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The University and Local Economic Development

Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences

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Title The University and Local Economic Development
 
Creator MULLIN, John; FAICP, Professor, Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, United States of America
KOTVAL-K, Zeenat; Doctoral Candidate, Department of Geography, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
COOPER, Jonathan; Graduate student, Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, United States of America
 
Subject town-gown; service learning; partnerships; outreach; economic development
 
Description Increasing pressures on universities and educational institutions to be more involved in the communities that house them have led to a wave of interactions that have been both creative and mutually supportive. These ‘town-gown’ relations have stemmed not only from pressures by government leaders, but also from the sense of civic responsibility and the drive for ‘service learning’ where students move beyond the academic walls to engage in real life situations as part of the learning process. The resultant merits are invaluable lessons and experiences that are mutually beneficial to the students and the communities. Similarly, the involvement of community residents with events on campus fosters a mutual relationship and a positive perception towards the university. Challenges with such partnerships include the resentment between the community residents and the university members and the ‘us and them’ mentality that leads to communication blocks, mistrust and resentment. Overcoming these sentiments requires perseverance, patience, and creative thinking. This paper discusses one successful partnership between the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and the City of Springfield in Massachusetts. This collaboration was targeted to benefit the City by helping with their economic revitalization efforts, and the University by giving them a space in downtown Springfield for a ‘Design Center’, where students have a meeting space for studio and field work and can then exhibit their work. The paper ends with a set of principles that can guide other institutions and communities in developing strategic outreach and engagement activities.
 
Publisher Babes Bolyai University
 
Contributor —
 
Date 2012-12-30
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
Peer-reviewed Article
 
Format application/pdf
 
Identifier http://rtsa.ro/tras/index.php/tras/article/view/325
 
Source Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences; 2012: Special Issue; 126-136
1842-2845
 
Language eng
 
Relation http://rtsa.ro/tras/index.php/tras/article/view/325/318
 
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