As the state's flagship campus and a major employer, the University of Maryland, College Park, commissioned ASG to develop a campus master plan to guide its growth. The campus is in the Washington, D.C. suburbs and has abundant green spaces. At the same time, it suffers from clogged roadways and the reality that more than 70 percent of the campus surface area is impervious. Too much storm water was collecting pollutants on those surfaces and flowing into the nearby stream. And development, which continues to take away forestlands, is far from finished.

Four principles guided ASG throughout the year-long process:

• Understand the most positive characteristics of the campus and extend them into the future.
• Mend the campus and organize growth around a series of new open spaces that are friendly to pedestrians and cyclists.
• Contain growth through identification of the land's responsible capacity.
• Practice comprehensive and sustainable planning.

ASG's plan highlights natural environments as assets for education and recommends enhancing and protecting them. At the same time, the campus will meet the needs of future students and faculty members while enjoying more quality open space. A transportation system will ensure that any point on campus is within 10 minutes of any other point. And a series of "campus neighborhoods" will be connected with walking corridors unobstructed by traffic.

Completion: 2001
Size: 1,212 acres