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Sustainability

Land

NC State strives to sustainably balance campus expansion with conservation, restoration and adherence to its land-grant educational mission.

NC State is growing. Campus-wide efforts are being made to balance space use with the university’s mission and core value of sustainability. This balance includes land use — agriculture, industrial, open spaces — conservation and protection of natural areas, restoration and repair of damaged natural areas, stormwater runoff, grounds management, and space utilization.

2100

acres of land are part of NC State’s Raleigh campus.

what we do

NC State campus on a sunny summer day.

Master Planning

The university’s 2023 Physical Master Plan, Framing the Future, illustrates NC State’s commitment to sustainability and pedestrian-oriented spaces that prioritize a connected campus experience.
he outdoor space of Wood Residence Hall has been transformed into a student sanctuary thanks to students in the Landscape Architecture Design Build Studio (LAR 506) class.

Landscape Design

NC State increasingly prioritizes sustainability in its campus landscapes. Native, drought-tolerant plants are integrated where possible, as is permeable pavement and rain gardens — many of which have been designed and installed by NC State horticulture and landscape design students.
This new garden along Polk Hall is designed to manage stormwater runoff from the Brickyard.

Stormwater Management

NC State incorporates best management practices to address stormwater quality and quantity on campus to reduce pollutants — such as heavy metals, sediment, nutrients, oil and toxic substances — from entering local waterways.

NC State features cutting-edge research in land use and care. The Department of Forestry and Natural Resources has many faculty research, centers and cooperatives. Other land use related areas of research include the Department of Applied Ecology, Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Entomology, Horticulture Science, Plant Pathology, Soil Science and Landscape Architecture.

The university and NC State Extension offer the following resources related to land and land use:

The following opportunities are available on NC State’s campus:

Golfer playing on Lonnie Poole Golf Course

Certified Sustainable

Lonnie Poole Golf Course at NC State is a certified Audubon International Signature Golf Sanctuary — one of only two university-owned golf courses to earn this sustainability certification.

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