Envisioning green solutions for reducing the ecological footprint of a university campus

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to report strategies towards a green campus project at Politecnico di Torino University, a 33,000-students Italian higher education institution (HEI), and estimate the avoided ecological footprint (EF) of different scenarios accounted for open spaces. Design/methodology/approach A consumption-based study has been developed to analyse the current EF of the main campus site. Data were collected from different departments and administrative units to identify the measure of the pressure exerted by the campus activities on the ecosystem. Then, possible scenarios were accounted for open spaces along five different design layers: energy, water, landscape, food and mobility. Acting on the spaces by means of biophilic design and user-driven design requires complex considerations on university’s anticipated future needs and a wide-ranging evaluation of the most appropriate pathways forward according to all university stakeholders, far beyond the mere accounting of avoided EF. Findings A reduction of the 21 per cent of the current EF can be achieved through the solutions envisaged in the green campus project along the open space layers. Moreover, universities have the opportunity to not only improve the sustainability of their facilities but also demonstrate how the built environment can be designed to benefit both the environment and the occupants. Research limitations/implications The acknowledgement of predicted behavioural change effects is a question left open to further researchers on methods and indicators for social impact accounting and reporting in truly sustainable university campuses. Originality/value This is the first research that estimates the EF of an Italian HEI. The research represents also an innovative approach integrating the EF reduction scenarios in the design process of the new masterplan of open spaces, trying to identify the connection between environmental impact reduction and improvement in users’ perception.

Quantitative assessment of environmental impacts at the urban scale: the ecological footprint of a university campus

“…This work was also a valid contribution to the Masterplan Team of PoliTo working on the strategic development of campuses and spaces. Through the spatialization of some strategies in the main engineering campus, the EF could be able to be reduced by 21% (Genta et al, 2019). The morphologic strategies impact the urban sprawl, decrease commuting distances, reduce CO 2 emissions and energy consumptions (Cottafava et al, 2018;P.…”

“…Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have critical roles in implementing SDGs and their mission-driven approaches for reducing their direct impacts and provoking a change at urban scale (Leal Filho et al, 2018;Patrizia Lombardi & Sonetti, 2017). Many scholars describe the new role of University exactly as moving from a teaching and research placebased hub, to a driving force for the knowledge economy of regions, leveraging on a learning community about climate change threats, awareness and solutions (Genta et al, 2019;Mulder et al, 2015;Tejedor et al, 2019).…”

Analysis of Interurban Mobility in University Students: Motivation and Ecological Impact

“…Mobility carries a very important weight in the study of university life cycle analysis [ 19 ]. In a study of the ecological footprint of the University Campus of Politecnico di Torino (Italy), it was determined that 52.7% of the carbon footprint was due to mobility [ 53 ]. Other studies have corroborated the importance of mobility in the analysis of the life cycle of universities as in the Polytechnic University of Valencia [ 54 ] and the University of Leon (Vegazana Campus) [ 55 ].…”

The Role Of The TPB In Predicting Sustainability Behavior In Educations

“…Achieving SDGs targets requires synergy and an active role from various organization elements such as government, companies, communities, and higher education institutions (HEI) as well. HEI are currently receiving considerable attention to start taking an active role in maintaining environmental sustainability and reducing its contribution to natural damage (Paletta & Bonoli 2019;Genta et al 2019;Sima, Grigorescu, & Bălteanu 2019). HEI's contributions to environmental damages come from academic and non-academic operational activities that use a lot of natural resource products and generate a lot of waste.…”