DESIGNING TOWN GOWN RELATIONSHIPS
Intern Research Project Summer 2015
My Research Process To understand the current challenges and strategies to improve Town Gown relationships
1
Existing Resources
2
In House Council
3
Informal Discussions with Towns and Gowns
My Research Process To understand the current challenges and strategies to improve Town Gown relationships
1
Existing Resources
2
In House Council
3
Informal Discussions with Towns and Gowns
TOWN GOWN Town – permanent residents
and municipal regulations and infrastructure Gown – Post-secondary students and the administrative representatives of the university or college BACKGROUND
The Campus Wake 1960 - 1990’s • Defined Edge between Campus and Community • Dilapidated Housing Stock and a Reduction in Property Value around • Increase in Non-taxed Property and then pressure from Towns on Gowns for payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) • Student Noise and Vandalism • Lack of Community Amenities • Traffic and Congestion
BACKGROUND
Town Gown Collaboration Post 1990’s
A
Increase in Student Access to Community
B
Manifest a Common Destiny between Town and Gown
through:
through:
• • •
• • •
Community Service Internships Teaching Positions
BACKGROUND
Knowledge Economic Development Quality of Life
ITGA – International Town Gown Association
Organizations
Town and Gown Association of Ontario SCUP – Society for College and University Planning Town and Gown Relations – Roger L. Kemp (2013)
Books
Town and Gown: from Conflict to Cooperation – Michael Fox (2014) The American College Town - Blake Gumprecht (2008)
Scholars
Steve Gavazzi – Ohio State Mansfield Roger L. Kemp – Town Gown Consult Michael Fox – Mount Allison University, New Brunswick Canada
Internet Sources
EXISTING RESOURCES
Town Gown: Education, Michigan, Communities Town Gown World : Town and Gown University Communities
International Town Gown Association • Primary resource point for Town Gown concerns and mutually improve quality of life • assist civic leaders, faculty, university official, neighborhood residents and students to collaborate on services, programs, research, and citizen issues. • Strategic Plan – published June 29, 2015 • plan indicates goal to gain traction as leading Town Gown resource • Must join to gain access to report, conference presentations, case studies, white papers • Corporate Rate for Membership $500
EXISTING RESOURCES
Town & Gown: From Conflict to Cooperation • • •
Most Currant Published Book on Town Gown Relationships A Guidebook to developing happy relationships between Town and Gown Topics Include: • Smaller Colleges – Challenges and Opportunities • Students living within Residents • Government Partnerships • Safe Habitable Housing • Best Practices for Community Liaison and Civic Engagement • Checklist of Best Practices
EXISTING RESOURCES
Town & Gown: From Conflict to Cooperation Checklist of Questions To Stimulate Consideration and Stimulation
EXISTING RESOURCES
The Marriage Model
‘A Tale of Three Cities: Piloting a Measure of Effort and Comfort Levels within Town-Gown Relationships’ Stephen M. Gavazzi & Michael Fox 26 September 2014
EXISTING RESOURCES
‘A Tale of Three Cities: Piloting a Measure of Effort and Comfort Levels within Town-Gown Relationships’ Stephen M. Gavazzi & Michael Fox 26 September 2014
EXISTING RESOURCES
Outcome of Assessment
“It was very clear that when people thought about how the campus was engaged with the community, it really had to do with the students,” “Of course, we all knew students were important, but we didn’t realize just how important. For faculty and administrators, the message is that if you want to have an impact with the community, you really should do it through the students.” Stephen Gavazzi Excerpt from Article: ‘Love, Marriage and Town-Gown Relationships’ Jeff Grabmeier, Ohio State University News January 14, 2015
EXISTING RESOURCES
Informal Interviews 1) Alan Anderson – Executive Director of Neighborhood and Community Relations, Northwestern University in Evanston Illinois 2) Karrie Heartlein – Government and Community Engagement, Knox College Galesburg Illinois 3) Harold J Sanger – Mayor of Clayton Missouri 4) Shelley Welsch – Mayor of University City 5) Cheryl Adelstien – Assistant Vice Chancellor for Community Relations and Local Government Affairs at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri 6) Liz Kramer - Assistant Director of Community-Based Design & Sustainability at the Sam Fox School of Design Art and Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri 7) Mary Campbell – Assistance Vice Chancellor of Real Estate at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri 8) Gerry Welch – Mayor of Webster Groves 9) Lindsey Heffner LaFore –Sustainability coordinator Webster University, Webster Groves, Missouri 10)Gary Zack – VP for Finance and Administration at Fontbonne University, Clayton Missouri 11)Bob McDavid – Mayor of Columbia Missouri 12)John Stockwell – Executive Director of Planning at the University Planning Office Tulane University, New Orleans Louisiana
INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS
1 2
11
3-10
12
Posed Questions What are the benefits of collaboration for the institution? The municipality? What are the barriers/challenges to engagement or collaboration? How do higher education institutions and municipalities collaborate effectively?
INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS
What have I learnt? Many Schools believe they have a fundamental responsibility to nurture their communities. As such, they have had the leadership, resources, and policies to greatly improve TownGown relationships in their communities. • Full time community liaisons (establish personal relationships with leadership) • Construction site best management practices • Real Estate Developers with backgrounds in Community Development • Offices and Resources for Community Engagement and Service available to Faculty and Students • Student Behavior programs • Provide Resources to communities (ei. STEM education to school districts) Some institutions do not have the same motivation to employ resources or processes to actively engage the community – or they engage in some ways, but not broadly .
INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS
Rural Campus Model
Urban Campus Model
*expansion occurs more organically with the growth of the town – borders are not defined
*expansion occurs within city grid taking over residential territory as the campus grows
Rural Campus Model
Urban Campus Model
Sub-Urban Campus Model
*expansion occurs more organically with the growth of the town – borders are not defined
*expansion occurs within city grid taking over residential territory as the campus grows
*campus engulfed by expanding suburbs. Little opportunity for campus expansion.
Strategic Categories for both Town and Gown
Permeate the Social Edge
Leverage Political Partnerships
Cooperative Strategic Development
Integrative Environmental Initiatives
Streamlined Services and Resources
Deterritorialize Communities
Extend Academic Methodologies
Assessment of Current Condition
Fluid Communication and Transparency
Empower Economic Initiatives
STRATEGIES AND TOOLS
Strategies Categories for Gown
INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS
How can we help to improve Town Gown Relations? What tools or strategies can we suggest to clients that may help foster, improve, or nurture TG relationships?
Gown Classifications Synergistic
Isolated
Synergistic but Independent
Independent
A - Synergistic
Characteristics: • Community and State feeds the school and the school feeds the region • Likely a State School • Sport Teams and Events Brings People together across communities • Multi-generational attendance at an institution with long term investment and support to the school • Blurred line between campus and community
A - Synergistic
Positive Attributes: • Mutual support (vibrant community to attract students, and large academic economy to support local entrepreneurship and first rate services) Limiting Attributes: • Many stakeholders with passionate opinions • School likely to be greatest contributor to economy so they may feel like they have freedom to do what they want without communication with the town • State schools no longer receive as much federal aid as in the past - therefore they need to leverage businesses to survive financially
Possible Strategies and Tools to Improve TownGown Relationships: • Provide access to campus by locals • parking and wayfinding • Collaborative projects as methods of sharing resources • facilities, security, fire safety, sustainability initiatives • Transparent, Proactive Communication from school to town • regarding long term planning, and infrastructural needs
B - Synergistic but Independent
Characteristics: • Town and Gown grew dependently on one another, but the institution serves students from other areas • Graduates usually leave for a larger city afterwards or return home • Likely Rural and Smaller • Student engagement in community has a focus towards Community Service • Blurred line between campus and community
B - Synergistic but Independent
Possible Strategies and Tools to Improve TownGown Relationships: • Work on bringing locals onto campus, and students into community to foster personal connections •
Positive Attributes: • Existing focus on community engagement by institution • Shared appreciation for mutual success : communities support one another – school provides economy , diversity, and culture and town provides services and amenities Limiting Attributes: • Braindrain – students choose to leave after graduation (home or to larger cities) • School academics may not serve the needs of the community due to lack of interest by students, does not serve the mission of the academy or don’t have the resources to support those needs (research $$) • Cost of Education greater than locals can afford, Academic Requirements greater than scores of local students
• •
Cultural and athletic events, community service initiatives, School Cashless Card (accepted at off campus businesses) Internship – create internship opportunities for students that strive to keep student talent and expertise in community
• Capitalize on interest for community service by providing students and faculty clear methods and processes of engagement - (ie: service coordination, partnership s, facilities) • • •
to avoid incomplete initiatives to manage community expectations to improve quality of overall community outreach
• Support Local Entrepreneurship that attracts recent graduates
C - Isolated
Characteristics: • Students less invested in campus life (potentially a commuter school or focused on evening classes). • Campus is an island within a community, little interaction by students, even though some of them may be community members.
C - Isolated
Possible Strategies and Tools to Improve TownGown Relationships: • Showcase through publication /media the value of the institution to the neighborhood •
Positive Attributes: • Gown is a long term stakeholder in community (likely there before the residences) Limiting Attributes: • Gown unappreciated by neighbors • Generally a tenuous TG relationship, requires significant improvement
current and historic aspects
• Proactive communication with community before any new project – pull them on board before any plans are drawn or decisions made • Never approach community wanting anything – establish base relationship first • Establish community liaison position and website to support school-community engagement • Invite neighbors onto campus for special events • Work with city to develop new zoning ordinance for mutual benefit – have an up front discussion before any policy is ever written
D - Independent
Characteristics: • More focus on global community by institution (including local municipality)
D - Independent
Positive Attributes: • Gown focused on national (medical, economic, scientific, and social) contributions including the wellbeing of their own geographical location • Town takes pride in national institution • Large scale and dispersed alum Limiting Attributes: • Institution is less invested in local communities because of their greater desire to contribute to global world
Possible Strategies and Tools to Improve TownGown Relationships: • Implement strategic procedures for procurement of new property (putting them into use for a small amount of capital to support local community needs) • Facility Agreements •
for new buildings or buildings that cause conflict
• Requires leadership to value local relationships and to mobilize resources towards community engagement • Joint Development projects – allows campus to expand out into city while also benefiting community by providing new resources •
Facilities, housing,
Facilities Management
Communication
Limitations on Infrastructure
Personal Relationships
Inherent Tensions
EMERGANT TOPICS
Facilities Management Improvements:
Yulman Stadium, Tulane University, New Orleans Louisianna
EMERGANT TOPICS
• Lack of organized management of properties causes disruption to Communities for Events • Facility Operation and Maintenance Agreements • Signed agreements between the institution and the municipality regarding the operations of a facility off campus, or greatly effecting areas beyond campus as a means of setting expectations and easing any concerns regarding disruption to the community Especially for Cultural Venues, Sports Facilities (Game Day), Residence Halls (for move in day)
Communication Improvements:
Suggestions: • Centralization – have a place where all information is accessible (website) • Proactive Communication • Transparency • Efficient and Thorough – quick response time Northwestern Neighborhood and Community Relations Webpage, Evanston Illinois
EMERGANT TOPICS
• Should manage expectations • May require a platform – (website, survey, mapping tool, not just host meetings)
Limitations on Infrastructure: • Towns are not informed when schools expand their admission numbers (increase in student enrollment) • Challenges the city infrastructure (housing stock, electric capacity, road and parking structure) • Requires Communication by Institution to community and collaborative long term planning to accommodate changes to infrastructure Brookside Apartments, Student Targeted Housing at the University of Missouri, Columbia Missouri
EMERGANT TOPICS
Personal Relationships • Importance of forging personal relationships to improve TG relationships • Between Leadership • Between Students and Locals • Between Faculty and Community Organizations • Methods to Facilitate: • Attendance by students in local events/service /internships • Invite Locals onto campus (events/resources
EMERGANT TOPICS
Inherent Tensions between Town and Gown •
•
• •
•
Dichotomy of the Campus as Sanctuary (safety to students)and Destination (for the community) • (younger) Students tend to remain inside their safe campus bubble Self Interest: Both entities have to look our for themselves and that doesn’t always converge • Long Term vs Short Term planning • The Institution is planning for 100 years in the future, while the town is usually planning for the next 5010 years Infrastructure Limitations and the ability for an institution to expand Immediate Neighbors – No matter how good relations may be with the institution and the municipality, borders and immediate neighbors are always touchy. • Fear of Expansion – especially by immediate neighbors • The best way to deal with it is acknowledge it, provide a platform for the community to be heard, and work with them very early on in a project to alleviate their concerns
Suffering of School District •
The school district receives a lot of funding based on property taxes, so in order
EMERGANT TOPICS
Best Practices for Construction Projects A. Work with Community from very initial Conversations i. ii.
Establish relationship and demonstrate willingness to alleviate concerns Discussion concerning infrastructural needs and limitations B. Acquiring distressed properties – or land that is unused or invaluable to community
C. Interim Property Use: i. ii.
lease-back to current tenant invest some capital in minor renovations so that the property can remain an asset to the community in the mean time before development
D. Facility Contracts between City and Institution: i.
Establish a clear contract between Town and Gown to establish methods of operation and maintenance for facilities.
E. Be conscientious of neighbors during construction
i. Provide small repairs crew can do as a thank-you for the neighbors ii. Impose construction hours iii. Provide parking away from construction site for workers with a shuttle to site in densely populated areas to reduce traffic congestion and parking issues.
STRATEGIES
Topics to Explore Further • Campus Expansion • Campus Edges • Analysis • Perceived and Real Boundaries • Signage • Stormwater Management • Inefficacy of Community Meetings • Lack of participation • Employer Assisted Housing Programs
“College students living away from their parents will always experiment and test life’s boundaries, so college towns will remain bohemian islands where new expressions flourish and eccentrics feel at home” | Blake Grumprecht| The American College Town p.345
“No single element in a city is, in truth, the kingpin of the key. The mixture itself is the kingpin, and its mutual support is in the order. A city’s very structure consist of a mixture of uses, and we get closest to its structural secrets when we deal with the conditions that generate diversity” | Jane Jacobs |
https://www.itgau.org/2015CallForProposals
Case Study: University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati OH Principles of Partnering in Off-Campus Development Activities In almost seven years of working through community organizations, the University and its partners have developed essential principles. 1. Don't expand into a neighborhood if the expansion will destroy the neighborhoods fabric. 2. Institutional and community goals must both have standing and be pursued simultaneously. There must be agreement that institutional districts with associated neighborhoods have strong "market fundamentals' for housing, retail, small business location and related commercial development. This agreement will support the notion that a balanced plan can be formed to meet the combined goals. The plan must also commit to good architecture and the building of long- lasting community assets. 3. Institutional expansion goals may have to be achieved by contract, lease, or partnership with private entities in surrounding neighborhoods, including project elements for neighborhood needs, rather than through direct ownership and operation of facilities. 4. Institutions need to look at the opportunities to “recycle" other empty institutional space, even if it is not contiguous to its present campus. Key opportunities are the shrinkage of health care use in the urban core, and the "facilities fallout“ from corporate mergers and acquisitions. This is responsible land use policy and supportive of preserving neighborhoods at the same time.
https://www.itgau.org/2015CallForProposals
Case Study: University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati OH 5. Institutions need to be consistent in their approach to partnering with neighborhoods, but need to realize that partnerships must be executed with individual development corporations within each neighborhood. This approach recognizes the individual nature of each neighborhoods concerns and allows the institution to match up with community governance structures. This principle has led to the establishment of six development corporations on our various borders. 6. Voting control of the development entities must be held by the neighborhoods and/or business associations around the institution, with a minority voting presence from the institution. In the University's case, this typically means having one out of three corporate members and one out of five trustees votes. 7. Institutions must be willing to invest in this partnership in two ways. First, they must provide an initial operating grant to assist in funding such basics as an office, an executive director, and legal/consulting services. By giving the development corporation a presence, an operating grant enhances the stature of the partnership. It also enables the development corporation to carry out objective planning activities by a consultant selected by its Board, rather than using staff of the University. Operating grants may also take the form of leases and joint use agreements to use some spaces and provide secure income for projects. Second, institutions must be willing to add their loan capital to other investments of private capital to make projects feasible. This must be done through subordinate loans at reasonable rates, which take the place of bond investments in the institution's portfolio. 8. Institutions must be willing to support an Employee Assisted Housing (EAH) program that provides meaningful incentives and increase the number of employees at all income levels living nearby in owner-occupied housing. 9. The relationship with the city should be formed early and kept open, with differences between the institution and the neighborhoods and business districts worked out in advance. (The city is neither a good initiator nor a good referee.) Taking a thoughtfully prepared joint vision to the city for assistance is more effective than expecting the city to arbitrate differences as they arise. 10.Requests to the city should be realistic and should focus on policy support (zoning, land assemblage procedures, traffic engineering, etc.). Street/infrastructure improvements should be expected on most projects, but not large subsidies. The largest projects may include major contributions proportional to the other capital being invested.
https://www.itgau.org/2015CallForProposals