Green areas of university campuses are an important resource for them, performing a variety of functions important for the functioning of the university, the well-being of the academic community, the environment and the green system of the city. The purpose of this study was to determine the preferences of the academic community, with particular emphasis on students, as to the functionality that campus green spaces should fulfil today. The methodology of the research work included a diagnostic survey method, the technique of which was surveying, and the tool was a survey questionnaire. Analysis of the results of a survey conducted among students at the Bialystok University of Technology (Bialystok, Poland) made it possible to determine the needs and expectations regarding the development of campus green areas. The concept of pocket gardens accommodates responses and solutions to students' expectations. The analysis of the student community's opinions served to implement the tasks of the "My Green Polytechnic" strategy conducted on the Bialystok University of Technology campus. The results of the survey and the experience of its implementation can be useful to various institutions in making decisions on green space management.