The Ohio State University is on a path to eminence. To get there, the university recognized the need to transform how it thinks about itself physically, particularly because the scale of the institution represents a major planning challenge, and the university’s historical pattern of fragmented decision making has prevented the kinds of synergies it would now like to develop.
The Ohio State Framework Plan represents the needed major shift to a unified planning culture based on ideas, information, and implementation. It creates an agile university that uses data to make wise decisions, is able to prioritize its capital allocations in alignment with institutional priorities, and is physically organized around big ideas that ensure a vibrant 24/7 campus experience and act as an engine for regenerating the City of Columbus.
The Framework is flexible. It establishes principles, working groups, tools, and methodologies that enable the university to respond to unforeseen future events. It is also specific, providing step-by-step implementation strategies for near-term moves across the full spectrum of campus activities: academic facilities, the arts, athletics and recreation, the health sciences and hospitals, residential life, the neighborhood community, the river and open space, transportation and parking, research, energy and infrastructure, and sustainability. The framework strengthens activities within these topics, while also forging strong bonds across them.
The ultimate goal of the framework plan is to empower The Ohio State University, as the largest public institution in the country, to guide itself wisely towards a future as one of the world’s great universities.
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