Trent Lands and Nature Areas Plan revision approved
Room for a future new college, along with housing, in new plan
Trent University is looking to the future through its newly revised Trent Lands and Nature Areas Plan, which will serve as a road map as the institution develops new spaces for both learning and living while focusing on land conservation.
The plan focuses on the Symons campus, in the city’s north end, where more than 10,000 people work, live or visit, said Julie Davis, vice-president of external relations and advancement for Trent.
The university is situated on about 1,400 acres surrounding the Otonabee River, a property that is home to about 30 kilometres of nature trails. Trent is committing to maintain 60 per cent of the land as green spaces, while also helping to ensure the natural areas remain healthy, Davis said.
The Trent Lands and Nature Areas Plan, adopted by the university’s board of governors earlier this month following a public consultation, sets aside spaces for a new college (currently unnamed), more student residences, a seniors village and other buildings and infrastructure, she said.
It will guide Trent into the future so the university can remain a strong and a significant contributor to the Peterborough area as an employer, Davis said.
It shows where the university plans to place campus and community infrastructure for future planning and advancing the university’s learning mission.
It also makes new housing a priority, not only for students but for seniors in the community as well, she said.
“We know the significant challenge with the very low vacancy rate,” Davis said. “Initiatives such as the university integrated seniors village is designed to address housing challenges for seniors, but also as a multi-generational community would include housing for students.”
Adding student housing would help Peterborough’s apartment availability by providing more campus-based housing options and alleviating the impact of students on community housing options.
The plan also sets out employment opportunities for people in the community, she said.
“We are very challenged with high unemployment,” Davis said. “New initiatives such as the Cleantech Commons, which has a primary goal of advancing green jobs and research on regenerative agriculture.”
On-campus farming will help preserve the nature areas, she said, and add valued areas to the community people can utilize for enjoyment, not only now, but for the future as well.
Everything Trent does with the land needs to have a strong learning connection, she said.
“We have a very significant internationally renowned research group, the Trent Centre for Aging and Society,” Davis said.
Students studying nursing, social work and kinesiology will have a chance to be involved with researchers in both the design and the best practices for seniors in the community, she said, and they will have the opportunity to participate in the community as it develops.
The process to update the plan included three phases of consultations spanning two years of community engagement, she said.
Consultations not only involved the Trent community of students, staff and faculty, but also councillors from the city, county and townships surrounding the campus along with environmental groups and community members, she said.
“We had more than 100 meetings, there were hundreds of written submissions throughout the two years,” Davies said. “We also reached out to other universities around the country.”
The next steps are to go through the precise site studies and regulations to get approval for new developments, she said.