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Campus Life

Three students sitting on the lawn on Am Neuen Palais campus talking to each other.
Photo: Matthias Friel

Relevance

A university campus serves various functions. Among other things, it provides the necessary infrastructure, such as traffic areas and buildings. It also serves as a space for recreation and social interaction for staff and students. These functions must be reconciled with the campus’s role as a habitat for plants and animals; in other words, the campus must be designed through landscape gardening measures in such a way that its ecological potential is preserved.

In the area of campus life, the University of Potsdam aligns itself with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - in particular with the following SDGs:

SDG 3

SDG 11

SDG 13

SDG 15

Current Situation

Conditions at the university’s individual campuses vary greatly. The situation at the Neues Palais campus is heavily influenced by historic preservation requirements, and the design of the grounds is subject to specific stipulations from the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg.

The Golm and Griebnitzsee campuses are densely built-up. The Golm campus is currently still undergoing (landscape gardening) development. The campus is partially surrounded by extensive brownfield sites.

The integration of both campuses with the surrounding landscapes and the targeted promotion of plant and animal species should be coordinated with the local nature conservation authority and local gardeners.

Goals and Projects

  • “Colorful Meadow Potsdam” Initiative: More biodiversity in the city! Development of nature-friendly mowing management on selected sites. To date, there are three such areas in Golm and one at the Neues Palais
  • Targeted nature conservation measures at the individual sites in coordination with the local nature conservation authority
  • Survey of user preferences at all three sites and joint implementation with the responsible Brandenburg State Agency for Real Estate and Construction as well as the University of Potsdam’s construction department
  • Park management, traffic management (see also the “Mobility” action area)