The university campus has a distinctive spatial typology. Established as a micro-city, these self-contained environments are subject to their own rules and systems. They are designed as a deviation from the cities that host it to allow for the growth and proliferation of knowledge outside the status-quo. Centered around the transfer of information, academic centers are becoming increasingly relevant to urbanism. Campuses and their host cities evolve to mimic each other's structure, forming opportunities for urban renewal.
The label “college town” emerged from the growing phenomenon of settlements and economies sprouting around university campuses. These towns tend to be dominated by a student population, however, they host opportunities for employment related to the university and its fields of study. Colleges as aged as Cambridge birthed settlements in this manner, its dispersed structure determining the current plan of the city. With time, the urban fabric grew enmeshed with the clustered colleges to create a network of knowledge. The symbiosis between campus and city defined the culture of the region through an architectural style, fashion trends, and social spaces.
