To help the Rams find their way, VCU introduces a new interactive campus map – VCU News

By Elinor Frisa

Whether you’re new to a place or not, sometimes you just need a good map to help you get your bearings and understand your surroundings. This is certainly true for Virginia Commonwealth University, a large campus that’s constantly changing in the middle of a bustling city.

To keep pace with the ever-changing environment and needs of students, faculty, staff and visitors, VCU released a new interactive campus map over the summer at maps.vcu.edu. The map provides 3D representations of campus buildings, as well as addresses, photos and information about the units and programs housed there. A dropdown menu in the upper left corner allows users to switch between the Monroe Park and MCV campuses.

The map is searchable and filterable. Looking for parking? Select “Monroe Park” under “Parking and Transportation” to see all parking decks and parking lots on that campus. Want to know where gender-inclusive restrooms are? Go to “Campus and Student Services” and select “Inclusive Resources.” Bus routes, visual and performing arts venues, electric vehicle charging stations, and lactation rooms are just a few of the other categories you can easily view using the map’s filters.

The map also provides turn-by-turn directions if you need step-by-step instructions from point A to point B. In the coming months, users will be able to select “Show only accessible routes” to get accessible routes to their destinations. Up-to-date information on road closures and construction sites will also be integrated in the future.

VCU worked with third-party developer Concept 3D to create the interactive map, and the new resource is managed jointly by VCU’s Technology Services and Facilities Management departments. It allows VCU units to create custom “layers” for the map. For example, this summer, VCU Residential Life and Housing worked together to create a “move-in” layer for the map that shows unloading zones and places where families can park for five hours.

The map team plans to continue improving the map in the coming months. Feedback and questions about the interactive map can be sent to [email protected].