Description
Book SynopsisToday, universities serve as the economic engines and cultural centers of many U.S. cities, but how did this come to be? In Building the Ivory Tower, LaDale Winling traces the history of universities'' relationship to the American city, illuminating how they embraced their role as urban developers throughout the twentieth century and what this legacy means for contemporary higher education and urban policy.
In the twentieth century, the federal government funded growth and redevelopment at American universities—through PWA construction subsidies during the Great Depression, urban renewal funds at mid-century, and loans for student housing in the 1960s. This federal aid was complemented by financial support for enrollment and research, including the GI Bill at the end of World War II and the National Defense Education Act, created to educate scientists and engineers after the launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik. Federal support allowed universities to impl
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"[A] deeply researched and highly readable account of how universities influenced the spatial development of American cities in the twentieth century." * HIstory of Education Quarterly *
"An ivory tower no more! In this lively, perceptive, and timely book, LaDale Winling puts higher education back where it belongs-at the center of American urban and metropolitan history. An essential read for all interested in the past-and future-of cities and the colleges and universities that shape them." * Margaret O'Mara, University of Washington *
"Building the Ivory Tower tells an important story about the role of institutions of higher education in the physical and social life of cities. Winling's narrative is compelling, and his book will be of interest to a wide range of readers, from students and higher education professionals to city planners and historians." * Joseph Heathcott, The New School *
"Winling's excellent book will have a significant impact on the study of urban and architectural history as well as the history of U.S. higher education, politics, and policy. Building the Ivory Tower is fresh and original-in breadth and scope, I am not aware of any other work quite like it." * Christopher P. Loss, Vanderbilt University *
Table of Contents
Introduction. The Landscape of Knowledge
Chapter 1. The Gravity of Capital
Chapter 2. The City Limits
Chapter 3. Origins of the University Crisis
Chapter 4. Radical Politics and Conservative Landscapes
Chapter 5. The Working Class Versus the Creative Class
Epilogue. The New Contested City
List of Abbreviations
Notes
Index
Acknowledgments
