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Campus plans are required by the District of Columbia Zoning Regulations for universities located in residentially-zoned areas throughout the District. These plans address the impacts associated with the university’s potential growth, including enrollment, facilities development, on-campus housing, off-campus/neighborhood quality of life matters, and transportation and parking. You can read more about the DC Zoning Regulations for campus plans on their website.

As an integral component in the successful implementation of the university’s five-year strategic plan, Changemakers for a Changing World, the 2021 Campus Plan will set forth a thoughtful and measured approach to managing campus growth and development over the next ten years in a manner that reflects the university’s commitment to the communities of which it is a part. At the same time, the new Campus Plan will also inform the key priorities of an ambitious fundraising campaign that will capitalize on AU’s momentum as an emerging global university to support the study and scholarship of American University students and faculty for generations to come.

You can review the Preliminary 2021 Campus Plan Framework on the Campus Plan website. The current 2011 Campus Plan is also available on the website.

On June 1, 2020, the university released an updated Campus Plan Framework, which reflects the consensus of the AU Neighborhood Partnership and the university on all key planning components that will form the basis of the 2021 Campus Plan. The revised Framework includes several significant changes made in response to community feedback, including a lower proposed enrollment cap, modifications to proposed development sites and prioritization of student housing sites, and updates to AU’s commitments with respect to addressing neighborhood quality of life issues. Community members and other interested stakeholders are encouraged to review the updated Campus Plan Framework and continue to provide feedback through the Community Input Portal.

Why does American University need to update its Campus Plan? [UPDATED 06.15.2020]

As noted above, campus plans are required by the DC Zoning Regulations for universities located in residentially-zoned areas throughout the District. Campus plans, including AU’s current 2011 Campus Plan, generally (but not always) have a ten-year term. AU is moving forward now to prepare the new Campus Plan 2021 to purposefully align the new Campus Plan with two other key University planning efforts – specifically, the implementation of AU’s new five year-strategic plan, Changemakers for a Changing World, and an ambitious fundraising campaign that will capitalize on AU’s momentum as an emerging global university to support the study and scholarship of American University students and faculty for generations to come.

What are key elements of the Campus Plan? [UPDATED 06.15.2020]

In March 2020, the university released its Preliminary 2021 Campus Plan Framework, which outlined AU’s key institutional objectives for the new Campus Plan, including:

Strategic and measured enrollment management within the student enrollment cap established in 2011 when adjusted to reflect the revised student count methodology set forth in the city’s updated zoning regulations;
A balanced development program of residential, campus life, athletic and academic/administrative uses – on a scale intended to be significantly reduced from the 2011 Campus Plan – that is aimed at strengthening and invigorating a student-centered living and learning campus experience while actively advancing the university’s culture of sustainability through industry-leading practices in facility design, construction and operation. In addition to proposing new high quality, leading-edge academic facilities to further the university’s teaching and research missions, the Plan will focus on reinvigorating Mary Graydon Center as a campus hub for a myriad of student-focused activities and creating additional opportunities to enhance on-campus student life, as well as repurposing existing and developing new space to accommodate integrated student wellness programs, including those focused on supporting students’ mental health;
A focus on providing student housing opportunities that encourage more students to remain on-campus during their time at AU, through renovations to existing housing options as well as proposed new facilities that provide configurations and amenities that meet student preferences. At the same time, the university will implement robust engagement with students that choose to live off-campus to equip them to be responsible members of the community and promote positive relationships between students and their neighbors;
Continued commitment to effective Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies that address AU’s broader sustainability objectives by promoting alternative transportation options that reduce the use of single-occupancy vehicles and the demand for on-campus parking, along with vigilant enforcement of AU’s existing off-campus parking policies to preserve on-street parking capacity for members of the community.

How was the 2021 Campus Plan framework developed? [UPDATED 06.15.2020]

Over the past several months, AU has worked closely with the AU Neighborhood Partnership and a wide range of university and community stakeholders to gather input and feedback on the key priorities to be addressed in the 2021 Campus Plan. (The AU Neighborhood Partnership is a collaboration between neighborhood residents and AU staff who work together through a consensus-based approach to address issues of shared interest, including the components included in the Campus Plan.)

Informed by that input, the university developed a Preliminary 2021 Campus Plan Framework, which outlined AU’s institutional objectives for the new Campus Plan. On June 1, 2020, the university released an updated Campus Plan Framework, which reflects the consensus of the AU Neighborhood Partnership and the university on all key planning components that will form the basis of the 2021 Campus Plan. The revised Framework includes several significant changes made in response to community feedback, including a lower proposed enrollment cap, modifications to proposed development sites and prioritization of student housing sites, and updates to AU’s commitments with respect to addressing neighborhood quality of life issues. Community members and other interested stakeholders are encouraged to review the updated Campus Plan Framework and continue to provide feedback through the Community Input Portal.

It is the university’s intent that as result of this collaborative process, the 2021 Campus Plan will ensure that the campus will adapt to and meet the changing needs of AU students, faculty, and staff while at the same time respecting an enhancing the quality of life for those who live within the neighborhoods surrounding campus.

Have student interests been taken into account in this process? [UPDATED 06.15.2020]

Yes. Student representatives have and will continue to be engaged in the process, including through a dedicated session with student organizations held in mid-February. Additional outreach to student groups will be organized throughout the coming months. Students (as well as faculty, staff, and neighbors) were encouraged to attend public forums where the new Campus Plan was discussed (e.g., the Campus Planning 101 session held on May 19, 2020 at 6:30 p.m.), and they have been encouraged to provide feedback to the university through the Community Input Portal on the Campus Plan website or via e-mail at communityrelations@american.edu. The university continues to welcome student input through either of these avenues.

When will the full Campus Plan be shared publicly? How will I be kept informed? [UPDATED 06.15.2020]

AU’s Campus Plan website includes the Preliminary 2021 Campus Plan Framework released on March 3, 2020 and many other useful resources. On June 1, 2020, the university released an updated Campus Plan Framework, which reflects the consensus of the AU Neighborhood Partnership and the university on all key planning components that will form the basis of the 2021 Campus Plan. The revised Framework includes several significant changes made in response to community feedback, including a lower proposed enrollment cap, modifications to proposed development sites and prioritization of student housing sites, and updates to AU’s commitments with respect to addressing neighborhood quality of life issues.

Following several months of active community engagement and input which led do the development of the Campus Plan Framework, there are still additional opportunities for public discussion, including the next regularly-scheduled meeting of the CLC on September 15, 2020. AU representatives will also be participating in ANC meetings and discussions with stakeholders throughout the summer and fall to obtain additional input.

Community members and other interested stakeholders are strongly encouraged to review the updated Campus Plan Framework and continue to provide feedback through the Community Input Portal on the Campus Plan website. It is anticipated that a full draft of the proposed 2021 Campus Plan will be available later this year.

How will AU engage residents of the neighboring community and incorporate their feedback? [UPDATED 06.15.2020]

How is AU thinking of managing its potential growth in the neighborhood? [UPDATED 06.15.2020]

Over the past several months, AU has worked closely with the AU Neighborhood Partnership and a wide range of university and community stakeholders to gather input and feedback on the key priorities to be addressed in the 2021 Campus Plan. Informed by that input, the university has developed a Preliminary 2021 Campus Plan Framework, which outlines AU’s institutional objectives for the new Campus Plan. The key components of the framework are all aimed at effectively managing the university’s potential growth and mitigating its associated impacts, notably including strategic enrollment management within the student enrollment cap established in 2011 when adjusted to reflect the revised student count methodology set forth in the city’s updated zoning regulations; a balanced development program of residential, campus life, athletic and academic/administrative uses – on a scale intended to be significantly reduced from the 2011 Campus Plan; a plan to implement robust engagement with students that choose to live off-campus to equip them to be responsible members of the community and promote positive relationships between students and their neighbors; and continued commitment to reduce the use of single-occupancy vehicles and the demand for on-campus parking, along with vigilant enforcement of AU’s existing off-campus parking policies to preserve on-street parking capacity for members of the community.

Since the release of the Preliminary Framework on March 3, the university and its neighborhood partners and other interested stakeholders have discussed a wide range of perspectives and potential alternative approaches to the proposal and concepts outlined by AU. On June 1, 2020, AU released the revised Campus Plan Framework, which includes several significant changes made in response to community feedback, including a lower proposed enrollment cap, modifications to proposed development sites and prioritization of student housing sites, and updates to AU’s commitments with respect to addressing neighborhood quality of life issues. As a result of this dedicated and collaborative effort, the AU Neighborhood Partnership and the university reached consensus on the objectives and commitments outlined in the revised Campus Plan Framework, which will form the basis of the 2021 Campus Plan. Community members and other interested stakeholders are encouraged to review the updated Campus Plan Framework and continue to provide feedback through the Community Input Portal.

How is the COVID-19 pandemic impacting the Campus Plan process and priorities? [UPDATED 6.15.2020]

The events associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have presented unprecedented challenges across the nation and around the world. Many institutions of higher education, including AU, have responded with focused efforts to quickly transition instruction and operations to predominantly online platforms. Thus far, AU’s efforts are yielding positive results, providing our students with continuity of high-quality educational opportunities while striving to address the social, emotional, financial and related impacts caused by this sudden disruption in their AU experience. Certainly the outcomes of this experience will shape decision making, inform policy decisions, and influence operational models across all levels of education well into the future. Yet even before COVID-19 unexpectedly precipitated the rapid transition to university-wide online learning, AU identified the development of leading-edge online programming as a core component of the university’s future vision. At the same time, AU fully anticipates continued and ongoing demand for its on-campus, face-to-face academic programs and research opportunities that will support and depend upon the types of high-quality facilities – at a scale of development intended to be significantly reduced from the 2011 Campus Plan – outlined in the Campus Plan Framework, which reflects the consensus of the AU Neighborhood Partnership and the university on all key planning components that will form the basis of the 2021 Campus Plan.

While AU’s efforts in response to COVID-19 have required so much from so many across all AU departments, it is important to note that the University’s effective responsiveness and demonstrated resiliency is in many ways grounded in the principles embodied in AU’s Strategic Plan – the same fundamental principles which inform many of the key components of the 2021 Campus Plan. AU’s strategic vision is rooted in an understanding of and intentional focus on the need to remain flexible and responsive to a wide range of complex factors that drive the continually changing dynamics of higher education in order to remain competitive and thrive as a vibrant educational institution. This priority on developing institutional agility across all AU units has uniquely positioned the university to effectively adapt and respond to the significant and evolving challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Student Enrollment and Employee Population

How is AU managing enrollment under the new Campus Plan? Is the student population going to increase? [UPDATED 06.15.2020]

The university is taking a strategic and measured approach to enrollment management under the new Campus Plan, proposing to lower the on-campus student enrollment cap established in the 2011 Campus Plan (when adjusted to reflect the student count methodology set forth in the city’s updated zoning regulations). AU agreed to modify its initial position of maintaining the existing cap (when adjusted for the new regulations) in response to extensive discussion and engagement with its neighborhood partners.

AU’s approach is shaped by a wide range of factors that are impacting the changing dynamics of enrollment management throughout higher education. The profile of students entering degree-seeking, certificate, and continuing education programs and the demand for these programs are in rapid flux, influenced by shifts in demographics as well as economic and market forces that impact the notion of a “traditional” student. Even before the COVID-19 crisis, online education programs were experiencing dramatic growth nationwide (and globally) and actively transforming the landscape of higher education. Consistent with the priorities set forth in AU’s Strategic Plan, the university has made intentional strides to adapt to these changes and provide a range of dynamic lifetime learning opportunities utilizing traditional face-to-face as well as leading-edge online platforms. While these rapidly changing conditions can present challenges for long-range institutional planning and traditional methods of enrollment management, they also present opportunities for universities that can remain flexible to respond to emerging trends and offer unique programs that will attract and retain high-quality students. In order to remain competitive and thrive as a vibrant educational institution in the nation’s capital, AU is focused on the need to maintain this responsive flexibility and institutional agility; this is even more important now, as AU effectively navigates the short-, medium-, and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the context of the new Campus Plan, the university’s approach to enrollment management is further influenced by changes brought about by the 2016 update to the Zoning Regulations which impact the way AU and other universities throughout the District must count students. For AU, this new approach will expand the scope of students included in the enrollment count – the new regulations require that more types of students and students in a greater number of locations be counted. As a result of this change in the new governing regulations, the student count number under the new regulations will increase by 6.61%, even though the count represents the same student population reported under the 2011 Campus Plan methodology.

The student enrollment cap established in the 2011 Campus Plan is 13,600 students. Based on the impact of the expanded enrollment parameters set forth in the 2016 Zoning Regulations, the cap would logically also increase accordingly. When the 6.61% increase resulting from the new Zoning Regulations student count methodology is applied to the current enrollment cap of 13,600 students, the new “status quo” cap – reflecting the impact of the 2016 Zoning Regulations methodology on the same AU student population – would result in an adjusted cap of 14,499 students.

As noted above, AU’s outlook for the next ten years is premised on a clear understanding of the need to maintain flexibility with respect to what types of students AU attracts – as well as how and where they are educated – to remain competitive and thrive as a vibrant educational institution. Mindful, however, of the desire for predictability among residents of the neighborhoods surrounding campus, AU believes it can meet this objective without requiring a major shift from historical planning models with respect to the overall number of students that will come to the AU campus for their coursework. In terms of the enrollment projections for the 2021 Campus Plan, AU initially proposed to accommodate potential growth in the on-campus student population over the ten-year term of the 2021 Campus Plan within the adjusted enrollment cap of 14,499 students – the same cap established in 2011, when adjusted for the revised counting methodology set forth in the 2016 Zoning Regulations.

As outlined in the updated Campus Plan Framework released on June 1, 2020, members of the community advocated for a more limited alternative to the 2021 Campus Plan enrollment cap. This approach would increase the enrollment cap by 780, which is 119 fewer students than the 6.61% (899 students) proposed by AU. While AU firmly believes that its enrollment proposal is appropriate to provide the capacity to pursue a wide range of programmatic initiatives that will help ensure the vitality and financial viability of the university, after extensive discussion, review, and collaboration, the university has modified its approach to the enrollment cap for the 2021 Campus Plan to reflect the methodology favored by several community members of the Neighborhood Partnership and other neighborhood stakeholders engaged in the planning process. As a result, the proposed 2021 Campus Plan enrollment cap, which would be in effect through 2031, is lower than the student enrollment cap established in the 2011 Campus Plan, when adjusted for the new methodology for counting students mandated under the 2016 Zoning Regulations.

To ensure its continued competitiveness as a leading global university, AU will continue to focus on opportunities that leverage its strengths in online and lifelong learning platforms, which include high-quality programs that do not bring students to the AU campus for their coursework.

How is AU’s approach to enrollment management different under the 2011 and 2021 Campus Plans?

Owing to the fluidity of market conditions throughout higher education, enrollment projections made ten years ago as part of the 2011 Campus Plan process did not materialize as AU had anticipated. Specifically, the university’s stated goal of enrolling 1,000 additional graduate students over the term of the 2011 Campus Plan was not met. While undergraduate enrollment increased at a measured pace over that period of time, the overall number of enrolled students remained relatively consistent and well below the approved enrollment cap.

Accordingly, AU has taken a different approach to addressing the impact of student enrollment over the term of the 2021 Campus Plan; specifically, one focused around managing impacts rather than attempting to project specific enrollment figures around defined programs. That being said, AU has established directional guidance in terms of anticipated undergraduate, graduate, and online program growth. Specifically, it is AU’s intent that traditional full-time undergraduate enrollment will likely remain close to current levels, owing to a range of factors including constraints associated with facilities, the services needed to support additional undergraduate students, as well as the size of current and anticipated future applicant pools. As was the case in the 2011 Campus Plan, AU will endeavor to increase on-campus enrollment in face-to-face graduate programs, subject to the limitations of the proposed overall enrollment cap. Areas targeted for anticipated growth include online instruction and lifelong learning initiatives, which include specially-designed, high-quality programs that utilize off-campus locations (e.g., downtown DC or other sites throughout the metro region) and do not bring students to the AU campus for their coursework.

Importantly, as part of the 2021 Campus Plan, AU will continue its dedicated efforts to work collaboratively with members of the community through the AU Neighborhood Partnership to effectively address impacts associated with AU students on the neighborhoods surrounding campus. While the scope of the reported impacts is relatively small compared with other universities in DC, AU is firmly committed to a results-oriented approach to reduce these impacts further, by:

Revising student policies to more explicitly reference standards for off-campus living;
Providing additional on-campus housing in marketable unit configurations to encourage more students to remain on campus beyond their freshman year and reduce the number of undergraduates living in the neighborhoods surrounding campus;
Enhancing on-campus opportunities for student activities and social engagement; and
Evaluating programs and efforts over the term of the Campus Plan to ensure their efficacy.

AU’s commitment to the focused implementation of these efforts, along with continued collaboration with neighborhood partners, will allow AU to maintain the flexibility necessary to continue to compete as an leading university in the nation’s capital while at the same time respecting and enhancing the quality of life of those who live within the neighborhoods surrounding campus by actively addressing and effectively minimizing adverse impacts.

Development Program and Campus Character

What new building projects are under consideration and how will they be funded? What are the project timelines? [UPDATED 06.15.2020]

The Campus Plan Framework released on June 1, 2020 outlines facilities projects that may be pursued by the university over the next ten years. Preliminary planning and evaluation efforts are underway for one of the projects identified in the framework – the proposed Center for Athletic Performance (CAP). At this time, no other focused planning efforts for other potential development sites (as discussed in Section III and shown in Exhibit A of the Campus Plan Framework) are underway. Funding for sites will be developed once specific projects are prioritized and planned in more detail.

The Potential Development Sites document (Exhibit A-1 and A-2 of the Preliminary 2021 Campus Plan Framework)shows several sites for potential development that include existing buildings, such as the Child Development Center. What will happen to important services and housing options when these projects commence? [UPDATED 06.15.2020]

Any potential future development project that affects existing buildings or services will be subject to an extensive and comprehensive planning process that involves engagement with members of the community as well as students, faculty, and staff who live or work at, or otherwise utilize, those facilities. The existing services and/or facilities will ultimately be relocated to existing or new university facilities as part of the planning process. The potential development sites noted on Exhibit A-1 and A-2 of the Preliminary 2021 Campus Plan Framework were for review and discussion only and did not reflect the university’s final development proposals.

On June 1, 2020, the university released an updated Campus Plan Framework, which reflects the consensus of the AU Neighborhood Partnership and the university on all key planning components that will form the basis of the 2021 Campus Plan. The revised Framework includes several significant changes made in response to community feedback, including a lower proposed enrollment cap, modifications to proposed development sites and prioritization of student housing sites, and updates to AU’s commitments with respect to addressing neighborhood quality of life issues. One of the changes reflected in the revised Framework is the removal of Site 1 and Site 11 from the proposed development sites; Site 1 was the location that would have impacted the existing Child Development Center referenced in this question.

How will the AU community and neighbors be kept informed of construction schedules and what will be done to minimize noise? [UPDATED 06.15.2020]

The Preliminary 2021 Campus Plan Framework and updated Campus Plan Framework do not launch any immediate new construction projects. Any projects included in the framework (and ultimately, AU’s 2021 Campus Plan proposal) will not move forward until (1) the 2021 Campus Plan is approved by the Zoning Commission and (2) the specific project is further reviewed and approved by the Zoning Commission through a separate “further processing” process. When development projects are pursued in the future, the university will communicate with the AU community and neighbors through a variety of channels, including e-mail updates, public meetings, the Community Liaison Committee (CLC), the AU Neighborhood Partnership, the AU Community Relations newsletter, and direct discussions with neighborhood organizations.

On-Campus Life and Student Housing

How will student housing be impacted on and around campus? [UPDATED 06.15.2020]

Student housing will continue to be an important focus in the 2021 Campus Plan. As set forth in the Preliminary 2021 Campus Plan Framework and the updated Campus Plan Framework released on June 1, 2020, AU will continue to maintain a supply of housing for 67% of the full-time undergraduate student population (as required by the current Campus Plan) through a combination of tools, including on-campus housing inventory and off-campus master leased beds (such as those currently master leased by AU at the Frequency Apartments in Tenleytown). The updated Campus Plan Framework, which reflects the consensus of the AU Neighborhood Partnership and the university on all key planning components that will form the basis of the 2021 Campus Plan, includes several significant changes made in response to community feedback, including prioritization of student housing sites to meet AU’s anticipated target of 500 – 700 beds of additional student housing over the term of the Plan. This additional housing inventory will help support AU’s goals of encouraging more students to remain on campus beyond their freshman year and reduce the number of undergraduate students living in the neighborhoods surrounding campus; provide flexibility to renovate existing residence halls that are more densely populated and convert them to unit types and configurations that align with current student expectations; and allow the opportunity to offer on-campus graduate housing. Feedback from interested stakeholders with respect to the most appropriate locations for on-campus housing was instrumental determining the prioritization of student housing sites identified in the updated Campus Plan Framework, which will form the basis of the 2021 Campus Plan proposal.

Off-Campus Life and Neighborhood Quality of Life Efforts

How will the Plan address student conduct, particularly off campus? How will this differ from previous campus plans? [UPDATED 06.15.2020]

AU currently works closely with students to educate them about their rights and responsibilities as residents of the District, as members of the AU community, and as neighbors within the residential communities near campus. Understanding that many students live off-campus at some point during their time at AU, the university will continue its dedicated efforts to work collaboratively with members of the community through the AU Neighborhood Partnership to effectively address impacts associated with AU students on the neighborhoods surrounding campus. While the scope of the reported impacts is relatively small compared with other universities in DC, AU is firmly committed to a results-oriented approach to reduce these impacts further, by:

Revising student policies to more explicitly reference standards for off-campus living;
Providing additional on-campus housing in marketable unit configurations to encourage more students to remain on campus beyond their freshman year and reduce the number of undergraduates living in the neighborhoods surrounding campus;
Enhancing on-campus opportunities for student activities and social engagement; and
Evaluating programs and efforts over the term of the Campus Plan to ensure their efficacy.

Specifically, as part of the 2021 Campus Plan, the university is proposing to improve its off-campus living orientation program. Managed by the Office of Campus Life, the program will include an online training module, developed in consultation with the AU Neighborhood Partnership Student Life and Safety Working Group, that students living in 20016 or 20008 zip codes must complete and also affirmatively acknowledge that they have fulfilled the training and understand the university’s expectations. AU’s “Pledge to Uphold Community Standards,” which details the responsibilities and obligations associated with living off-campus, will be incorporated in both the online and in-person training programs. AU has also proposed to expand its in-person off-campus housing orientation program to include a larger number of student organization members and athlete groups. The Office of Campus Life will maintain regular contact with students living off-campus to remind them of the University’s expectation that they manage the behavior of their guests and maintain the condition of their property, and reaffirm the university’s expectation that AU students know, understand, and abide by the Disorderly Conduct Amendment Act of 2010 and the District of Columbia Noise Control Act of 1977, both of which address noise disturbances and will be reviewed as part of the orientation programs.

To remain actively and effectively engaged with the broader residential community, AU will continue its practice of making annual or more frequent visits to the major apartment complexes and condominium communities where AU students live. The Office of Community Relations will also create, in consultation with the AU Neighborhood Partnership Student Life and Safety Working Group, a neighbor education tool that informs residents of the university’s strategies for student training and includes resources and directions on how to contact the university and/or file a complaint in the event of an undesirable incident. The university will also create and distribute, in consultation with the AU Neighborhood Partnership Student Life and Safety Working Group, an “AU Eagle Living Guide” that will include good neighbor tips, resources, and a copy of the Pledge to Uphold Community Standards.

AU’s commitment to the focused implementation of these efforts, along with continued collaboration with neighborhood partners, will allow AU to continue to thrive as an leading university in the nation’s capital while at the same time respecting and enhancing the quality of life of those who live within the neighborhoods surrounding campus by actively addressing and effectively minimizing adverse impacts.

Transportation and Parking

What parking and transportation adjustments will be made to accommodate students and residents? [UPDATED 06.15.2020]

Under the 2011 Campus Plan, AU is required to maintain approximately 2,200 parking spaces at Main Campus, East Campus, and the Tenley Campus. As a result of AU’s commitment to a range of Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies, on a typical semester weekday parking demand is only 73% of the currently available spaces, demonstrating that AU is effectively managing its parking supply to accommodate demand. Pursuant to changes brought about by the 2016 DC Zoning Regulations update, 4801 Massachusetts Avenue NW, 4200 Wisconsin Avenue NW, and 3201 New Mexico Avenue NW – along with their associated parking capacity – will be included in the 2021 Campus Plan, and accordingly, the number of spaces proposed under the new Campus Plan will increase. In light of this change, the University is proposing to adjust the Campus Plan requirement to maintain an inventory of no more than 3,000 parking spaces (inclusive of all Campus Plan properties).

Comprehensive TDM planning will remain a priority for the university, including the robust shuttle service program and the AU/WMATA U*Pass Program, both of which significantly reduce the number of vehicle trips to campus. The university will also continue to actively enforce and enhance its Good Neighbor Parking Policy, which effectively deters AU-related parking on neighborhood streets.

What is the Good Neighbor Parking Policy and how is it enforced? [UPDATED 06.15.2020]

In response to concerns raised by residents of the neighborhoods surrounding campus, the DC Zoning Commission conditioned its approval of the 2000 and 2011 Campus Plans on the university’s adoption of a policy to “prohibit, to the extent permitted by law, students, faculty, staff and vendors from parking on streets adjacent to and surrounding the campus.”

To achieve and maintain compliance with the condition, the university developed the Good Neighbor Parking Policy. The policy applies to on-street parking around the main campus at 4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW; the Tenley Campus at 4300 Nebraska Avenue, NW; the Spring Valley Building at 4801 Massachusetts Avenue, NW; and the soccer field in the 4500 block of Massachusetts Avenue, NW. The policy states that all members of the university community – including students, faculty, staff, vendors, and guests – are required to either park on campus or use publicly available transportation while attending class, working, or visiting AU-owned property. They are not permitted to park in the neighborhood.

Compliance with the Good Neighbor Parking Policy is a condition of enrollment and employment at the university, and failure to abide by the provisions of the Good Neighbor Parking Policy results in administrative fines and actions. The university proactively patrols the adjacent neighborhood streets and cites vehicles believed to be parking in violation of the policy. The policy and citations do not apply to individuals not affiliated with American University.

AU takes the obligation to comply with this condition of the 2011 Campus Plan seriously and has over the past several years demonstrated a commitment to the vigilant enforcement of the Good Neighbor Policy in order to prevent university-related vehicles from parking on neighborhood streets and preserve on-street parking capacity for members of the community. As set forth in the updated Campus Plan Framework, AU will continue to work with the community to enhance this program.