Flipping the script on Town and Gown

At the recent Town Center State of the District, the Town Center CID and Kennesaw State University (KSU) shared how they are embracing their Town and Gown distinction to create a community that serves students, businesses and residents. Historically, the concept of “town and gown” recognizes the inherent tensions between the needs of a university and its surrounding community. In areas where universities and surrounding towns struggle, tensions can present themselves through student and resident housing issues, unmet traffic needs, poor community-university relationships, and reactive communication. While the differing needs of Town Center’s business and campus communities are similar to those in other town and gown communities, the Town Center CID and KSU are intentionally working together to challenge would-be tensions and create opportunities for collaboration and future success.

The Town Center of today looks much different than it did a decade ago and that growth and change cannot be separated from the growth and change of KSU. The correlation is no surprise given the university has grown from a commuter college to a R2 designated research university with more than 45,000 students. For the first time in its history, KSU is primarily serving a minority population and has an annual economic impact of over $2 billion. The Town Center CID has seen job growth outpace Cobb County by 30% and is experiencing some of the lowest commercial vacancy rates in recent years. Despite the pandemic and increased remote work, office rental rates in Town Center are up 29%. Residents are also choosing Town Center in increasing numbers, up 31%, with multi-family vacancy rates less than 4%. Two-thirds of Town Center residents are millennials and continue to be more and more diverse.

According to Tracy Styf, Town Center CID executive director, “Town Center and KSU have grown up together over the past 28 years and our relationship is the strongest it has been in our history. Together, we are working to create a community that supports our businesses and provides spaces for students and residents. This also means supporting and creating opportunities for a well-educated workforce, so students want to stay in Town Center beyond their time at KSU.”

Town Center CID is a growing commercial district with a vibrant university district. As a regional activity center with community assets such as Cobb International Airport, a robust and dynamic job market, and unique access to an interstate roadway network, Town Center CID can address the challenges and needs for infrastructure, placemaking, activation and workforce development that will serve the whole community: students, businesses, residents, and visitors.

For more information about Town Center Community, visit towncentercid.com.