This article develops a reflection on the 're-composition' effects that university settlements may have on the urban structure of a city. In particular, this analysis examines the case of Bologna, a city where a deeply rooted, long-standing relationship between the city and the university has determined the historic evolution of the urban settlement and has been a key issue in the public debate. The university as an urban transformation factor, in its economic, social, spatial, organisation implications, is attributed a growing significance as an element affecting the development of the contemporary city.
