UT Dallas Campus Landscape Enhancement Project (CLEP)

Abstract

One decade ago, UT Dallas had approximately 15,000 students and resembled a treeless corporate office setting surrounded by concrete. Today, nearly 30,000 students are enrolled at UT Dallas, and campus has evolved into an urban forest with thousands of planted trees, fountains, and green space designed to bring people together.

Since 2010, UT Dallas has completed two of three phases of a $77 million Campus Landscape Enhancement Project (CLEP). CLEP is unique in that the project was funded almost entirely through charitable gifts; UT Dallas was able to convince its donors to invest substantially in landscape improvements and to hire well-renowned landscape architect Peter Walker to lead the project. The project has beautified UT Dallas and transformed campus into a stunning community that has attracted new students and faculty, leading to enrollment nearly doubling in ten years. CLEP has contributed to developing a campus culture that is uniquely UT Dallas.