Universities & Cities: A Fresh Perspective.

Posted by on March 26, 2007

Omar Blaik, the President and CEO of U3 Ventures and a CEOs for Cities member, offers a helpful fresh perspective on how universities and cities gain mutual benefit when they engage each other openly in an op-ed for the Chronicle of Higher Education. (If you don't subscribe to the Chronicle, you can download a copy of the op-ed here.) In "Campuses in Cities: Places Between Engagement and Retreat," Omar argues that "physical integration is in the best interest of urban institutions" and offers four strategies for effective planning when it comes to opening universities' campuses to their urban surroundings:

"Stitch the edges. Counter to conventional wisdom, urban campuses must engage their edges with full gusto....

"Protect the core. Having reached out to the city, planners can create a campus core that embodies the ideals of a tranquil setting....

"Think inside the box. Good urban design is not just about physical guidelines, it is also about the designated use and function. Selecting the appropriate use is more critical to the urban fabric of a campus than the physical attributes....

"Adopt the tools of real-estate development. Campus planners must insist on a mix of uses for all urban edges, allowing a more seamless fusion with the city...."

Omar will share additional thoughts on innovative strategies for engagement - both related to universities' physical assets and their less tangible contributions in terms of community and culture - at CEOs for Cities' National Meeting, May 1-2, on Leveraging Anchor Institutions for Urban Succes.