The "Cornell Master Plan for the Ithaca Campus" earned the coveted Award of Excellence in urban design Nov. 27 at the 2008 Design Exchange Awards event in Toronto.

Design Exchange Awards are sponsored by Canadian Business magazine to promote and recognize design success stories. Cornell's plan was selected for the award based on five factors identified by the magazine: accessibility, aesthetics, function, profitability, innovation and sustainability.

The Cornell Master Plan, which was approved by the university's board of trustees in March, will provide current and future planners with a strategic framework for long-term development of the Ithaca campus.

"Cornell's comprehensive master plan was driven by academic priorities to provide guidelines for future decisions about locating research, teaching, residential and recreational facilities on the Ithaca campus," said Stephen T. Golding, the Samuel W. Bodman Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration. "Now that it is complete, the plan will support Cornell's goals as it guides campus development over the next quarter century."

The master plan was developed by Cornell and a consulting team led by Urban Strategies Inc., a Toronto-based urban design firm.

"Cornell University enjoys a spectacular setting and rich legacy of design excellence. The master plan defines the campus of the future while respecting and celebrating the highly valued elements that exist today. True to the spirit of Cornell, the plan respects tradition while encouraging innovation," said Cyndi Rottenberg-Walker, a partner at Urban Strategies.

Information about the Cornell Master Plan is available online.