The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 37, No. 1 - 46

Sean A. Grube

munity members and institutions may never agree on the need for growth, the most important aspect of the expansion process is how growth is considered, communicated, and implemented. The business adage that organizations face two choices—consistent growth or a sure death—is important to understand in the framework of an institution’s enrollment, facilities, and operations. However, the most important question is how can urban institutions manage the expansion of student housing in a manner that respects the surrounding community but also facilitates evolution of the facilities?

at least be viewed through the lens of potential community enhancement. Many institutions of higher education located in an urban core consider it a duty to work to improve the community to which they belong. Whether the duty is seen as an empty promise or becomes a lived outcome varies, depending on institutional commitment. However, simply by its existence, an institution of higher education has the ability to positively impact the greater economic community. Universities can be valuable contributors to a city’s economy. They are immobile institutions fairly resistant to business cycle fluctuations, making them a steady presence in the community. They tend to attract revenue from outside the immediate area through tuition, endowment income, or state tax allocations and to attract significant human capital—students and employees from a national market—that can contribute to the area’s economic growth. (Steinacker, 2005, p. 1161) Though highly dependent on spending patterns, an institution’s constituents alone can create an economic boon for the surrounding community. Beyond the purchasing power of its constituents, institutions of higher education can also make the decision to positively impact a community through joint initiatives. Expansion that creates environments for light commercial initiatives (MacIntyre, 2003), incentive programs encouraging employees to purchase and remodel area homes (Lum, 2002), or substantial investment in revitalization efforts (Fischer, 2008) are all methods to accomplish town and gown projects that benefit everyone. There are numerous ways

THe cAse fOR eXPAnsIOn
Economic Effect of Urban Colleges and Universities on Surrounding Communities
As urban institutions of higher education and community members struggle with striking the balance between educating students and creating a vibrant community, points of significant debate often lead to questioning whether an institution positively contributes to the well-being of the surrounding community. There is no question that an institution uncommitted to becoming a community partner can devastate an urban community through practices like blockbusting (creating vacant properties through strategic purchases with the future intent to raze and rebuild). If an institution cannot demonstrate that it positively contributes to the community, either financially or through other contributions, its attempts to expand into the neighborhood will not be viewed as a welcome prospect. However, if the institution can demonstrate in some way that it contributes to the community, then expansion, though perhaps not welcomed, may

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The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 37, No. 1

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