Title: Brick by Brick
Description: Recognizing that college and university campuses continue to have immediate impacts on surrounding communities, this thesis examines the relationship between the institutional self-interest that motivates campus expansion and the prevalence of speculative real estate investment in their surrounding communities. In order to assess the impact institutional policies and plans have on surrounding communities, the thesis provides case studies of four private urban universities, DePaul University, Drexel University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Pennsylvania. Together, these case studies highlight the role universities and real estate investors play in the transformation of communities surrounding campuses. It provides the voice of historians, residents, and institutional officers involved with campus and community planning at each case study university. The thesis concludes with observations about the relationship between campus expansion, speculative real estate investment, and neighborhood stability in order to offer suggestions to planners, university administrators, and community leaders seeking equitable communities.