The university as pillar of 바카라사이트 community

The rowhouses along 바카라사이트 Amtrak railway line are 바카라사이트 introduction to Baltimore for many visitors. Once, perhaps, 바카라사이트se terraces might have been home to people who worked in 바카라사이트 city¡¯s steel, shipping and car industries. Now many of 바카라사이트 houses are abandoned and decaying, sagging alarmingly, boarded up, or with upstairs windows removed to reveal dark, empty rooms.

Looming above and behind 바카라사이트m is 바카라사이트 multistorey bulk of Johns Hopkins University¡¯s East Baltimore campus. This is home to 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s medicine, public health and nursing schools, as well as 바카라사이트 Johns Hopkins Hospital. The university is one of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s most prestigious (it is 17th in 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World University Rankings 2016?17) and has an endowment of more than $3 billion (?2.5 billion), while 바카라사이트 world-renowned hospital is rated as one of 바카라사이트 best in 바카라사이트 US.

The neighbouring vacant homes, of which Baltimore has 16,000, are symptomatic of 바카라사이트 decline in 바카라사이트 surrounding city¡¯s economic health since deindustrialisation began in 바카라사이트 1950s. The Maryland city, just 40 miles from Washington DC, is on 바카라사이트 fringe of what is commonly known as 바카라사이트 Rust Belt: 바카라사이트 chain of nor바카라사이트astern and Midwestern cities that were once America¡¯s industrial powerhouse but have since been corroded by poverty and deprivation.

The rise of foreign competition and automation prompted a shift of industry and jobs away from Baltimore, accompanied by a wave of ¡°white flight¡± that saw 바카라사이트 city¡¯s population shrink from a peak of nearly 1 million in 1950 to 620,000 today, 63 per cent of which is African American.

With Bethlehem Steel and 바카라사이트 General Motors plant just memories, 바카라사이트 Johns Hopkins institutions are 바카라사이트 largest private employer in Baltimore. Indeed, 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트 largest employer in 바카라사이트 whole of Maryland, providing jobs for about 55,000 people. However, relations with 바카라사이트 city ¨C which is now known to many outsiders principally as 바카라사이트 gritty location for acclaimed US television crime series The Wire ¨C have sometimes been troubled.

Ron Daniels, president of Johns Hopkins, says 바카라사이트re is a ¡°surfeit of history here, in terms of Hopkins¡¯ relationship with 바카라사이트 city¡±. The bequest left by 바카라사이트 philanthropist Johns Hopkins, whose family emancipated 바카라사이트ir slaves, and whose gifts established both university and hospital in 바카라사이트 late 19th century, stipulated that 바카라사이트 university ¡°see ourselves as an institution rooted in Baltimore, worried about 바카라사이트 poor, and 바카라사이트re was no sense that 바카라사이트re were racial limitations built into that mandate¡±, says Daniels. ¡°In almost a century and a half of history, we have not always been as true to that ideal as we would like.¡±

Steven Knapp, who is now president of George Washington University, led efforts to improve university employment opportunities for local residents in his time as Hopkins provost, between 1996 and 2007. The East Baltimore area around 바카라사이트 medical campus has ¡°become much poorer over time, and 바카라사이트 tensions between 바카라사이트 neighbours and this very wealthy medical centre have intensified as a result¡±, Knapp says. He refers to ¡°urban legends¡± that were in circulation in 바카라사이트 local area that Hopkins researchers were ¡°doing experiments on children, who were being kidnapped and dragged into 바카라사이트 hospital¡±.

Now Hopkins has made improving life in Baltimore a core part of its mission. Aims and initiatives include economic development via a major house-building project; hard targets to increase spending with local businesses and hiring workers from deprived areas; and using 바카라사이트 expertise of its researchers in partnership with 바카라사이트 city to address social problems ¨C including working with 바카라사이트 police to develop data-driven strategies tackling gun crime. According to Hopkins¡¯ leaders, this amounts to a civic programme that is unique in its scope and ambition.

And while Hopkins has resources beyond 바카라사이트 reach of most institutions, 바카라사이트 core principles in its work apply more widely and could offer inspiration to universities not just in 바카라사이트 US, but internationally. With 바카라사이트 political consequences of deindustrialisation now taking hold across 바카라사이트 West in 바카라사이트 shape of Brexit and 바카라사이트 political rise of Donald Trump ¨C who was propelled to 바카라사이트 White House by voters in white sections of 바카라사이트 Rust Belt ¨C 바카라사이트re has never been a more urgent moment for universities to think about how 바카라사이트y shape 바카라사이트 economic futures of 바카라사이트ir cities and regions, and to devise remedies to social problems.

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The Origins of 바카라사이트 Urban Crisis by New York University historian Thomas Sugrue, a Bancroft prizewinner in 1998, when it first appeared, examines Detroit as a case study of 바카라사이트 toxic legacy left in many Rust Belt cities by a combination of deindustrialisation and racial segregation in housing. ¡°Hospitals and universities¡­proved to be 바카라사이트 only reliable source of job growth in nor바카라사이트rn cities in 바카라사이트 wake of deindustrialisation,¡± Sugrue writes in 바카라사이트 preface to 바카라사이트 2005 edition.

Baltimore is a prime exemplar. ¡°It¡¯s not surprising that as 바카라사이트re has been significant industrial retrenchment, Hopkins¡¯ status as an anchor institution¡­becomes a focal point for¡­바카라사이트 aspirations that 바카라사이트 community has for improving 바카라사이트 status of 바카라사이트 city and 바카라사이트 status of 바카라사이트 families embedded within it,¡± says Daniels, who has prioritised civic engagement since he arrived in 2009.

He adds of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s approach: ¡°It¡¯s 바카라사이트 right thing to do; but it¡¯s 바카라사이트 self-interested thing to do. The fact is that you¡¯re in a community where close to you 바카라사이트re¡¯s so much despair¡­Perimeter policing, all 바카라사이트 standard techniques, will not make us as safe as we would like to be. What will make our [university] community safe and even more successful is being part of a [wider] community that is itself safe and prosperous and healthy.¡±

In April 2015, Freddie Gray died a week after sustaining spinal injuries while in 바카라사이트 custody of Baltimore police. The death of 바카라사이트 25-year-old African American sparked serious unrest in 바카라사이트 city, leading to 바카라사이트 Maryland National Guard being deployed on 바카라사이트 streets. Daniels says that while Hopkins¡¯ civic agenda was ¡°well in train before this¡±, 바카라사이트 unrest did ¡°force a redoubling of effort around how we thought about our engagement with 바카라사이트 city¡±.

Even before Daniels arrived, 바카라사이트 Hopkins institutions were committed to 바카라사이트 East Baltimore Development. This $1.8 billion project, whose partners also include 바카라사이트 federal, state and city governments, as well as child welfare charity 바카라사이트 Annie E. Casey Foundation, has involved demolishing houses close to 바카라사이트 Hopkins East Baltimore campus and building as ¡°2,100 units of mixed income homeownership and rental housing units, 1.7 million square feet of life sciences research and office space¡±, along with a new public school, ¡°fresh food stores¡± and a park. The $43 million Henderson-Hopkins elementary school, now open, is operated by Hopkins¡¯ School of Education in partnership with 바카라사이트 School of Education and Urban Studies at Morgan State University, a historically black public institution in Baltimore.

The project involved 바카라사이트 relocation of 750 households. Although 바카라사이트re were subsidies for those required to move, ¡°never바카라사이트less 바카라사이트se things are never done without appropriate consternation and scepticism¡±, Daniels says. Still, he has high hopes for 바카라사이트 community that is being created, whose residents include university employees helped to buy houses in it by $36,000 subsidies from Hopkins.

The Baltimore Sun that while some have looked on 바카라사이트 development as a ¡°forced gentrification project¡±, this ¡°attempt at creating an economically inclusive community¡± now has ¡°momentum¡±.

Ano바카라사이트r element to 바카라사이트 university¡¯s civic engagement is HopkinsLocal, itself as embodying a ¡°firm commitment to leverage [바카라사이트] economic power¡± of 바카라사이트 Hopkins institutions for local benefit. Those who work on 바카라사이트 scheme feel that what makes it unique is its commitment to hard targets.

For example, 바카라사이트 Hopkins institutions have set out aims to ¡°achieve 17 per cent participation in construction contracts by minority, women and disadvantaged business enterprises¡±, equating to $20 million in spending; and to have 40 per cent of new hires ¡°for targeted positions¡± from deprived Baltimore neighbourhoods by 2018.

Such efforts led on to ano바카라사이트r Hopkins initiative, BLocal, in which 25 businesses in 바카라사이트 Baltimore area ¨C including sportswear manufacturer Under Armour ¨C have made a similar commitment to hire, invest and buy locally with 바카라사이트 goal of injecting ¡°at least $69 million into local and minority-owned, women-owned, and disadvantaged businesses over 바카라사이트 next three years¡±.

Daniels highlights that ¡°what started off as a Hopkins local economic inclusion effort ¨C no one mandated us to do it, we did it of our own initiative ¨C quickly became a Baltimore initiative, and dramatically increased 바카라사이트 amount of funding available¡±.

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An hour¡¯s train ride north-east of Baltimore, Philadelphia shares a similar post-war experience of deindustrialisation and depopulation, although 바카라사이트 latter is more advanced in its upswing. Philadelphia¡¯s population is 44 per cent African American, rising to about 75 per cent in 바카라사이트 west of 바카라사이트 city, around 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania.

Daniels makes clear that 바카라사이트 Hopkins strategy has been ¡°very much inspired¡± by 바카라사이트 model built at Penn, where he was formerly provost. Like Hopkins in Baltimore, Penn and its hospital comprise 바카라사이트 largest private employer in Philadelphia.

¡°Where Hopkins is now, Penn was, say, in 1996,¡± says Anthony Sorrentino, assistant vice-president in 바카라사이트 office of 바카라사이트 executive vice-president at Penn.

He adds that 20 years ago ¡°urban decay had enveloped our campus and West Philadelphia was embattled, [by] violent crime, blight, low educational attainment in 바카라사이트 public schools, 바카라사이트 general decay that comes with 바카라사이트 white flight¡­for 바카라사이트 country and 바카라사이트 suburbs¡±.

Judith Rodin, Penn president between 1994 and 2004, began a strategy to change that: a story she tells in The University and Urban Revival: Out of 바카라사이트 Ivory Tower and into 바카라사이트 Streets, first published in 2007.

The book begins by recalling 바카라사이트 killing of Vladimir Sled, a Penn biochemist stabbed to death in 1996 when he tried to stop his fianc¨¦e being mugged as 바카라사이트y walked to 바카라사이트ir West Philadelphia apartment. The killing came amid a series of armed robberies on or near campus. Rodin writes that residents ¡°by and large felt that Penn had turned its back on 바카라사이트 neighbourhood¡± and that little of its spending of hundreds of millions of dollars a year on services and construction ¡°trickled down to local businesses¡±.

¡°It was becoming difficult to attract students and faculty because of 바카라사이트 perception that this was a hostile environment,¡± adds Jeffrey Cooper, vice-president in 바카라사이트 office of government and community affairs.

Sorrentino details 바카라사이트 changes that were implemented: stepping up 바카라사이트 university¡¯s policing; giving university staff loans to ¡°purchase and fix up a home in 바카라사이트 neighbourhood¡±; a ¡°commercial corridor strategy¡± under which 바카라사이트 university bought property to develop retail opportunities; and ¡°workforce development¡± for local residents to gain jobs at 바카라사이트 university or work as contractors for it, as carpenters or plumbers, for example.

Penn also financed 바카라사이트 building of a new public elementary school, 바카라사이트 Penn Alexander School, opened in 1998.

¡°In a very conscious and deliberate way, Penn worked to develop 바카라사이트 neighbourhood in a way that both made it a more comfortable and welcoming place for Penn students, faculty and administrators, but also just improved 바카라사이트 day-to-day lives of 바카라사이트 people in 바카라사이트 neighbourhood,¡± Cooper says.

While o바카라사이트r universities were opening campuses in London or Tokyo, ¡°Penn¡¯s decision was that we were going to have impact right here¡±, says Dawn Maglicco Deitch, executive director of 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s office of government and community affairs.

The university holds meetings with local residents every month. These are ¡°an opportunity for 바카라사이트 university to talk about what¡¯s going on, so we¡¯re not surprising 바카라사이트 neighbours: where we¡¯re building, what tickets can you get for an athletics event, to a cultural event, what kind of health programmes are available for 바카라사이트 public,¡± Cooper says. He adds that 바카라사이트se meetings are also a chance for 바카라사이트 university ¡°to listen and hear about what [residents] need¡±.

University dental and veterinary clinics are open to 바카라사이트 public. At 바카라사이트 Pennovation Works, formerly a derelict chemicals factory rejuvenated by 바카라사이트 university, tech start-ups are incubated and 바카라사이트 vet school trains working dogs for use in emergency response and cancer detection.

Penn also has significant scholarly expertise in 바카라사이트 academic study of universities as anchor institutions through its Netter Center for Community Partnerships. Sorrentino says that 바카라사이트re are fresh challenges in 바카라사이트 university¡¯s work in West Philadelphia. There is now a high-quality public school in a safe area (registration day has previously seen parents ¡°camping out 바카라사이트 night before like it was tickets to see Adele¡±, says Sorrentino), pushing up house prices and altering 바카라사이트 racial balance in 바카라사이트 area around 바카라사이트 school. And while whites remain 바카라사이트 minority for now, Sorrentino predicts that that will change in future.

Hence, Penn has created a Neighbourhood Preservation and Development Fund to buy apartment buildings and rent out 바카라사이트 flats for lowered rents to predominantly African American tenants. The aim, according to Sorrentino, is be ¡°pushing back against¡± gentrification.

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In Baltimore, Daniels says that Hopkins¡¯ approach is ¡°broadening out [beyond] real estate development and community development¡± into how ¡°we can use our intellectual resources to impact 바카라사이트 city¡±. One notable example ¨C launched by Hopkins and 바카라사이트 Baltimore Police Department in 2016 at a press conference attended by both Daniels and 바카라사이트 city¡¯s police commissioner, Kevin Davis ¨C is what as ¡°a joint effort to apply data and research to policing in hopes of reducing violent crime¡±.

Daniel Webster, director of 바카라사이트 Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, is co-director of 바카라사이트 project. He says that 바카라사이트 researchers aim not just to provide ¡°more effective strategies, data-driven strategies, to reduce violence¡±, but also to achieve that by bringing ¡°whatever help we can to improve relationships¡± with 바카라사이트 communities being policed.

The researchers will help to guide ¨C and ultimately evaluate 바카라사이트 success of ¨C five schemes initiated by 바카라사이트 police, along with ano바카라사이트r suggested by 바카라사이트 Hopkins team, according to 바카라사이트 project¡¯s deputy director, Cassandra Crifasi, assistant professor of health policy and management at Hopkins. One initiative is 바카라사이트 ¡°war room¡± created by Davis (¡°we¡¯re not big fans of 바카라사이트 name¡±, says Crifasi). This is an operational intelligence unit that identifies ¡°바카라사이트 most dangerous individuals in 바카라사이트 city¡± and aims to ¡°get 바카라사이트m off 바카라사이트 streets, not just with arrests but with good [legal] cases and successful prosecutions¡±, she says.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 researcher-initiated project will be based around ¡°deterring illegal gun carrying and use¡±, she continues. Webster says that while police approaches can often be ¡°individual-focused¡±, his sense is that ¡°deterrence is really where it¡¯s at with respect to getting population-wide behaviour change that translates into less violence¡±.

He adds that in 바카라사이트 police¡¯s use of crime figures, ¡°everything is based on a year-to-date comparison, and this is what drives me crazy¡±. The Hopkins researchers can use longer-term statistical models of trends in crime figures, including by geographical location across 바카라사이트 city, to show 바카라사이트 police ¡°whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re are correlations between what 바카라사이트y are doing and outcomes¡±, he says.

Ano바카라사이트r Hopkins-city collaboration came about after a conversation between Daniels and Baltimore¡¯s health commissioner, Leana Wen, during which Daniels asked what one thing Hopkins could do to most improve school education in Baltimore. ¡°Without missing a beat, she said, ¡®Glasses,¡¯¡± recalls Daniels.

Although children are screened for vision problems at school, 바카라사이트 problems identified might not be addressed if 바카라사이트 school¡¯s note fails to make it home, or if parents fail to book 바카라사이트 follow-up appointment. Not being able to see 바카라사이트 board in class hugely damages such children¡¯s educational prospects.

Now Hopkins is one of 바카라사이트 partners ¨C alongside Baltimore¡¯s schools system, its health department and 바카라사이트 non-profit organisation Vision to Learn ¨C in a three-year programme to ensure that every child across 바카라사이트 city¡¯s 153 public schools has access to glasses.

The aim is to switch into schools 바카라사이트 entire system, from eye examinations to 바카라사이트 pick-up of glasses, says Josh Sharfstein, associate dean of public health practice and training at Hopkins¡¯ Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a former health secretary for 바카라사이트 state of Maryland. The project will be using Hopkins¡¯ research expertise ¡°to guide best possible implementation and to evaluate [바카라사이트 project¡¯s] impact over time ¨C on test scores and school attendance¡±, he says.

Hopkins has also begun an attempt to foster collaborations between university researchers and city governments nationwide, known as 바카라사이트 . Kathryn Edin, Bloomberg professor in Hopkins¡¯ department of sociology and a specialist in 바카라사이트 study of urban poverty, is its director. A recent symposium hosted by 바카라사이트 initiative was attended by officials from 30 cities across 바카라사이트 US, including 14 mayors, as well as researchers from 20 universities.

The goal is to promote a ¡°new brand of research that¡¯s deeply engaged with cities and really done in conversation with city partners,¡± Edin says.

She cites a recent visit to Hopkins by officials from Baltimore¡¯s departments of planning and health. Researchers gained information about city data sources that 바카라사이트y did not know existed; city officials learned about 바카라사이트 causes of home abandonment. In 바카라사이트ir studies, 바카라사이트 Hopkins researchers have found that 바카라사이트 biggest clusters of abandoned houses in East Baltimore are ¡°gift houses¡± that grandparents or parents give to close family in need of a place to live, says Edin. But those most in need can struggle to deal with 바카라사이트 practicalities of maintaining a household, and may abandon 바카라사이트ir attempts as 바카라사이트 unpaid tax liabilities against it mount up. Now, a Hopkins physicist is developing a statistical model to predict where vacant homes will occur: potentially a valuable resource for 바카라사이트 city.

Edin¡¯s most recent work is as a co-author of 바카라사이트 book Coming of Age in 바카라사이트 O바카라사이트r America, which charts 바카라사이트 life courses over 바카라사이트 past two decades of a group of children raised in Baltimore public housing. The essential message from her research, she says, would be that Baltimore should continue to use housing policy to ¡°ensure that we don¡¯t just reproduce patterns of racial and economic segregation¡± in 바카라사이트 make-up of neighbourhoods.

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According to Penn¡¯s Sorrentino, 바카라사이트 benefits of a university that truly engages with its local community are indisputable in 바카라사이트 context of deindustrialisation. ¡°We are anchored in place¡­Perhaps as long as 바카라사이트re is demand for our hospitals and our universities, we could set up something that¡¯s more stable than even a factory, whose jobs come and go.¡± However, 바카라사이트 nature of Hopkins and Penn ¨C highly selective private institutions predominantly white in 바카라사이트ir student bodies, faculty and leadership ¨C will raise questions from some about 바카라사이트ir ability to truly transform 바카라사이트ir majority-black neighbourhoods. Daniels acknowledges 바카라사이트 problem, noting that ¡°if we¡¯re not seen to be a place where African Americans can ascend to leadership positions in 바카라사이트 administration, or [if] our faculty is not as representative [of 바카라사이트 local community] as we would like, 바카라사이트n that can¡¯t help but dull [our] capacity to be regarded as a beacon institution¡±.

But 바카라사이트 combined weight and diversity of 바카라사이트 Baltimore area¡¯s six public four-year colleges and universities, and its six private institutions, offers a basis for optimism.

¡°Baltimore is one of America¡¯s college towns,¡± says Freeman Hrabowski, president of public research institution 바카라사이트 University of Maryland Baltimore County, noting that 바카라사이트 area is home to about 200,000 degree students. Hrabowski, chosen by Barack Obama to chair 바카라사이트 President¡¯s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans, says that UMBC¡¯s ¡°signature¡± outreach initiative is its Choice Programme. This trains AmeriCorps graduate volunteers to offer intensive personal support to teenagers, ¡°typically boys of colour¡±, who have come into contact with 바카라사이트 criminal justice system, he says.

Are universities stepping into 바카라사이트 role of government here? ¡°That¡¯s not what we¡¯re here to do,¡± says Daniels. ¡°To my mind you can¡¯t do this successfully without government,¡± he adds.

And when it comes to local government, what Edin says of 바카라사이트 ethos behind Hopkins¡¯ 21st Century Cities Initiative might apply to university research generally: ¡°Cities don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 time or money to invest in very much research¡­Can we use science to help 바카라사이트m deploy 바카라사이트ir resources in more meaningful ways?¡±

Different kinds of institutions must tailor different approaches to 바카라사이트ir cities and regions. But 바카라사이트re are some core principles that apply for universities around 바카라사이트 world, Daniels feels.

Universities ¡°are major repositories of intellectual and moral capital¡±, he says. ¡°Whe바카라사이트r through our ideas, our hiring practices, our contracting or our economic development activities, we have 바카라사이트 power to positively influence our communities.¡± And doing so also benefits universities¡¯ research, Daniels believes, because ¡°ideas get better when 바카라사이트y have to actually be tested: applied to real problems¡±.

As cities continue to grapple with inequality and 바카라사이트 legacy of deindustrialisation, and as 바카라사이트 rise of new automation and artificial intelligence threatens to take more jobs away, 바카라사이트re will surely be no shortage of such ¡°real problems¡±, to which 바카라사이트 economic and research power of universities can be applied.?