Western University maps out decades-long vision for campus growth

Western University is seeking feedback on its Campus Development Strategy with an in-person town hall. CTV London’s Gerry Dewan explains.

Cranes hovering above Western University have become a familiar sight, and administrators say they are a symbol of a much longer journey now underway — one that will shape the campus not just for the next generation, but for the next half-century and beyond.

At a public meeting Tuesday, university officials presented updates on two key planning documents: a draft Campus Development Strategy and a draft Open Space Strategy long-term framework designed to guide how Western grows, builds and moves people across its grounds.

Together, the plans outline how the campus could evolve over the next 50 to 70 years.

“The campus development strategy really looks at the opportunities that exist to develop — but over a 50, 60, 70-year timeline,” said Lynn Logan, Western’s vice-president of operations and finance, who is also chairing the committee overseeing both strategies.

The strategies were first established roughly a decade ago, but Logan said significant changes since then demand a fresh look. Chief among them is Western’s acquisition of the former Brescia University College lands, now referred to as West Campus, which expands Western’s footprint.

Another major factor is transit. While London’s bus rapid transit (BRT) system initially launched without a northern route along Richmond Street, discussions continue around introducing a north BRT leg that could cut through campus along Western Road. That possibility, Logan said, is a potential “pivot point” for planning.

“Our strategies have to be fluid,” she said. “When we get rapid transit and when we have more transit service that can come to campus, that really changes how people arrive and move through the university.”

Officials say the draft Campus Development Strategy emphasizes flexible land use, compact growth, sustainability, and strong links between academic, residential and research spaces, ensuring Western can adapt as teaching methods, research priorities and student life evolve.

The Open Space Strategy zeroes in on how people experience the campus day to day. A central goal is to reduce so‑called cut‑through traffic, where drivers use campus roads as shortcuts, and to make walking and cycling safer and more intuitive.

Proposals include redesigning traffic flows, limiting vehicle access on certain internal roads, strengthening pedestrian-priority zones, and creating “green spines” — car-free corridors for cyclists and pedestrians.

One long-term idea under consideration is removing the roundabout in front of Alumni Hall and replacing it with a drop-off lane, altering what has long been one of campus’s most recognizable gateways.

“These strategies strengthen the pedestrian priority core,” the draft documents note, while aligning campus planning with the City of London’s evolving mobility and transit plans.

Not everyone attending the forum was convinced the current direction gets the balance right.

Some raised concerns that relocating parking lots and new residence buildings to the edges of campus — including expanded parking west of Western Road — could create unintended safety and sustainability issues.

“The more you put parking lots in, the more traffic you have and the less likely you’re going to have cyclists and pedestrians,” said Diane‑Laure Arjalies, an associate professor at the Ivey School of Business who specializes in sustainable business practices. “It seems like reverse thinking.”

Others welcomed the overall vision but called for stronger accountability.

Brendon Samuels, a part-time instructor and environmental advocate, said ongoing public consultation is critical — especially as provincial legislation has reduced formal requirements for universities to hold public meetings on campus development.

“A lot of the public doesn’t realize that since Bill 185 was passed, there’s no longer a requirement for public meetings about developments happening on university campuses,” Samuels said. “What I would love to see is a governance model where we have ongoing consultations.”

Changes already on the horizon

While much of the planning looks decades ahead, some changes are coming sooner.

Within the next two years, Western plans to twin the existing 1920s-era University Drive bridge over the Thames River. The current bridge would then be dedicated exclusively to pedestrians and cyclists.

Western will host virtual town halls on both draft strategies in the coming weeks, and members of the public can review the plans and provide feedback online until May 18.

The final versions are expected to go to Western’s Property and Finance Committee and Board of Governors for approval later this year.