The Student City Strategic Planning for Student Communities in EU Cities [Hardcover]

Student communities are without doubt a strategic resource for urban development and students are the citizens and the high-skilled working class of tomorrow. They are seen as an 'invisible population' with little say in local policy and decision-making. Co-operation between educational institutions and city planners is often missing and cities tend to neglect the universities' foreign relations. This volume argues that the importance of human capital in the competitiveness of cities demands pro-active, integral city policies targeting this community. Bringing together nine case studies of European cities (Rotterdam, Utrecht, Eindhoven, Munich, Lyon, Lille, Venice, Birmingham and Helsinki), it puts forward a comprehensive strategic plan of action, aiming at the integration of student communities in urban development. The book analyses the essential characteristics of the relationship between students and their host communities, as well as the role of higher education institutions and other actors in building the 'student friendly' city.Contents: Background issues and research methodology; Birmingham case study; Eindhoven case study; Helsinki case study; Lille case study; Lyon case study; Munich case study; Rotterdam case study; Utrecht case study; Venice case study; Comparative analysis and policy guidelines; Annex: list of discussion partners; References.Professor Dr. Leo van den Berg and Dr. Antonio Russo undertake research at the European Institute for Comparative Urban Research (EURICUR) at the Erasmus University Rotterdam.