Conceptualizing the Zero-Energy Campus as a planning object: an integrated framework for Meso-Scale planning

Abstract This study addresses the persistent gap between city-scale carbon–neutral targets and operational spatial planning by conceptualizing the Zero-Energy Campus (ZEC) as a meso-scale planning object. It aims to reframe zero-energy development as a planning challenge rather than a technological performance benchmark, and to explore how energy systems and carbon governance can be integrated into spatial decision-making. The study develops a planning-oriented conceptual framework grounded in planning object theory and strategic spatial planning literature. An illustrative industrial campus practice is examined to demonstrate how the framework operates under conditions of high energy intensity and coordinated governance, complemented by comparative insights from university-led campus contexts. The analysis shows that campuses function as effective meso-scale planning units for integrating spatial configuration, shared energy infrastructure, carbon assessment, and governance arrangements. The ZEC framework reveals how system-level coordination and iterative planning processes enable carbon–neutral objectives to be operationalized beyond isolated building-scale interventions. By positioning the Zero-Energy Campus as a planning object, this study advances a planning-support logic that bridges abstract carbon–neutral ambitions and actionable spatial strategies. The framework highlights the central role of spatial planning in mediating low-carbon transitions and provides a transferable approach for campus-type developments operating under diverse planning conditions.