Land Use & Planning

Stanford will supplement its current land use practices to further offset specific climate hazards such as flooding, heat, and wildfire. The updated practices will guide new development away from high-risk areas and/or implement appropriate mitigation measures, incorporating nature-based solutions and conservation priorities.

Stanford will assess its existing land holdings to identify underused sites for redevelopment or adaptive reuse. The university will focus on compact growth, co-locating new development with transit and energy infrastructure, and retrofitting facilities for resilience to heat and smoke.

New buildings, renovations, and any new space requests on Stanford’s main campus are reviewed and approved by the Provost’s office. These requests must demonstrate compliance with the Cardinal Space guidelines, which focus on optimizing the use of existing administrative space and reducing building energy needs. The guidelines align workspace allocation with in-person, hybrid, and remote work arrangements, promoting more shared and communal work spaces. Widespread adoption of the guidelines is expected to avoid missions of 25,000 MTCO2e over 15 years, save $500 million in capital costs, and $8.5 million in operational costs annually.

This plan focuses on the establishment of regular tree risk inspections, prioritization of pruning and cabling over removal, and replacement of non-native trees with climate-adapted native species. These actions will help manage, mitigate, and minimize risk to the university’s primary assets: people, academic buildings, and infrastructure. In addition, the Plan seeks to maintain and grow the campus canopy to further support climate resilience.

Stanford maintains and expands vegetation management practices, including thinning, pile burning, and managed grazing, to reduce hazardous fuel loads. These efforts are coordinated with regional partners to manage risks across shared landscapes and the wildland-urban interface.

Strategies such as bioswales, rain gardens, and tree canopy to manage stormwater will support Stanford in reducing urban heat, and support biodiversity across both new and existing campus areas.

Landscaping and restoration efforts prioritize native and climate-adapted plant species while actively managing invasive species. These practices reduce water demand and support long-term ecosystem resilience through the Conservation Program.

Restoration and maintenance of native vegetation along campus streams and rivers protects water quality, reduces erosion, and provides habitat for wildlife, building on current efforts in the Conservation Program.

Habitat connectivity efforts identify and protect wildlife corridors and buffer zones to support species movement and reduce fragmentation. These efforts are coordinated with regional partners and expand on existing conservation work.

Emergency preparedness planning includes identifying and equipping sites to store and distribute essential resources, such as masks, air filters, water, and medical supplies, during climate-related events.

Transportation and land use strategies improve transit, bicycle, and pedestrian networks while co-locating housing and services near these systems. These efforts reduce vehicle miles traveled and maintain access during climate-related disruptions.

Agricultural land management practices integrate water-efficient irrigation, native vegetation, integrated pest management, and protections for workers during heat and smoke events through coordination with leaseholders.