Capturing the social values of a mix-used university campus outdoor: An assessment of the Agricultural University of Tirana

Abstract

Although mixed-use campuses are recognized by designers, little attention is paid to the social values that their outdoor environment generates for the wider community. Aiming to identify social values, the methodology used in this study includes a survey that is applied via an online questionnaire (N=156) to explore users’ perceptions about the values the campus produces to translate into indicators of wellbeing. This study’s aim is to identify indicators of wellbeing that can capture campus social value, referring to a continuously changing campus (Agricultural University of Tirana). The results indicate that the social and cultural benefits that come from a mixed-use campus are related to the adequacy of physical outdoor environments and social activities. However, compared to mixed-use spaces, outdoor spaces that preserve the functions of agricultural backgrounds (as originally designed) have higher social values. We suggest that both physical and non-physical determinants play a basic role in enhancing social interaction (this is a strong indicator), so they must be included in the policies and strategies of the higher education systems.