Abstract
This chapter explores public-public partnerships between public universities and their local municipalities that expand institutional capacity, while simultaneously revitalizing urban centers during this time of shrinking public funding. Using a theoretical framework of resource dependency, this study shows how public-public partnerships (PuPs) allow public universities and local governments to combine resources for their mutual benefit. Examples in the study include Arizona State University’s Downtown Phoenix campus, the University of California Davis’ Aggie Square, and California State University Chico’s South Campus Neighborhood Project. Building on literature from public water projects around the world and a highway project in Texas, this study suggests the advantages of PuPs for higher education and how they may become a new funding model for public higher education infrastructure and urban redevelopment. The key elements are committed champions, strategically planned projects, and collaboration between an institution’s academic experts and local civic leaders to identify and address community concerns, with a critical eye toward economic risk, particularly involving real-estate development.
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Klein, M.W. (2021). Public-Public Partnerships: Expanding Higher Education Capacity Through Economic Redevelopment. In: Papadimitriou, A., Boboc, M. (eds) Re-envisioning Higher Education’s Public Mission. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55716-4_3
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