**2. University town concept and characteristics**

History is replete with examples of symbiotic relationship between towns and centers of higher learning. In the past decade, for example, rapid development of university towns has been observed in Mainland China. It is estimated that about 50 university towns have been built in different cities throughout China, primarily to address the issues of economic growth.

Based on an assessment of university towns across the globe, the Hong Kong Planning Department [2] placed the development of these university/college towns into two broad categories—those that evolved organically and those promoted by

government actions and or direct policies. Towns such as Stanford, Cambridge and Oxford are representatives of the organic evolution model. In these towns, the university graduates remained after completing their studies. Graduates are attracted to areas such as these, because of the availability of jobs in companies that have relocated to the university town to benefit from the synergy of information and technology. These towns have been formed by the establishment of purpose-built campuses for the clustering of universities to achieve objectives such as, relocation and expansion of universities, and promotion of high-tech industries ([2], p. 2).

### **2.1 Characteristics of university towns**

The characteristics of a university town, as described by the Hong Kong Planning Department (outlined below), with the exception of the last point, are all applicable to the Papine University Town:


Despite having met the requirements, for the most part, the area has not attracted the level of international or local investment in comparison to similar urban areas in the United States or Europe. The economy of a university city or town is closely associated with the university's activity and is highly supported by the whole university structure, which may include university hospitals and clinics, university printing houses, libraries, laboratories, business incubators, student rooms, dining halls, students' unions, student societies, and academic festivities. In some university or college towns, the history of the city or town is often intertwined with the history of the university itself.

A university town plays an important role in defining the urban form and creating a sense of identity for residents and visitors of a country. The university's role in the design and layout of public open space is one way of defining and creating this identity. The university's involvement in the creation of new knowledge, technology and other forms of innovations, through research and development, allows for an environment conducive to learning and growth. Evidently, the University towns, cities or district are important to national development because of the important role these urban forms play in promoting major investments in public space development, public maintenance, and public safety. Universities also influence the shape and direction of the urban expansion because they tend to occupy large tracts of land and depend on services provided by external providers within close proximity.

Research on university towns highlighted the fact that, in the initial, the university and the town failed to work together to address common problems.

**353**

public open space and public works.

*Jamaican Universities Aiding the Design of an Urban Public Space*

In fact, historical records from North America and Europe suggested that, at best, the relationship between university and residents from surrounding communities was antagonistic. The source of antagonism is the disconnect between scholars in the perceived *ivory towers* and the inaccessibility of the scholarship to the average residents. Martin et al. [3] in their essay, support the argument that partnerships between universities and community organizations have been either non-existent or unconstructive; this state of affairs being the result of opposing philosophies and practices. They postulate the demand for good governance and participatory democracy worldwide, and the support of this demand by international lending agencies and organizations such as the United Nations has spurred

the renaissance for innovative university-community partnerships.

munity initiatives in and around the Papine area.

**3. Method**

There are several approaches to how universities are engaged in the community development process. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) developed a taxonomy for university/community partnership under broad categories of service learning, service provision, faculty involvement, student volunteerism, community in the classroom, applied research, and major institutional change ([3], p. 4). The activities undertaken by the University of Technology, Jamaica and the University of the West Indies in the Papine area fits squarely with the HUD taxonomy. The students of both universities provide service to the surrounding communities as part of their regular course work. In the design and maintenance of Papine Park, students are able to complete assignments for credit associated with a mandatory course on community development. Furthermore, faculties are assessed annually on their level of engagement in com-

The University of Technology, Jamaica, through its Faculty of the Built Environment (FOBE), took on the responsibility to prepare architectural designs for the restructuring of the built environment in the local planning area designated as the Papine University Town. The Papine Park, an important landmark and a community hub, is the key target area for the redesign. Baseline data was needed to assess current usage patterns to guide the planning and redesign efforts based on the needs identified by the various stakeholders. A team from the University of the West Indies Tropical Medicine Research Institute (TMRI) was engaged to assist with data collection, using a particular approach. Over the years, the TMRI provided cutting edge, high quality research solutions for developmental needs. The built environment is now the focus of important ongoing collaborative research at UWI by both the Department of Community Health & Psychiatry and Tropical Medicine Research Institute (TMRI), through the project dubbed **E**valuating **Qu**alitative and **Qu**antitative **I**ssues in **P**hysical Activity in **Ja**maica (EQUIP-JA). The overall goal of EQUIP-JA is to utilize rigorous qualitative and quantitative methodologies to better understand physical activity (PA) patterns in Jamaicans and develop interventions that increase physical activity levels in communities and also provide important data for community and public space designers and planners, as well as prove useful for monitoring and evaluating the investment of public funds in parks. The team from the Tropical Medicine Research Institute employed the SOPARC method which is described below. In addition, the research employed qualitative methods inclusive of questionnaires, focus group interviews and in depth interviews with government officials who have responsibilities for

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.89448*

#### *Jamaican Universities Aiding the Design of an Urban Public Space DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.89448*

In fact, historical records from North America and Europe suggested that, at best, the relationship between university and residents from surrounding communities was antagonistic. The source of antagonism is the disconnect between scholars in the perceived *ivory towers* and the inaccessibility of the scholarship to the average residents. Martin et al. [3] in their essay, support the argument that partnerships between universities and community organizations have been either non-existent or unconstructive; this state of affairs being the result of opposing philosophies and practices. They postulate the demand for good governance and participatory democracy worldwide, and the support of this demand by international lending agencies and organizations such as the United Nations has spurred the renaissance for innovative university-community partnerships.

There are several approaches to how universities are engaged in the community development process. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) developed a taxonomy for university/community partnership under broad categories of service learning, service provision, faculty involvement, student volunteerism, community in the classroom, applied research, and major institutional change ([3], p. 4). The activities undertaken by the University of Technology, Jamaica and the University of the West Indies in the Papine area fits squarely with the HUD taxonomy. The students of both universities provide service to the surrounding communities as part of their regular course work. In the design and maintenance of Papine Park, students are able to complete assignments for credit associated with a mandatory course on community development. Furthermore, faculties are assessed annually on their level of engagement in community initiatives in and around the Papine area.
