Campus Compass survey results show future U. plans, expansion

The results from January's Campus Compass survey by the University presents some major outdoor changes affecting future students, faculty, staff, and community members. The new proposals include plans for redevelopment and growth, including replacing the Springdale golf course and adding a new residential college to the already well-established six colleges.

The official website for the 2026 Campus Plan describes the project as "the most comprehensive campus planning project ever undertaken." The University addressed most of the lands considered University property and considered two planning horizons:"a ten-year horizon to provide guidance for near-term capital planningand a thirty-year horizon to establish a broader strategy for development of the Princeton campus over the next generation."

According to the data survey, suggested improvements include additional crosswalks, better bicycle network, and safer provisions on Washington Road over the next decade.

Cyndi Rottenberg-Walker, the University’s lead consultant for the 2026 Campus Plan, emphasized the significance of focusing more on traffic, transportation, housing, and environmental issues as opposed to focusing on the central campus of the University during a Sept. 19 meeting.

The majority of opinions regarding certain locations on campus were positively consistent. Findings from the survey pointed to favorite spots at the University, among which were Frist Campus Center, Firestone Library, and Blair Arch. For the community members of the town of Princeton, avenues for art and leisure such as the University Art Museum, McCarter Theater, and Nassau Street were ranked as influential parts of the campus community.

Walker noted that these data results lead to the proposition of revamping the golf course right behind Forbes College.

Another mission of the University by the 2026 Campus Plan is the construction of a seventh residential college in order to meet the growing undergraduate population. The University expects the student body to grow by 10 percent,Vice President and Secretary Robert Durkee ’69 said during the meeting.

While Durkee stated that the motivation behind this expansion is in the best interest of the University, student opinions on this addition vary.

“I think it is a great idea to make our resources available to more students. At the same time, however, the University should consider how the availability of some resources might be affected by such an increase,” Minseung Choi '17 said. “For example, courses that are currently overfilled might become even harder to take, and similar concerns apply to extracurricular or social contexts as well.”