The relationship between the university and the city is explored and implications are drawn for the university's role in improving inner-city education. The article assumes that there is such an institution as the "urban university" within a major city and having a significant level of interchange with it. There are tension points between cities and urban universities that constitute barriers to productive joint efforts to improve urban education; some of the most intractable disputes involve real estate and location. A 31-goal agenda is proposed that asks the urban university to provide a quality higher education for urban residents, provide university students with city experience, prepare urban professionals, develop a knowledge base for urban improvement, provide essential services for city residents, act as a good neighbor, and be a social critic and an agent of public policy. The first thing the urban university should do is to make certain that it provides access to urban students. Reclaiming the public trust and organizing urban improvement efforts are key elements of the university's role in urban education. However, each urban university must set its priorities in accord with its autonomy. (Contains 82 references.) (SLD)