Abstract
Schools of higher education, including universities, can become important landmarks of cities and contribute to sustainable urban development. This study attempts to determine the ways in which universities benefit cities, evaluate the scope of cooperation between territorial governments and universities, identify the main obstacles to cooperation and the preferred objectives of collaborative projects. A survey conducted in Polish university towns revealed that the opportunities stemming from collaboration with universities are not fully harnessed by territorial governments. A survey conducted in Polish university towns revealed that the opportunities stemming from collaboration with universities are not fully harnessed by territorial governments. Cities should undertake active measures to work in concert with universities, promote cooperation between research units and businesses, participate in research projects and co-organize internships for students. Efforts should also be made to overcome the barriers to partnership between local authorities and universities, mainly the lack of cohesive state policies targeting urban development and limited funding.
Highlights
Schools of higher education promote the development of human capital, generate knowledge as the key production factor in the modern world, contribute to the emergence of knowledge-based economies, generate jobs, attract new residents, and build a positive image of university towns
Sustainable urban development involves the search for sources of competitive advantage that would enable cities to implement desirable social, economic and environmental changes
Cities rely on social capital, in particular members of the creative class who are university graduates, to build their competitive advantage
Summary
Schools of higher education promote the development of human capital, generate knowledge as the key production factor in the modern world, contribute to the emergence of knowledge-based economies, generate jobs, attract new residents, and build a positive image of university towns. A target population of local government representatives was surveyed in Polish university towns. The purpose of the survey was to establish whether local governments harness the opportunities resulting from the presence of colleges and universities in their cities. Attempts were made to evaluate the scope of cooperation between the local authorities and universities, and to identify the main barriers and preferred directions for cooperation. The theoretical part of the paper reviews the literature, proposes a definition of a university town, and describes the extent to which schools of higher education contribute to urban development. The results of the study were discussed, and conclusions were formulated in the last chapter
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