University campuses’ role in accelerating the natural urban transformation process

Abstract

University campuses have proven to play a significant role in the production of cities due to their impact as knowledge and innovation hubs. Therefore, this paper examines the impact caused by building new campuses in suburban areas to see to what extent a campus can affect the transformation process of its respective city. Kyushu University’s Ito campus area was selected to be analysed using space syntax, spacematrix and Mixed-use index to see the impact caused by the campus since 1993 till 2017. Results have shown that after Ito campus establishment, urbanization started to be expanded throughout the area after it was limited to accessible parts around major routes and stations. Therefore, the location of the campus is considered as a vital decision that needs to be taken with the engagement of the city, with stakeholders, and business owners to harness a successful campus-city relationship.