The University of Missouri-Kansas City is embarking on a campus master planning process.

A master plan is a long-range vision for the physical environment of the university’s two campuses. The plan will be designed to support the university’s goals, the role it plays in Kansas City’s future and the needs and desires of the university’s valued neighbors.

Elements to be studied and refined in the process include student housing, green space, classroom and laboratory design, space utilization and support for the student life experience.

The plan will take into account the realities of the university’s financial situation, and focus initially on maximizing the efficient use of existing buildings and spaces. The plan will also look to the future and chart a course for expansion into key growth areas such as student housing as resources become available.

The existing UMKC Master Plan, created in 2014, needs to be updated to reflect new conditions. First and foremost, the master plan must be guided by, and serve the goals of, the 2018-2028 UMKC Strategic Plan. It will take into account that the streetcar will extend to our campus, further connecting us to the city. In addition, factors such as the UMKC Forward process and our short- and long-term needs for student services, academic programming and community engagement, must be taken into account.

UMKC is working with the firm Ayers Saint Gross to create a collaborative process designed to build consensus. A working group representing a wide array of UMKC stakeholders has been assembled and began working with ASG professionals in November 2020 to assess existing conditions.

The entire campus community will have opportunities to participate and be heard. UMKC has developed a Master Plan website where we will to share updates and alert the campus community to future opportunities for participation and input. The goal is to produce a recommended plan for consideration by the Board of Curators at the board meeting in June.

“Our mission of teaching, research and service is constant, but the means we employ to deliver on that mission must adapt to changing conditions,” Agrawal said in a letter to campus. “This master plan process is an opportunity for our community to come together to decide how our physical environment and footprint must adapt to provide maximum support for that mission.”