Urban(izing) University Strategic Planning: An Analysis of London and New York City

Abstract

While there is a growing recognition of the mutually beneficial relationships universities and cities can forge around local and regional development, urban and academic leaders have often struggled to harness the diverse capacities of universities as producers and analysts of urban space. This article addresses this challenge by examining the institutional and spatial strategies being prioritized by universities in the context of global urbanization. It details a Lefebvrian-influenced conceptual and methodological approach to evaluate the multifaceted, multiscalar urban(izing) functions of “universities in urban society.” Comparatively assessing the organizational structures, spatial orientations, and ways of operating being pursued by universities in London and New York City reveals the scope—and variation—of university urbanism within and across global urban higher education systems. The empirical analysis points toward the need for adaptive approaches through which urban actors can leverage universities in the analysis and governance of urban processes. Conclusions are drawn for public policy and university outreach.

Emerging University-Society Engagements in Africa

“…This emerging development in the studied universities could also be generally compared to the 115 London and New York university-society engagements linked to Mediation, Centrality, and Difference (Addie, 2018). The international transfer of policy ideas including strategic planning could contribute to the isomorphic nature of emerging university-society engagements in London, New York, and Africa.…”

“…Due mainly to globalization, democratization, and liberalization (Brennan, King, & Lebeau 2004, P. 19), higher education institutions (HEIs) are under increasing pressure to demonstrate their relevance and significance to society (Addie, 2018;Altbach, 2008;Hannon, 2018;Massen, 2014;Pugh et al, 2018;Reichert, 2019). The socio-cultural and economic transformative potential of universities (Pinheiro, Wangenge-Ouma, Balbachevsky, & Cai, 2015;Brennan et al, 2004) seems more vividly acknowledged than ever before.…”

“…This study aspires to extend our understanding of emerging university-society engagement modalities by analyzing the strategic plans of 30 universities from Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Africa. As strategic plans identify organizational goals, priorities and implementation mechanisms based on internal and external multi-stakeholder deliberations-Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analyses (Addie, 2018;Allison & Kaye, 2011;Chang, 2006;Hinton, 2012;Pirtea, Nicolescu, & Botoc, 2009), methodically analyzing strategic plans can reveal the nature of emerging university-society engagements in selected universities. The study could deepen our understanding of the emerging strategic positioning of universities within the context of the knowledge society.…”

Regional intergovernmental organizations in the Global South: Emerging education policy nodes between the global and the national

“…Because strategic plans constitute organizational visions and goals, strategic priorities, and implementation mechanisms (Addie, 2018;Allison & Kaye, 2011;Bekele & Ofoyuru, 2021;Pirtea et al, 2009), a methodical analysis of them could manifest the roles RIGOs aspire to play in educational development and their relationships with the local/national and global policy actors. As our focus is on exploring the aspirations of RIGOs within the context of the UN 2030 Agenda, we have analyzed their post-2015 strategic plans.…”

La vinculación con el medio en la Universidad de Santiago de Chile. El alcance territorial de los proyectos financiados entre 2018 y 2020

“…1 Para la vinculación o la extensión universitaria, el territorio "aparece como el 'terreno de juego', allí donde la teoría se vuelve práctica" (Arzeno, 2018, p. 4), es donde se generan las dinámicas de intercambio y creación de conocimiento mediante el diálogo o confrontación de saberes (Sousa Santos, 2007). En dichos territorios, la universidad, en tanto fenómeno urbano, también se hace parte como una de las fuerzas que se relacionan social y espacialmente, interactuando y negociando según sus intereses (Addie, 2019). Para las universidades estatales, la función de vinculación con el medio apunta principalmente a identificar problemas de los actores sociales y contribuir a llegar a los mecanismos y modos que apuntalen el desarrollo territorial, dimensión que va más allá del puro desarrollo económico (Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo -PNUD-, 2018).…”