The campus and the city: a design revolution explained

This contribution to design history considers a recent shift in the approach to the architecture and landscape of urban universities. Based on secondary literature and published campus master plans, the paper contrasts the mid-twentieth century concern for separation with a contemporary search for integration. Although it draws primarily on European and American examples, its topic is generic. The campus design revolution is explored and explained at three scales, first viz-à-viz the university’s urban context, then its internal layout and landscape, and finally its buildings and their use. Each scale finds a design factor to the pursuit of knowledge.