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A transition to sustainable lifestyles: The role of universities

This chapter is based on the results from the research project Innovative Green Building Research on the Campus Living Lab (CLL) which was supported by the Croatian Science Foundation (HRZZ). The project builds on the experience of previously developing a master plan for the new sustainable university campus area in Zagreb. It is expected from the universities to prepare their students, the future professionals, for creating a sustainable society. With a student population of 13.6 million, the European Union (EU) universities seem well positioned to influence, educate, involve and offer alternative lifestyle choices to students on campuses and through them influence the wider society. This challenge should be central to the evolving “third-generation university” (3GU) and a part of the living laboratory practice that is being adopted by a growing number of universities. The question is how can they advance the process of student transition towards proposed sustainable lifestyles? We believe that the role of student housing is crucial and that it needs to evolve and respond to the future needs. As Moneta points out, despite decades of analysis, it’s quite stunning how little coherence there is across campuses and designers about optimal residence halls design considerations (Campus Living Lab (CLL), 2017). The evolving campus culture and on-campus housing could be an instrument for the promotion of new sustainable lifestyles related to living, mobility, social innovation, smart urban solutions and food. Students have great potential to change the community around them through their activities. In the context of the campus living laboratory, part of housing units could have advanced features and thus serve as an educational, research and social tool for trying out advanced energy, technology and living propositions. The research was based on design questions and, therefore, it considers a wide area of interest in order to develop a framework for a different student housing program that should be a stimulus for the student population to transition to sustainable lifestyles and by doing so influence the wider society. This chapter not only develops the proposition but also discusses the necessary tools for design inspiration and evaluation of sustainable campus developments. All insights and methodologies have been implemented on the actual development, University of Zagreb’s Borongaj campus that is presented in the chapter’s second part.

sustainable lifestyles, universities, sustainable campus planning, sustainable campus knowledge base, student housing, sustainable living, campus Borongaj

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