UNDERCURRENTS: Sustainability & Resilience, Community Integration and Land-Use Planning
What sustainability goals or infrastructure upgrades will be prioritized?
A sustainable and resilient campus makes intentional decisions about day-to-day resource use through cost-conscious, resourceful practices that respond to environmental and operational challenges. The Master Plan identifies six strategic goal areas:
Energy Efficiency
Building Design and Construction
Water Conservation and Stormwater Management
Responsible Materials Management
Transportation focusing specifically on commuting, parking and fleet vehicles
Landscape Design and Landscape Stewardship
How will the plan impact the riverfront, green spaces, and outdoor areas used by campus programs and staff, as well as the community?
Riverfront engagement and an enhanced green‑space network are central themes. Concepts under study include a riverfront lawn and plaza adjacent to the library, as well as improved pedestrian connectivity—strengthening campus identity, outdoor learning, and community use while respecting the Boise River corridor.
How will new campus growth affect the existing campus footprint as well as nearby neighborhoods?
Ten-year growth projections anticipate a roughly nine percent increase in student enrollment. More students necessitates planning for more housing, parking and staff to support the growing student population.
This 10-year campus master plan focuses primarily on first revitalizing existing facilities to create spaces that are flexible, adaptive, shared and student-centered, before considering new buildings.
It is also critical to integrate with the city, neighborhood and local business plans to ensure Boise State remains a collaborative partner and good neighbor to the community within which it thrives.
What is the Campus Master Plan approval timeline and how does it relate to city planning?
The Idaho State Board of Education received an informational briefing on the 2025–2035 update in December 2025.
The university will present the full 10-Year Campus Master Plan to the ISBOE on April 15-16, 2026, and request approval.
The university anticipates alignment with the City of Boise’s “Blueprint Boise” comprehensive plan as projects advance.
What land use changes are planned, and how will they align with the City of Boise’s Comprehensive Plan (Blueprint Boise)?
Boise State is embracing a land-use approach that affords predictability and thematic guidance for large or contiguous areas of campus.
The university intends to work closely with Boise City officials and integrate its plan with the city’s broader planning framework.
Teaching, Research and Academic Growth
How will the master plan address space needs for faculty offices, labs, and project spaces?
The 10‑year master plan explicitly studies academic space needs—including faculty workspace, labs, and student project/study areas—and analyses how to right‑size and reconfigure space where possible.
Boise State has comparatively less academic research space than peers, and the plan explores converting office surpluses into collaborative research and project environments alongside targeted renovations and new construction.
What changes to classroom and teaching facilities are expected over the next decade?
The plan focuses on near-term, achievable improvements to learning environments, all aligned to Boise State’s updated strategic goals, and include:
modernized teaching and research facilities, renovations to key academic buildings (e.g., library and Riverfront Hall)
new specialized spaces (such as labs supporting engineering/sciences and human performance)
specific projects also advance through the university’s capital improvement pipeline as scope, funding, and approvals are finalized
How will the plan support future enrollment growth and academic program expansion?
Planning assumptions anticipate roughly a 9% increase in campus‑based students by 2034, with staffing, housing, parking, and academic space scaled accordingly (e.g., ~270 additional staff positions, ~750 beds—about 430 for first‑year students—and ~370 parking spaces).
The 10‑year horizon aims to align facilities with realistic enrollment projections and program growth, ensuring projects are scoped and phased to meet demand.
How will off‑campus properties and expansion zones (e.g., Lusk District, Athletic Village) affect faculty access, programs, and interdisciplinary collaboration?
The plan covers all properties Boise State owns, and several studies will examine how different campus districts fit into the long-term vision, potentially affecting academic programs and commuting patterns.
Parking and Transportation
What improvements are planned for campus mobility, parking, and transportation?
Mobility and transportation are core study areas in the plan, including campus circulation, multimodal access, and parking right‑sizing. In parallel with the master plan, Boise State continues to operate an on‑campus shuttle service and partners with Valley Regional Transit to connect campus with the broader region—elements that inform future mobility strategies and parking supply decisions.
Housing
What are the plans for on-campus housing and how might these affect faculty/staff recruitment or campus culture?
The master plan strengthens the mission to provide housing that aligns with each phase of a student’s academic journey by envisioning a spectrum of living experiences to meet students where they are and support who they are becoming.
The plan prioritizes additional beds (targeting ~750 over the decade, including ~430 for first‑year students) and explores graduate student housing, with near‑term projects already advancing through the university’s capital renewal program list.
Campus Administration and Operations
Will construction or redevelopment disrupt current facilities or campus operations?
As projects move from plan to delivery, temporary disruptions (utilities, access, and relocations, for example), are managed through coordinated phasing and early communication.
The Campus Operations projects hub posts anticipated outages and impacts, and stakeholders receive advance notice to plan around construction where possible.