Although many studies consider knowledge-based urban development processes, the multiple functions that universities can play in suburban areas are rarely taken into account. This paper has a dual aim. First, it provides a systemic view of the characteristics of universities that impact suburban areas, and second, it proposes Naples as a case study wherein university suburbanization is a phenomenon that results in the creation of new urban geographies characterized by new suburban externalities.
Keywords: Universities; suburban geography; urban periphery; geographical proximity.