University - community relationships : towards a cooperative planning policy in university districts with special reference to university community areas in British Columbia
Creators: name: Gambhir, Raj Kumar
Publisher: name: University of British Columbia
Year: 2011

description: The planning of University District in British Columbia suffers from lack of effective coordination among various jurisdictional units which comprise the University Community Area. The growth needs of campuses are planned Independently of the needs of urban municipalities. There are numerous situations which call for the merger of decision making and administrative functions of individual organizations Into one cooperative planning body which should have the task of planning an-i development of university Areas within the framework of a long range comprehensive plan. But the existing cooperative arrangement are ad hoc committees or other working agreements which do not promote the kind of planning necessary in these districts. The objective of this Study is to find out the limitations of Informal and ad hoc administrative arrangements for mutual planning and to propose more effective methods of cooperative planning. It is hypothesized that the integration of campus planning with the long-range comprehensive planning of adjacent municipal areas is essential for the effective development of the University District. Case studies of three University Districts in British Columbia, including a comprehensive review of other studies undertaken elsewhere, are presented as research methods in support of this hypothesis. It is evident from these studies that a University has a profound effect on the evolution of its surrounding urban areas. The University demand for off-campus housing and services, plus the prestige and compelling attractions of the campus for other related educational institutions, research Industries, clubs, galleries, museums and high-quality residential, business and professional establishments, all Influence the character of adjacent municipal areas. If a campus happens to be located in an undeveloped or farming area, the growth of the campus tends to accelerate the rate of urbanization in the surrounding area, eventually displacing farming with other land uses which tend to locate in areas adjacent to the campus. If on the other hand the adjacent area was originally developed as a single family residential district, the campus modifies it to satisfy higher density residential, Institutional, industrial, cultural and service area requirements. Such an evolution of the University District is accompanied by a number of conflicts among jurisdictional units and other interest groups. In general, the conflicts centre on the amount of land necessary for university expansion, the type of housing and services required, and the provision of adequate facilities for pedestrian and vehicular movement between the campus and the adjacent community. The liaison among different administrative entities comprising the University District is by the formation of ad hoc committees of officials. It is evident from this study that an ad hoc arrangement seldom has the effectiveness (i.e. power to implement a plan), efficiency, permanency and financial support and rules to govern its deliberations and activities, which all combine to form the type or organization needed for the planning and development of the University District. A formal organization for cooperative planning involving precise understanding and long range commitments of the various administrative and political entitles with some form of enacting Interdependent legislation Is recommended. The University District Planning Commission for each university area is proposed as a method for comprehensive long range planning of the University Districts. It is evident that the study hypothesis, the integration' of Campus Planning with the long-range comprehensive planning of adjacent municipal areas is essential for the effective development of University Districts, Is quite valid.