Overview

At Virginia Commonwealth University, we’re connected with the world around us and are uniquely integrated within our city’s urban culture. The work we do makes a difference because we’re out there on the ground, a part of the community, actively involved in improving lives any way we can. That’s how we make it real. Together, VCU and VCU Health System serve as a premier urban, public research university and academic health center dedicated to advancing knowledge, student success and patient experience through engaging learning environments, health care that preserves and restores health for all people, research that expands knowledge, interdisciplinary collaborations that solve global challenges, sustainable partnerships that support the community, and a climate of diversity and inclusion.

Centrally located in the city of Richmond, Virginia, VCU’s unique architecture, natural resources and culture help shape a notably diverse campus community. The ONE VCU Master Plan is the framework designed to support this important mission and aligns VCU’s physical environment with the VCU strategic plan, Quest 2025: One VCU Together We Transform. The master plan identifies common goals and provides a shared, evidence-based vision for development to guide physical campus investments. The first master plan in VCU’s history to set a unified vision for all VCU properties, the ONE VCU Master Plan is guided by the following six principles:

Student Success: Ensure student success and well-being through high-quality and appropriate teaching, learning, study and living spaces.

Patient Experience: Design and develop spaces, facilities and amenities that allow for enhanced safety and patient experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

Program Synergies: Advance a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration and discovery by developing shared spaces that inspire community, partnerships, research, innovation, and creativity.

Placemaking: Celebrate and enhance VCU’s unique urban setting and rich history.

Mobility and Safety: Promote a walkable, accessible, safe campus that is easy to navigate for the entire VCU community: students, patients, faculty, staff, alumni, neighbors, and visitors.

Unify the Campus: Strengthen the heart of each campus and the collective VCU identity through strategies that connect the campuses to each other and to the city of Richmond