You asked for information on how urban studies programs have gotten started and how they work with their host cities, particularly with regard to community and economic development initiatives.

SUMMARY

This memo describes urban studies programs and related institutions at four northeastern universities: Brown, Cleveland State, Connecticut, and Rutgers at Camden. Many urban studies programs, including these four, were established in the late 1960s and early 1970s, in response to problems affecting urban areas at that time, including economic decline, depopulation, and rising crime rates. Some programs were formed in part in response to local events, including riots.

Each of the four programs has community outreach initiatives, with Cleveland State and Rutgers having the most extensive initiatives. These include internship programs for students, research conducted by faculty members, and cooperation with local groups. Several of the universities have centers associated with the urban studies programs that focus on specific issues and areas.

The following Webpage has links to and descriptions of many urban studies programs http: //www. udel. edu/uaa/instmems. html.

History. The university established its urban studies program in the mid 1970s in response to the experiences of the War on Poverty and the Model Cities program of the 1960s, as well as the urban riots of that era. The forces leading to the establishment of the program were reinforced by the reforms in Brown's curriculum and the intellectual and social concerns of the faculty and the student body.

The undergraduate program promotes an understanding of the social, economic, demographic, and political consequences of urban development and a sensitivity to the spatial and aesthetic implications of such development. It currently offers courses in such areas as urban economics, history, and politics; research skills such as statistics; and related courses in the humanities and social sciences.

Community Outreach. The program has a close relationship with the city of Providence. As part of their fieldwork training, students are expected to work with local agencies and non-profit organizations. Summer internships are available for student who concentrate in urban studies. Students are also encouraged to undertake projects involving the study of Providence for their honors thesis projects. In recent years, students have conducted feasibility studies and written reports on the functioning of the various agencies and organizations in Providence.

The program also offers senior seminar-workshops on aspects of urban development in Providence, such as grass-roots community action and urban development. These seminar-workshops attempt to bring together students, faculty and members of the concerned communities and agencies in order to better understand and guide urban development in Providence. Further information on the programs is available on Brown’s Website, http: //www. brown. edu/Departments/Urban_Studies/about. html.

UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT

History. The undergraduate urban and community studies program at the Storrs campus grew out of the university’s Urban Semester option, which had been established in the early 1970s. This option allowed students from the Storrs campus to live in Hartford and work for social service agencies in the Hartford area. In 1972, a faculty member noted that these students had no option for studying urban issues once they once they returned to Storrs. He suggested that an interdisciplinary urban studies program be established and the university approved the program in 1974.

The program was very active in the 1970s and 1980s, graduating up to 20 students per year. But it subsequently declined as less attention was paid to cities, reflecting changes in federal priorities. The program is currently based in the Geography Department. The Storrs campus also continues to offer the Urban Semester option.

In 2001, the university established a new urban studies major at its regional West Hartford, Torrington, and Waterbury campuses, in order to better address urban needs. The major is an interdisciplinary undergraduate program in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. In addition to urban studies courses such as urban anthropology and sociology, students can takes courses in related social sciences and humanities departments.

The urban studies program prepares students to be city planners, town government officials, economic development leaders, and other service providers in the public or private sectors. The program currently has about 60 majors and eight faculty members. It is currently seeking approval to hire two additional faculty, one in urban planning and another in community development. Further information about the program is available at its Webpage, http: //www. urban. uconn. edu/.

Community Outreach. The program has an internship program that primarily has placed students in social service and criminal justice organizations. The faculty has conducted research on a wide range of social issues, but has done little work in planning or community development.

CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY

History. In response to disturbances in Cleveland, including the riot in the Hough neighborhood in 1966, a group of faculty persuaded the administration of the university (which had been founded in 1964) to establish an Urban Studies Committee in 1967. This led to the creation that year of an Institute of Urban Studies, modeled on others around the country. This, in turn, led to the development of academic programs and a demand for establishment of a College of Urban Affairs. Over faculty opposition and led by student protests following the resignation of the Institute’s director in 1975, the university approved the creation of the college in 1977. In 1983, the college created the Fiscal Futures Service to provide fiscal and strategic planning advice to public entities.

The university established its Urban Center in 1979 to provide research and public service for cities as part of the state’s Urban University Program, which is a separate line in the state budget. In 1996, the center established the State and Intergovernmental Initiative and the Regional Initiative. Further information about the history of the center and related programs is available on-line at http: //urban. csuohio. edu/~ucweb/historycenter. htm

Community Outreach. Among other things, the college’s Miller Center seeks to (1) help the region and its communities determine a vision for Greater Cleveland's future; (2) promote projects and partnerships to advance this future; and (3) use the intellectual resources of the region’s universities, businesses, and nonprofit organizations to produce reports and materials required to discuss, illustrate, and publicize the region’s assets and potential for economic advancement. The most recent reports address issues ranging from the economic implications of a new convention center in the city to the urban development implications of immigration to the region. The center’s Website is http: //urban. csuohio. edu/ruth_ratner_miller/.

The college’s Center for Nonprofit Policy & Practice arose from the college's involvement with community and neighborhood organizations in Cleveland dating back to the 1970s. The center (1) provides training and technical assistance that support nonprofit organizations; (2) conducts scholarly and applied research; and (3) provides undergraduate and graduate education in leading and managing nonprofit organizations.

The college operates a forum for public debate, new ideas and timely action addressing the critical urban issues that affect northeast Ohio, the state, and the nation. The most recent forum has addressed regionalism and equity; previous forum have addressed issues ranging from affordable housing, sustainable development, and planning and urban design. The forum programs are open to the community as well as students, faculty, and staff.

A college Website, http: //urban. csuohio. edu/community_outreach/, has additional information about the college’s outreach to the community.

RUTGERS UNIVERSITY AT CAMDEN

History

Rutgers established an urban studies program at its Camden campus in the late 1960s, when riots caused extensive damage to the city. Tensions at the campus were very high during this period, which included a series of sit-ins and threats of violence on campus. According to Prof. Jon van Til, tensions were exacerbated by a belief on the part of the city’s black community that the university was unresponsive to their needs.

Community Involvement

Students and faculty from the department helped produce the North Camden Plan in 1993, which won an award from the American Planning Association. This plan was later approved by Camden City Council, is now considered the model for neighborhood development planning, and has been incorporated into the city’s 2000 Comprehensive Plan.

In 1998 and 1999, urban studies students from the planning studio course began to work with residents of South Camden, the site of a proposed industrial park. Their research led to the discovery of an unmapped creek that had been filled in. This creek has now been placed on the city maps and has become the focal point for neighborhood revitalization efforts aimed at securing funding needed to restore it and reclaim its surrounding lands for a public greenway.  

In 1999 and 2000, students and faculty provided substantial research and administrative support to a new venture called the Fettersville Collaborative. This grass roots church-based organization was established by area residents to focus attention on this historic African American community and motivate local residents to become directly involved in preserving the remaining buildings. Further information about the program’s community outreach efforts can be found at http: //www. camden. rutgers. edu/dept-pages/urban/community. html.

A program affiliated with the department, the Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs, seeks to support and improve the social, economic, and physical infrastructure of communities throughout southern New Jersey. the region. The institute marshals the university's intellectual and

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