-growing state. UCSB adds to the fabric of life on the South Coast with offerings of education, entertainment, athletics, and other resources. We strive to fulfill our mission while being accountable to both the State of California as well as our local community.

 

Planning for Future Needs via the Long Range Development Plan (LRDP)

The Long Range Development Plan is a planning tool that will shape how the campus will develop to the year 2025, including changes in our academic programs and the development of additional campus housing for students, faculty, and staff. The plan is based on a one percent annual enrollment increase to the year 2025.

We recognize that our plans to accommodate increasing student demand have impacts on our neighboring communities. The LRDP process is designed to address community issues and concerns and environmental impacts, while allowing for manageable growth in the student population. The plan offers real solutions to future issues, based on a commitment to managing traffic, avoiding sprawl, and taking responsibility for managing new demand for housing and other services. We believe that this is a highly sustainable model.

Policy PS-07 of the LRDP requires the University to analyze campus water supply and demand on an annual basis. This analysis is included in an annual report which also includes an estimate of the potable water necessary to serve the remaining building of the 2010 LRDP. The Water Consumption reports can be found on the Campus' Sustainability Website, under the Reports Heading.

Key Elements of the 2010 UCSB LRDP:

  1. The LRDP details our campus plans to the year 2025.
  2. The LRDP anticipates a growth rate of one percent per year in student enrollment, which mirrors the growth rate of the Santa Barbara region. This projection equals roughly 250 students per year to a maximum enrollment of 25,000 in 2025.
  3. The LRDP includes the development of housing needed to accommodate all additional students.
  4. The LRDP, when fully implemented, anticipates providing housing for more than 1,600 faculty and staff members. Currently, the University provides about 100 units of faculty housing, and has approval to construct another 120 more.
  5. The LRDP addresses resident concerns about increased traffic. The LRDP proposes a fair-share payment by the University for needed traffic improvements. Some past contributions include $6.8M for El Colegio Road improvements, $3.2M for traffic impacts identified in 1991, and $1.9M for North Campus faculty and staff housing in Goleta.
  6. The LRDP reflects our commitment to environmental issues and includes numerous policies regarding green building, sustainability, coastal protection and others.