Planning McGill

The downtown and Macdonald campuses are two of the University’s prized assets—and they didn’t happen by accident. The Campus Planning and Development Office’s open house (Oct. 11-13) is your opportunity to learn about the thought and vision behind how McGill manages its hundred-plus buildings, verdant grounds and complex infrastructure networks.

McGill is proud of its campuses, and with good reason. The 650-hectare Macdonald campus is part of the largest greenspace on the island of Montreal. Iconic structures such as the downtown Arts Building (built in 1843) make up Quebec’s largest collection of heritage buildings outside of Old Quebec City and Old Montreal. Complex infrastructure networks, more than 100 buildings, verdant grounds, kilometres of sidewalks and roads — it all comes together to create a place for more than 45,000 people to study, work, teach, play and, in some cases, even live.

But these prized assets didn’t just happen — they are the result of thoughtful planning and responsible stewardship.

The Campus Planning and Development Office (CPDO) open house is your opportunity to learn about the thought and vision behind how McGill plans the cohesive, integrated development of its downtown and Macdonald campuses, including land-use, transportation, infrastructure, and landscaping.

The open house will be held from October 11-13, on the downtown campus’ West Field (the “Y” intersection). CPDO staff will be on hand from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to talk about the different planning initiatives designed to keep McGill vibrant and competitive as it enters its third century.

Cameron Charlebois, Executive Director of the CPDO, will give a daily presentation about various planning initiatives — including how possibly expanding the downtown campus northward into the former Royal Victoria Hospital site could address the University’s shortage of teaching and research space. (McGill is currently conducting an RVH feasibility study, and will present the results to the Quebec government in Spring 2018.) His presentations will be at 12:30 on October 11 and 12, and at 3 p.m. on October 13.

Watch a series of video capsules on McGill’s campus planning initiatives in the run up to the Open House.