Student cities re-imagined

A recent Times column warned that unless universities reform, students may start to “downgrade” them – opting for more flexible or cost-effective routes through higher education. It struck a chord with me, not just because of what it says about the future of education, but because of what it might mean for the cities that have grown around universities. In particular, those with red-brick institutions at their centre – and all the amenities and housing stock to cater to them: from traditional buy-to-let properties to purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), from bars and nightclubs to libraries.

My sisters went to study in Sheffield and Newcastle respectively, and my best friend went to Leeds – all classic “student cities” where the university is as much a cultural engine as an academic one. I, by contrast, went to Warwick – built on the edge of Coventry and never quite knitting into the city in the same way. Looking back, that separation feels significant: most students in second and third year lived and partied in nearby Leamington Spa, barely interacting with Coventry at all.

So when I read that more students are choosing to live at home, commute, or study flexibly, I can’t help wondering what that means for cities like Sheffield, Newcastle and Leeds – places that thrive not just during term time, but because many students stay on afterwards, building their lives and careers there like many of my friends did.

From student accommodation to adaptable neighbourhoods

University cities on the whole have seen enormous investment in purpose-built student housing over the past decade driven by lack of traditional housing, the latter a result of an unconducive buy-to-let market. The rise of student housing can sometimes be received negatively with local communities who see students as transient and with a reputation for anti-social behaviour. However the data shows students spending power can act as a significant boost for the local economy, and reports of late-night brawls can be overstated. The questions for the built environment sector should be: how can we best cater to the students of tomorrow?

One solution is blending student accommodation with co-living models or starter homes that encourage students to stay on in the city after graduation, breaking down the barrier of ‘student areas’ and the ‘rest of the city’, while also introducing more flexibility to different learning models.

Retaining talent – and belonging

What’s particularly interesting for me is how this might reshape the long-term urban economy. Cities like Sheffield don’t just rely on student spending; they rely on graduates staying put – joining local firms, starting businesses, energising creative industries.

If more students live at home or study in hybrid models, they may not build the same connection to a place. And without that sense of belonging, fewer may choose to stay. The challenge for city leaders, universities and developers alike is to find new ways of nurturing that relationship – to make cities places where young people want to put down roots, not just pass through. But also ensuring the local population feels equally catered to. It’s about enhancing the community feel of a city so it’s not just about the bars and clubs but a holistic place that makes students and locals alike feel like part of thriving neighbourhood.

A new landscape for student life

For those working across the built environment, this is both a challenge and an opportunity. It calls for spaces that support different patterns of study and living – for landscapes and neighbourhoods that welcome both the student and the graduate, the commuter and the local.

In Newcastle, Sheffield and Leeds among other university towns and cities, that could mean re-imagining the “student quarter” as a year-round, multi-user district; blended with the wider city as part of the urban community; and ensuring regeneration plans reflect the evolving rhythms of student and city life alike.
The higher-education model may be evolving, but the need for connection between learning, living and belonging is as strong as ever. The task now is to make sure our cities and our designs evolve with it.

At LCA we work with clients to define place, drive connection and build community, whether for student towns or new destinations.