Perspectives on the future city: universities as placemakers

COMMENT The idea for this Perspectives on the Future City series of comments came about at MIPIM when I sat down with EG editor Samantha McClary. We share a passion to make the real estate sector more inclusive and create platforms for different voices to be heard. I reflected on many of my female colleagues at CBRE who work in sectors and industries that extend beyond traditional real estate but play a crucial role in shaping the future of our cities, communities and spaces. Last week I was at UKREiiF, and it was evident our industry is transitioning. Partnerships between the public and private sector, academia and industry, innovators and pension funds, proptech and social enterprises, environmentalists and urbanists will increasingly be the norm. The future will not look or feel like the past, and nor will the people who shape it. In recent years, universities and higher education providers have become increasingly active as early anchor institutions in the regeneration and urban renewal of the UK’s towns and cities. One of the most interesting aspects of my job is working with universities that often have significant land and property assets in prime locations, yet their core business is delivering education and their estate teams are often small. The advice my team provides enables them to strengthen their education offer, their “sense of place” across campuses and their connections with commerce and communities. Universities compete on a global stage to attract the most talented students, academics, researchers and investment partners. The quality, design and sustainability of their built environment is key to how they operate. As a result, the higher education sector has established itself as a key player in large-scale urban regeneration and placemaking. In university cities and towns, students and academics bring a level of vibrancy and footfall to urban spaces which attracts commercial businesses and investors wanting access to a young, well-educated talent pool. It creates flourishing commercial ecosystems around university campuses. Lessons learnt The University of the Arts London’s Central Saint Martins campus at King’s Cross, N1, serves as a blueprint for the impact innovative universities can have on urban regeneration. The early arrival in 2011 of UAL into the repurposed warehouse fronting Granary Square and the activity and animation its students generated was critical in the transformation of the area. Alongside the excellent infrastructure connections and quality placemaking, it was a defining factor in why many global businesses later acquired commercial space there. The area has become a thriving employment hub and innovation ecosystem, as well as a destination for well-curated retail, dining and entertainment. More recently, in 2021 UAL led a coalition between the public and private sector – Camden Council, Knowledge Quarter London, Lendlease, Somers Town Community Association – to deliver London’s pilot for the EU urban redevelopment research project T-Factor, with the purpose of building creative and entrepreneurial opportunities for residents of Euston and King’s Cross. UAL’s community of academic staff, researchers and students are empowered to use their expertise and resources to drive community and public engagement in Camden and beyond. Meanwhile, Birmingham City Council launched its Our Future City Framework 2040 at UKREiiF and hours later unveiled its masterplan for the Birmingham Innovation Quarter, a tech and innovation hub in partnership with Aston University and Bruntwood SciTech. The Innovation Quarter builds on Aston University’s existing campus and will be at the heart of Birmingham’s next phase of growth in the city’s north-east district. Travelling into Birmingham by train from the south, Birmingham City University’s campus creates the frontage to Eastside City Park and the future HS2 Curzon Street station. Again, a leading university was an early anchor institution for one of Birmingham’s major regeneration sites. International agendas The trend for universities to have a city centre presence is increasing, with many having campuses overseas or in different cities. The University of Birmingham has a campus for 2,900 students in Dubai and a presence in Brussels, India, China, Brazil and Nigeria. The University of Southampton, which CBRE advised on its five-year estate strategy, also has campuses in Winchester and Malaysia. The potential of these institutions and their international networks to drive innovation, new forms of partnership, urban development and regeneration is a growing trend. This is not a new phenomenon. Many historic cities have a positive symbiotic relationship with their universities; Oxford, Cambridge, Durham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast are UK examples. Since the second half of the 20th century, science, business and technology parks have developed in association with universities, often on the city fringe. What is accelerating is the desire for universities and their students to be in the urban core and pioneering in areas undergoing urban regeneration. Louise Wyman is executive director, planning and development and public sector business lead, Midlands and South at CBRE