University of Salford: Reimagining place through partnership

Following our panel event at UKREiiF 2025, Julie Charge, Deputy Chief Executive at the University of Salford, reflects on how collaboration with ECF and Salford City Council demonstrates the power of partnership-led placemaking

The Rt Hon Baroness Smith, Minister for Skills recently said: “Universities should be anchors in their communities and engines of growth”.

This is already a priority for us at the University of Salford. Now more than ever, universities need to show how their social and economic value extends far beyond their campus walls.

Here at the University of Salford we have embraced our role as a civic institution, committing to supporting the city’s long-term growth and wellbeing. The regeneration of Crescent, delivered in partnership with ECF and Salford City Council, reflects this ambition.

This is not only about new buildings. It is about creating the kind of place where people want to live, work and study. For our university, this means strengthening connections with local residents, improving access to opportunities, and addressing some of the longstanding inequalities in Salford. For the wider city, it is a chance to deliver investment, skills, infrastructure and green space in ways that reflect community needs and priorities.

The potential for transformation

The scale of the opportunity is significant. Crescent Salford is one of the most ambitious regeneration programmes in the region, and the university sits at its heart. With 27,000 students and almost 3,000 staff, the university is one of the city’s largest employers and a key part of its future.

The shift from a traditional campus masterplan to a connectivity plan has created new ways of thinking about place. Instead of focusing solely on estate development, the university has prioritised how people move through the campus and engage with its public spaces. The spaces between buildings now matter as much as the buildings themselves. The approach is centred on wellbeing, access and community benefit.

What has made it possible

The process has involved coordinated leadership and sustained collaboration. Throughout the regeneration, students, staff and researchers have taken an active role. Engineering students have contributed to live construction projects. Creative arts students have worked on design and wayfinding. Researchers in urban ecology have collaborated with partners to shape planting strategies and measure the wellbeing impact of green spaces.

In each case, projects have been grounded in local relevance and designed for long-term value. New buildings such as our Greater Manchester Institute of Technology (opening early 2026) our Health and Wellbeing Building (opening Autumn 2026) are being developed with input from those who will use them. Public spaces, rooftop gardens and wellbeing-focused design are part of a wider effort to create spaces that are open, inclusive and sustainable.

Why the partnership works

A strong partnership has underpinned the success of this work. Formal agreements provided structure, but it has been the strength of relationships that made progress possible.

Partnership working of this kind was new territory for the university. While it has deep experience of academic and research partnerships, place-based regeneration requires a different approach. Taking the time to build trust, align objectives and understand each partner’s priorities was essential.

ECF’s consistency, patience and pragmatism helped create the space for the partnership to evolve. This has allowed the university, the council and ECF to work together in a way that is transparent, agile and focused on outcomes.

By developing a shared understanding and building confidence, the partners have been able to work flexibly and avoid reliance on formal mechanisms to solve challenges. It has made the partnership more resilient and more effective.

Delivering lasting value

Crescent is already delivering visible improvements. Its full impact will be seen over time, as new homes, jobs, infrastructure and green spaces take shape, and as the community grows around them.

For our university, this work has changed how we think about our role in the city. It has shown how civic institutions can support long-term regeneration in a way that reflects local priorities and creates shared value.

The approach developed here will continue to evolve, shaped by the voices of students, staff and residents. As more institutions look to deepen their role within their communities, this partnership offers a practical and tested model of what that can look like in action.

To find out more, visit Crescent Salford website: Crescent Salford