Universities

Sunset view of downtown Nashville, Tennessee skyline from across a river.

Report: The Potential for Affordable Housing Partnerships in Nashville

Incentivizing development on institutionally owned land could help boost the city’s affordable housing supply.

November 16, 2023 - Urban Institute

College students walking on green lawn with neoclassical red brick domed building in background on University of Illinois campus.

Why College Campuses Make Ideal Models for Cities

College campuses serve as ideal models for cities, with their integrated infrastructure, vibrant communities, sustainability initiatives, and innovation hubs inspiring urban planning and development for a brighter future.

November 16, 2023 - Devin Partida

Aerial view of college campus with red brick buildings and green lawns.

The Role of ‘Anchor Institutions’ in the Housing Crisis

Major employers and economic drivers like universities can use various tools to make housing more affordable for their students and staff.

October 18, 2023 - Smart Cities Dive

Photo of Bruce Stiftel as a young man standing in front of a green chalkboard

Youth, Inexperience, and a Sense of Mission

Forty years ago this week, I arrived in Tallahassee to take my first full-time university job. It was a nervous moment. After nearly eight years of graduate school, I was about to learn if I was any good at the career I'd prepared so long to begin.

August 10, 2023 - Bruce Stiftel

View of wide green lawn in front of red brick four-story buildings on Harvard University campus

The Housing Crisis on U.S. College Campuses

Top universities are turning away thousands of eligible applicants, in part due to NIMBY resistance to building new student housing.

August 8, 2023 - Governing

Photo of graduating student in cap and gown from the back with overlaid graphic text "Top 10 Planning Schools"

Back to School: Planetizen’s Top 10 Master’s Programs for Urban Planners

Planetizen’s Editorial Director James Brasuell joins the Planning Commission Podcast to discuss their new list of the Top 10 Schools for Urban Planners.

July 26, 2023 - The Planning Commission Podcast

An image of the Sample Gates at the entrance of the college campus of Indiana University Bloomington, with a street and the city in the background.

Supreme Court Allows Indiana University's Vaccine Mandate to Remain in Place

The Supreme Court rejected a request brought by students to block Indiana University from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations. Students, faculty, and staff are required to be fully vaccinated by August 15.

August 16, 2021 - USA Today

An image of the Sample Gates at the entrance of the college campus of Indiana University Bloomington, with a street and the city in the background.

Coronavirus Litigation: Students Sue University's Mandatory Vaccination Policy

Eight college students have filed a lawsuit on June 21 against Indiana University's requirement that students, staff and faculty be vaccinated against COVID-19. The state attorney general supports the students.

June 28, 2021 - CNN

University of Chicago

The Miseducation of Cities

A review of the provocative new book by Davarian L. Baldwin, In the Shadow of the Ivory Tower.

March 22, 2021 - Josh Stephens

University Campus

Widespread Coronavirus Testing Critical for College Reopenings, But...

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign developed a high-frequency coronavirus testing system that would be the envy of an country or corporation, testing students, faculty and staff twice a week, but it still failed to stem a major outbreak.

September 21, 2020 - Bloomberg BusinessWeek

Iowa City

Coronavirus College Clusters Stress Town and Gown Relationship

College towns that have been observing public health guidelines and seen relatively few COVID-19 cases are now seeing infections spike as young people return to take classes. The New York Times has been tracking cases in colleges and college towns.

September 14, 2020 - The New York Times

University of Arizona

Coronavirus Wastewater Testing Yields Positive Results at Universities

Wastewater testing is being hailed as a success at the University of Arizona, credited for stopping a COVID outbreak. In Utah, wastewater analysis forced almost 300 students to quarantine for four days while awaiting their test results.

September 1, 2020 - The Arizona Republic

Dartmouth Dorms

The Role Student Housing Plays in Communities

Off-campus housing for college students has grown extensively over the last decade. What are communities doing to control the spread of student housing and its potentially negative effect on neighborhoods and affordable housing?

September 12, 2019 - Shelterforce Magazine

Campanile

Land Grant Universities and the Community

Land grant universities are, by design, tasked with benefitting the communities in which they are located. The recent track record on that mission is mixed, according to a recent book on the subject.

July 4, 2019 - Governing

University of Illinois-Chicago

University of Illinois-Chicago Campus to Receive Makeover

UIC has laid out a master plan to rework "nearly every corner" of its campus. The goal is to accommodate more students and enhance the school's pride and identity.

January 10, 2019 - Chicago Sun-Times

Michigan State Capital

MSU Campus to Become ‘Mobility Ecosystem'

Michigan State University plans to turn its 5,200-acre campus into a test site for advanced transportation technologies.

November 16, 2018 - Ward's Auto

Boston

Foreign Firm Wants to Bring Privately Run Student Housing to Boston

The British firm Scape says it wants to spend $1 billion to build privately operated student housing in Boston. Unaffiliated with any one school, the concept is already popular in London.

October 12, 2018 - The Boston Globe

Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University Wants in to the City of Atlanta

Emory University wants the city of Atlanta to annex its campus. Transit benefits and more could await.

July 13, 2017 - The Wall Street Journal

University of Chicago

Chicago Universities Commit to Bolstering Growth

Eight Chicago universities have agreed to engage with the city and local communities as they invest in their neighborhoods. The hope is to increase opportunities for employment and economic growth.

January 2, 2016 - Urban Institute

University of Chicago

The University and The City: Location and Structure

Institutional structure and culture can matter as much as location to the success and survival of urban universities.

July 31, 2014 - Dean Saitta

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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.