In this article, a layered conceptual framework for "place-based school reform" is presented as a way to link the concept of school reform and neighborhood development. Because many universities have been involved in community-school-university partnerships, the university community engagement literature will be connected to this…

University faculty and outreach program directors have been called to deliver more effective, equitable, and sustainable ways in which neighborhood and university communities may creatively interact. The authors report on the case of the Pittsburgh Studio, an initiative that matches students and resident stakeholders in researching local issues…

When it comes to college towns and neighborhoods near urban campuses, quaint will not cut it anymore. An increasing number of institutions are finding ways--directly or indirectly--to promote a mix of commercial and residential development just beyond their borders that they hope will lure students and faculty. This article discusses how…

At first glance, the seemingly impenetrable fence surrounding the urban campus of Rhodes College seems to represent the academic and social isolation of the liberal arts college. Inside the fence are manicured lawns, beautiful buildings of stone and stained glass and a student body comprised mostly of affluent White young men and women. Outside…

The "CURA Reporter" is published quarterly to provide information about the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA), an all-University applied research and technical assistance center at the University of Minnesota that connects faculty and students with community organizations and public institutions working on significant public…

Urban universities are often characterized as economic engines--directly and indirectly serving the needs of the communities within which they are situated. However, the relationship between urban universities and their neighbors is often strained. Reflecting on the University of Illinois at Chicago's Neighborhoods Initiative (UICNI) and its…

The East Baltimore Revitalization Project, a fifteen-year, $800 million redevelopment initiative, seeks to transform a struggling area of the city near Johns Hopkins Hospital. A unique partnership of the Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions and the Annie E. Casey Foundation is supporting the City of Baltimore in this…