Belonging as infrastructure: How campus environment design shapes sense of belonging among marginalized students

The campus environment is much more than just the backdrop against which students study; it is a crucial factor in determining whether students feel they belong or are only tolerated. In this paper, it will be argued that while belonging may appear to be a psychological phenomenon that can be engineered institutionally, it is actually something that is either facilitated or denied through space, architecture, symbolism, and politics of design. Based on recent research findings, critical theory, and emerging best practices in higher education planning, the role of campus environment design, ranging from classroom design to wayfinding, gender-inclusive facilities, and culturally symbolic murals, in mediating the experience of belonging among racially marginalized, first-generation, LGBTQIA+, disabled, and religiously diverse students will be analyzed. It will also be argued that institutions that see space as neutral are, in fact, making a political decision, and that true inclusion requires a radical reconceptualization of campus design. The paper contributes to the literature on higher education studies, student development theory, and spatial justice.