Work

Campus development as civic interface: bridging rhetoric, practice, buildings and civic capital

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Through two case studies of UK civic universities, this article examines the gap between universities’ civic engagement rhetoric and the realities of campus development practice. Revealing approaches that were either tokenistic or non-participatory, it argues that such practices can erode trust and undermine civic responsibility, particularly when development sites are not actively treated as visible civic interfaces. The study introduces the Civic Interface model, offering a diagnostic framework for identifying when construction activities affect localities and how institutions can maximise positive impacts through targeted, context-sensitive engagement. The model demonstrates how everyday project decisions can either accumulate or deplete civic capital.

Source: Contemporary Social Science

DOI: 10.1080/21582041.2026.2645069

Authors: Lukeman Iddrisu, Luke Bennett, Peter Wells

Institution: Sheffield Hallam University

Language: English

Topic: Service-Learning and Community Engagement

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: green

Funder: Sheffield Hallam University