As the physical infrastructures are planned to realize the goals of higher education institutions, any delay and interruption in their implementation may affect the functions of relevant universities and cause academic and financial problems. Most public sector universities in low-income countries face such difficulties because of the slow implementation of their campus master plans despite certain strategic planning efforts. This research aimed to identify the role of strategic planning in the implementation of campus master plans in public sector universities of low-income countries and propose the improvement practices through a rapid review of literature and a case study in Balkh University, Afghanistan. The findings revealed the existing gaps in planning in the inclusion of standard requirements and in their integration; their relative commonness in other low-income countries; less flexibility of strategic plans than developing countries; and closed dependency on several influencing factors. The public universities in low-income countries, including Balkh University, were recommended to adjust their existing plans, improve the integration, and identify sustainable socioeconomic priorities. Further research was recommended for a wider geography, literature, and dynamic interrelations of the factors.