Landscape

UC strives to incorporate more greenspace, more trees, and more sustainable landscape maintenance processes. A summary of these programs and processes can be found in the Landscape Guide. 

Since 2022, UC has been recognized as a Tree Campus by the Arbor Day Foundation. Click the link to learn more, and sign up to volunteer here: volunteer.uc.edu (opportunities posted as needed)! In earning this recognition, UC's Landscape Architect has led the addition of over 100 trees on campus per year; these consist of native & non-invasive species that were selected with the campus's urban soils in mind.

Currently, the University has two extensive green roofs, one on the DAA addition of the DAAP complex and one on Procter Hall. The University also has the Zimmer Hall Roof Garden that functions as a green roof. The new College of Business features an intensive green roof. In addition to reducing the amount of stormwater runoff and lessening the probability of combined sewer overflow events, green roofs are multi-functional as they reduce the urban heat island effect, provide habitat, enhance biodiversity, reduce heating and cooling costs of buildings, and add aesthetic, rejuvenating, and biopihlic qualities.

Bioswales are a form of green infrastructure that work to sequester and retain stormwater in order to reduce the possibility of combined sewer overflow events, assist with irrigation, filter out contaminants, and keep water on site. The University has a number of bioswales, most notably the Teachers-Dyer Complex courtyard, the west elevation of the Lindner College of Business and in the parking lot of the 1819 Innovation Hub. UC Clermont College also features green infrastructure where stormwater is funneled from various surface parking lots through bioswales and piped to vegetated beds and step ponds. 

In December of 2018, the University installed its first living wall, located on the Langsam Library patio. Living Walls are a form of green infrastructure that provide multi-functional benefits, as they work to reduce the urban heat island effect, cleanse the air of pollutants, provide enhanced insulation to buildings, reduce stormwater runoff, and provide aesthetic beauty and biophilic connections to nature. The living wall came to fruition thanks to the advocacy and interest of passionate students and with the help of UC Libraries, Urban Blooms, the Department of Planning + Design + Construction, and the Office of Sustainability.

Recognizing UC's unique opportunities as an urban institution, some greenspaces on campus are used as living laboratories where students can incorporate academic concepts into hands-on experiences. Some examples include the UC Rain Garden, the Tiny Forest and Perennial Pollinator Garden, and the UC Sustainability Garden.