University Cities share a singular DNA that produces a constellation of magical effects: highly educated populations, innovative economies with high rates of entrepreneurship, outsized arts and culture sectors, and large nonprofit sectors that indicate a vibrant civil society. These traits mirror the large, coastal cities, but they happen in mid-sized cities with low unemployment, low-cost living, and extremely low violent crime rates.
If one were designing a city from scratch for success in the 21st Century – where educated talent is to the knowledge economy what rivers and ports were to the 20th Century manufacturing economy – then it might look like a University City.
The six cities that have major research universities in their urban cores, have metropolitan populations between 250,000 and one million, and have more than 10 percent of their populations consisting of students, are: Ann Arbor, Durham Chapel-Hill, Fort Collins, Lexington, Lincoln, and Madison.
LEXINGTON, KY |
ANN ARBOR, MI |
DURHAM, NC |
FORT COLLINS, CO |
MADISON, WI |
LINCOLN, NE |
Seemingly purpose-built for the 21st Century knowledge economy.
LARGE METROS
CITIES OF THE SAME SIZE
NATIONAL AVERAGE
LARGE METROS
CITIES OF THE SAME SIZE
NATIONAL AVERAGE
LARGE METROS
CITIES OF THE SAME SIZE
NATIONAL AVERAGE
While everywhere else suffered in the recession, this new urban species somehow kept unemployment, costs of living, and crime rates down. What we can learn from ‘University Cities.’
Post-industrial City. Metropolis. Border Town. Tourist Mecca. We like to classify our cities, giving them labels that signal what makes them tick, why they’re special.
Now, data suggest there’s another urban typology to add to the list: The University City. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan once said, “If you want to build a great city, create a great university and wait 200 years.”
This group, which he calls “university cities,” have distinct characteristics that make them different from smaller college towns or major cities with big research universities. And those characteristics translate into big economic development opportunities in the 21st century’s knowledge-based economy.
What Is A University City?
The Value of University Cities.
What do concentrations of human capital in University Cities produce?
What do concentrations of human capital in University Cities produce?
University Cities: The UK perspective.
Governing a University City + policy swap.
From college town to University City.
Impact philanthropy and University Cities.
Entrepreneurship and innovation in University Cities.
Ann Arbor case study: equity in University Cities.
University-anchored innovation districts.
University Cities Conference Closing
When you have alignment between public sector, private sector and a research university, you can leverage it in ways that I think are profound… We think of our city as a platform... Everyone in your community is an active participant, is a co-creator... We incubate grow, expand, and attract.
Wade Troxell - Fort Collins Mayor
University Cities mirror the largest cities in the country in really important ways. They have lots of talent, entrepreneurship, resilient economies, large nonprofit sectors. But unlike the large coastal cities, they have very low cost, very low crime, and low unemployment rates.
Scott Shapiro Chief Innovation Office, City of Lexington
University Cities are in some ways actually innovation districts in and of themselves. They represent a nontrivial amount of your state’s research but they also cluster amenities where people want to live work and play.
Scott Andes - the Brookings Institution
I think we can all agree that University Cities are amazing places; they are the places where the future of America looks brightest. Part of the great challenge is figuring out how to harness that magic in service of the country as a whole.
Ed Glaeser - Professor of Economics, Harvard University