Let's not forget that in America, when you have a college or university, you have historically created a money funnel from the government/parents, through the students, to the city. There's an outsized incentive to cater to that opportunity and get the students accessing the business areas.

Also, American liberal culture tends to follow higher education, which not only means a desire for certain things, but also a love of rules to block "bad things". This often means preserving old cities.