Universities; the core of our cities?

APTSec has been reading some recent articles on University education and came across this interesting one in the Guardian; here is a small extract, which shows the range of views expressed in the article:

Universities 'lie at the core of our cities'

At one time local universities lent their host cities prestige and kudos - now many have also become the largest employers in their area.

In the middle ages, the centre of the community was the medieval castle. In the 18th century, it was the mines and the manufacturing industries. Today, it is the university. So said Sir Ron Dearing, the life peer and ex-chancellor of Nottingham University, in May. And many in higher education will tell you this is true. Universities, they say, lie at the core of our cities. They are often the largest employer, the business with the biggest turnover and a, if not the, key player in the city's civic culture, development and reputation. Universities UK, the umbrella group for vice-chancellors, says higher education now generates more money than the aircraft and transport sectors put together

It's not just universities, however; schools, housing associations and community centres are also at the heart of cities, says Ty Goddard, director of the British Council for School Environments. "Universities certainly have a key role in cities, but so do other institutions," he says.

Let's not forget the downside to having a university at the centre of a city. Where there's a campus, there are also students living nearby and unscrupulous landlords waiting to exploit them. Quickly, areas around a campus can degenerate into dingy student ghettos. Locals are pushed out to make way for term-time-only students, who sometimes misbehave on the street and live in homes that nurses and teachers need. A spokesman from the Design Commission for Wales, who does not want to be named, says developers "get away with high-rise student housing which can blight a city".

The full article can be read at:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/oct/17/regeneration-communities


Jessica Shepherd Society Guardian, Friday 17 October 2008 00.03 BST Article history