Planning Process

Duke is currently engaged in a long-range planning process to develop its Central Campus, which consists of about 200 acres between the East and West campuses. The development is expected to occur in phases over a 20- to 50-year period. The goal is to create an "academic village" that attracts and serves members of the Duke community throughout the day and evening. The new Central Campus will better connect the other two campuses, both physically and programmatically.

The first phase is primarily residential. We will be replacing the existing apartments and creating new housing for undergraduate, graduate and professional students. The residences for undergraduates will be designed with a focus on seniors who are making the transition from undergraduate, campus residential life to more independent living. There will be dining, academic, recreational and service components in this phase. Phase I development will impact only a portion of the Central Campus area.

In the spring of 2005, Provost Peter Lange (the university's chief academic officer) and Kemel Dawkins, vice president for campus services, began leading the internal planning process for the first phase. Four university subcommittees were charged to identify and evaluate options for housing and dining, academic programs, extracurricular activities and spaces, and community relations. The preliminary subcommittee reports are available online.

In the fall of 2005, two architectural firms were hired to begin translating broad principles and program elements into an approach for Phase I development. Architects Elkus-Manfredi and Ayers Saint Gross refined the Phase I master plan to orient buildings to open space and to attend to issues of environmentally sustainable design. Planning continues as an iterative process between design and programming.

If you have a question or want more information, contact Michael Palmer, the director of the Office of Community Affairs.