A Methodological Approach to Inner-city Location Selection of Universities

Emerging as urban institutions in the medieval Europe, universities began to offer education in college buildings in the center of the cities where they were originally established. Over time, with the effect of the American campus model, they have become independent settlements that can grow and develop in large areas outside of cities. Today, however, many university campuses are functionally, economically, and socially obsolete and in need of restructuring. This study aims to develop a systematic decision-making process for the evaluation of urban settlement of universities in accordance with some parameters. Thus, based on the national and international research on the location selection of universities, ‘25 subparameters under four main parameter groups affecting the urban location selection’ were identified. The analysis of these parameters was performed by applying the AHP method, the evaluation of alternative decisions was carried out by applying the TOPSIS method, and a decision-making methodology was developed for the location selection of universities within the city. To test this methodology, ‘Selçuk University’ was determined as the sampling site. With the method developed in the study, it was determined that the interaction between the university and the city and the accessibility of the university were critical in the urban settlement of the universities. Although the establishment of a university campus has become easier with the growth and development of higher education today, the fact that universities exist for the society and cannot be isolated from it should not be forgotten. Therefore, the return of the university to the city must be ensured and the university and the city must be reconciliated.