The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (UTMDACC) retained Broaddus Planning to help envision the potential of its South Campus parcels, including those adjacent to the Texas Medical Center in Houston. The plan combines campus and urban planning principles with creative parking and storm-water management strategies to generate a forward-looking vision for the development of the South Campus.

Drawing from the planning concepts established in the Mid-Campus Master Plan, also prepared by Broaddus Planning, the South Campus Plan incorporates the extension of Bertner Avenue and the ideals of urban streetscapes into its development strategy to ensure continuity and connectivity between the two areas of the Texas Medical Center. Since the value of land within the Texas Medical Center is at a premium, it was determined that the South Campus be developed in as dense a pattern as possible.

One of the toughest challenges for urban environments is finding a balance between required parking and building square footage. This plan creatively addresses this problem by introducing a concept of under-plaza parking, which locates two levels of parking beneath a large, public plaza topped by research buildings. Not only does this allow for increased development on the available land, but it also encourages pedestrian activity and addresses storm-water management issues. Planning estimates anticipate that approximately 3.1 million GSF of building space can potentially be developed on the Army/Navy site alone. MD Anderson Cancer Center’s plan for development within the University of Texas Research Park will lead the way to forward-looking planning in the future.