Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) is regarded as one of the largest higher education institutions (HEIs) in Malaysia. Significantly, HEIs are increasingly seen as catalysts for development, with substantial contribution not only as providers of education and research but also as an active role in developing their economic, social and cultural surroundings. Thus, it is thought the existence of HEIs particularly UiTM as key players in global development, alongside being significant contributors to local urban areas’ development. UiTM Cawangan Pulau Pinang (UiTMCPP) was first established in June 1996 at a temporary site in Permatang Pasir as the university’s eleventh campus. In August 2003, UiTMCPP relocates to a permanent campus in Jalan Permatang Pauh. The main purpose of this study is to determine the influence of the UiTMCPP Permatang Pauh campus on the local area’s urban expansion. In this study, multi-temporal satellite imageries, Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) in three different years (1999, 2009, and 2019) was processed by Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing techniques to distinguish the spatial expansion of urbanisation in Central Seberang Perai District. Further analysis on data collection using the quantitative and qualitative approach were performed to determine the actual impact of urbanisation on the communities. Results show that the percentage of developed area increased from 51.2% (1999) to 68.6% (2019) within a 5 km radius, and from 29.0% (1999) to 45.6% (2019) within a 10 km radius, according to the urban development map. Although the establishment and existence of the UiTMCPP Permatang Pauh campus can be considered one of the area’s development catalysts, several adjacent educational institutions also contribute to the growth of the region near the UiTM campus.