UC Davis Campus Vision Engagement
A major campus in a semi-rural, agriculturally rich area must reflect and sustain the surrounding environment, as well as the vision and needs of the university. UC Davis’ innovative and creative approach effectively engaged the community in its ongoing land use and environmental policy development, which will guide future growth and investment on the campus. The community participated in both physical and virtual interactive museums.
A series of large format and highly visual graphics in a campus gallery clearly conveyed the various planning, programmatic and land use changes being considered. As people moved through the gallery, they physically followed the “story” of how the campus could grow and change over time, while integrating into the community in a way that’s environmentally, socially and economically beneficial to the community. A virtual gallery website mirrored the real-world content. Either way, participants could “walk” through the same gallery exhibit, view and understand content, and answer questions and provide feedback. The multifaceted approached helped UC Davis reach the community, including on-campus faculty, students and staff, as well as local Davis residents and people from the wider Sacramento region.
This project won the 2017 Sacramento Valley Section APA award for innovative community outreach and best practices.