Strategic sustainable site management in higher education institutions

Abstract

In retrospect, the role of scientific progress is of the utmost importance in the development and the current status of the universitites whose history is as old as the city life. The main determinants of the emergence of Enlightenment period have been the Reformation and the Renaissance movements in Europe. Thus, thoughts and ideas based on the mind instead of dogmas have made progress under the guidance of positivism and the city life has been indirectly affected from this development. The industrial revolution caused remodeling and changes in urban and spatial structure. Although educated and skilled labor force was not requested by the industry initially, that kind of force gained importance over time and the collaboration between industry and universities became inevitable. Until the years of 1940, Von Humboldt system, prevailing in Germany, changed and US system has become effective since 1945. During the years of 1960, universities became technology-based organizations and the institutions where scientific researches were conducted instead of the ones where only educational activities were carried out. Particularly, new settlements based on technology development regions attracted the attention. Within the order created by this relationship, different kinds of universities, research centers and spatial constructions were emerged either inside or outside the cities. In parallel with the growth of the cities, university buildings moved to the campuses outside the cities in accordance with the changing needs and new applications were made inside the cities and over the vast areas with different spatial typologies. In our study, campus site managements were examined in terms of environmental factors, logistics, traffic management, transportation and other criteria (population size, field size, space per person and etc.), sampled with a survey carried out on 22 universities and made an evaluation based on the responses taken by 17 universities. This study has shown that our universities have not got a large part of the criteria required to become a 3rd generation university. So as to compete with the other universities in the World, an approach with corresponding social, economic, and spatial dimensions which leaves an impression on the city, region, country and the whole World should be put into practice in the field of higher education.