Planning the new urban university: The role of planning departments

Funding constraints and increased criticism of institutions of higher education are forcing many universities to reformulate their missions or develop new strategic plans. For a variety of reasons urban issues appear prominently in the new mission statements of universities. This article explores the extent of this new urban emphasis and its reflection in proposed new university structures, processes, and programs. Because urban planning is the academic discipline most explicitly and specifically concerned with urban areas, one might expect urban planning departments to play a lead role in these redefinitions of mission and new initiatives and take advantage of their knowledge base to advance their standing in the institutions. A survey of universities that have engaged in strategic planning and mission formulation shows, however, that the role of urban planning departments is fairly limited. The article concludes with a discussion of possible explanations for this limited role and an identification of areas of opportunity.