Urban Economics and Planning

Urban Economics and Planning

Assessing the Impact of University Capabilities on the Urban Environment Toward the Formation of a Socially Responsible University (Case Study: Kargar Shomali Street District)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Malike Sadat Khalife Vaghefi 1
Hamidreza Saremi 2
Mojtaba Rafieian 3
1 Master’s student of Urban Planning, Faculty of Art, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
2 Associate Professor of Urban Planning, Faculty of Art, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
3 Professor of Urban Planning, Faculty of Art, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/uep.2025.518410.1634
Abstract
Introduction 
In recent years, universities have emerged as key institutions within cities, playing a significant role in urban growth and development. Their interaction with urban environments has evolved into a mutual and synergistic relationship. Many cities rely on their universities to address economic and social challenges, while universities, in turn, require close collaboration with cities to achieve their academic goals and policies. Moreover, in the evolutionary trajectory of university generations, fourth-generation universities—often referred to as socially responsible universities—seek to respond to societal needs and contribute to the improvement of urban quality of life. In this context, university campuses—comprising both open and built spaces—possess significant potential to positively impact their surrounding environments. However, in Iran, most of these campuses are located within enclosed areas, separated from the urban fabric, and maintain limited interaction with their surroundings, leaving much of this potential unrealized. The Kargar Shomali Street in District 6 of Tehran is home to several university campuses and, due to its central location within the city, possesses exceptional capacity for fostering city–university integration. This study aims to identify the key components and indicators of the socio-economic impact of university campuses and to assess these impacts within the Kargar Shomali area. The research represents a modest contribution to the broader field of university–city studies, supporting the transition of Iranian universities toward socially responsible institutions.
Materials and Methods
This study is classified as applied research in terms of its objective and employs a quantitative methodology to achieve its aim. In the first step, library and documentary studies identified the capabilities and components by which the university influences the urban environment. Based on these components, the potential capacities related to each capability within the case study were investigated using field observations and interviews with academics and local community members. In the next step, indicators were defined for each capability according to its nature to analyze and assess the impact of these capabilities on the surrounding environment. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to determine the weights and prioritize the indicators. For this purpose, a questionnaire comprising pairwise comparisons between the indicators was designed and completed by a panel of experts. The collected data were analyzed using the Expert Choice software. Subsequently, normalization methods were used to standardize the values and unify the scale of the indicators. A composite index was then calculated to integrate the values of multiple indicators into a single value. These calculations were carried out for 369 blocks within the study area using Excel software. In the final step, the resulting data were processed in a GIS environment and analyzed using spatial statistical methods—such as Hotspot Analysis and Kernel Density Estimation—to identify the intensity and spatial distribution of each capability’s impact, thereby fulfilling the research objective.
Findings
The findings from the spatial statistical analyses indicate that the influence of the examined capabilities within the study area exhibits a distinct spatial distribution for each capability. The highest concentration of the culture and arts development capability is observed in three main hubs (Laleh Park area, the northern campus of the University of Tehran, and the Faculty of Social Sciences campus); the public health promotion capability is most prominent in two key areas (the intersection of Jalal Al-Ahmad Avenue and North Kargar Street, and the vicinity of Imam Khomeini Hospital); the education, skill development, and employment generation capability is concentrated in the central part of the area (Jalal Al-Ahmad area); and the innovation and entrepreneurship enhancement capability is focused along North Kargar Street and around the educational, research, and medical innovation hubs. This spatial distribution for each capability suggests that, based on the existing infrastructure and activities in the area, each capability has formed a specific pattern of spatial impact, which can be utilized in future planning to strengthen the connection between the university and the urban environment.
Conclusion
This study examines university campuses’ social and economic capacities and capabilities and their impact on the surrounding environment, specifically in the Amirabad–Fatemi area. The results indicate that, in the social dimension, university campuses can play a significant role in enhancing the quality, vitality, and social participation of the urban environment through the development of cultural and artistic activities, the expansion of health-related services, and the promotion of education and learning. Economically, they can contribute to local economic dynamism by creating employment opportunities, supporting businesses, providing skill training, and fostering entrepreneurship. The analysis suggests that North Kargar Street, due to its unique geographic position, holds the potential to become an interactive axis between the university and the local community, serving as a connective corridor among various university campuses in the area and the urban fabric. Moreover, each university campus within the area, based on its unique characteristics, has the capacity to respond to local needs. For instance, the northern campus of the University of Tehran can play a key role in cultural development, public health promotion, and innovation enhancement; the medical campuses contribute significantly to health development and the expansion of medical and therapeutic activities; the Faculty of Social Sciences can impact cultural-social development and address social challenges; and Tarbiat Modares University is well-positioned to advance education and skill development. Accordingly, universities gradually establish a deeper connection with their surrounding urban environment by leveraging these capacities and playing an active role across diverse domains. They evolve from purely educational and research institutions into socially engaged actors committed to addressing local needs and challenges. This transformation marks an important step toward strengthening the social responsibility of universities and positions them as key players in sustainable urban development and in improving the quality of life at both neighborhood and city scales.
Keywords
Campus University
City-University Relationship
Impact Assessment of University Capabilities
University Social Responsibility
Tehran

Subjects

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Urban Economics and Planning
Volume 6, Issue 3
Summer 2025
Pages 164-181

  • Receive Date 28 April 2025
  • Revise Date 24 July 2025
  • Accept Date 24 July 2025