Campus Development as a Local Economic Catalyst: Business Opportunities and Community Income around UIN Antasari Banjarmasin Campus II

Abstract

The expansion of higher education infrastructure can alter the economic geography of its surrounding communities by creating new consumption demand, encouraging small-business formation, and reshaping local housing and service markets. This study examines how the development of Campus II of Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Antasari Banjarmasin in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, has affected business opportunities and community income in the surrounding area. A descriptive qualitative field-research design was employed. Data were obtained through observation, interviews with local residents and business operators, and documentation, then analyzed through data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings show a clear transition from a relatively limited local commercial environment toward a campus-oriented service economy. Student demand stimulated the emergence and expansion of boarding houses, food stalls, small retail businesses, laundry services, and photocopying and printing services. Participants also reported stronger customer flows and more stable sources of income associated with routine academic activity. At the same time, the growth process generated pressures linked to rising land values and changes in the social structure of the surrounding area. These findings support recent literature that conceptualizes universities as place-based economic anchors while also showing that the benefits of campus expansion can coexist with studentification-related pressures. The study concludes that the local economic contribution of campus development can be strengthened through university-community-government coordination, support for micro and small enterprises, inclusive housing and land-use planning, and regular monitoring of distributional effects. Because the source study did not quantify income changes, the findings should be interpreted as qualitative evidence of perceived economic improvement rather than as a causal estimate of income growth.