University campus for local and regional development: Master plan for the future of the University of Concepción in the agro-region of Ñuble

Abstract

University campuses operate as an instrument of connection between universities and their urban environments. Their location in intermediate cities is key to stimulate local development. The following article addresses the potential of the future development of the Chillán campus of the Universidad de Concepción, Chile, located in a region of high agricultural value. With 97 hectares, it functions as the largest “living laboratory” in the country. However, it is immersed in a city that has been losing its agricultural land in favor of low-density horizontal growth, with the consequent fragmentation of its social and urban structure. In this context, due to its location, prestige and extension, the Chillán campus offers a unique opportunity to promote more sustainable local development, in keeping with the agricultural vocation of its territory. With this in mind, the urban systems of Chillán at the campus-city interface are analyzed, and 4 master plan proposals developed by the team of students of Project IV, at the Faculty of Architecture, Urbanism and Geography of the University of Concepción are presented. This work is part of the commemoration of the 100 years of the University of Concepción, and offers guidelines for thinking about the future in expectation of the next bicentennial, through strategies that stimulation of the local economy, innovation and the emergence of new spaces and services for the community