Exploring a campus in terms of urban integration and regional development International symposium Better campus, better cities: Learning for Sustainable Future Tom Becker University of Luxembourg Shanghai,

–Introduction –The potential impacts of a new campus –Urban integration –Belval Observatory –Conclusions and indicators

Introduction Knowledge as a generator of wealth Is it possible to copy best practices from other knowledge regions? Limits of blueprint thinking: Confusing variety of terms and concepts Contradictory empirical evidence  No causal link between Institution – Place – Policy – Outcome Similar economic profiles may have negative impacts on competitiveness

The potential impacts of a new campus Direct, place-based impacts The university is… a major employer and an important customer for local and regional products an important urban developer an important partner for on- and off- campus community cohesion and social change Indirect, growth-related effects The university has a positive impact on… Employment Knowledge Entrepreneurship Effects of spin-offs and spill-overs on regional development are reinforced if… the University is active in research The local and regional milieus offer potentials for interaction between academic an non-academic partners Local / regional networks are encouraged and the university is embedded in the region

Urban integration: a major challenge Urban integration is influenced by… The involvement of users in the planning and implementation processes The users’ acceptance of the campus. This acceptance is shaped by… environmental qualities and amenity values information campaigns targeted marketing strategies Accessibility of the new quarter Socio-economic impacts of the campus on the city and the region

Urban integration Two examples: High density building forms and their effect on public and recreational spaces on the on- and off-campus communities Integrated planning for non-motorised traffic (walking, cycling)

Belval Observatory Initiative to establish a virtual platform that should… –Provide knowledge from similar cases –Trace and measure the progress of the new campus (campus life, urban integration, governance and regional impact) Example of fruitful and integrated interaction with academic and non-academic partner institutions and organisations (ministries, municipalities, research institutes, not-for profit organisations,…)

Indicators How can we measure campus development in terms of regional development and urban integration? Growth-related impacts are relatively easy to measure –Ex.: labour, entrepreneurship, regional expenditures etc Some place-based effects are more difficult to measure –Ex.: community cohesionn knowledge creation

Indicators: two examples Community cohesion Issue: Well-planned and well-integrated campuses have the potential to revitalise surrounding communities, value neighbourhoods and improve on- and off-campus community cohesion Indicators: Volunteerism Number of graduates in the community Sense of community Knowledge Issue: Sustainable universities encourage the creation and the exchange of knowledge between different faculties and departments as well as between the university and non-academic institutions or organisations Indicators: Number of intra-university projects Number of research projects between a university and other non-academic institutions or organisations