大学是城市文明的先导，更是以大学为中心的城市社区和谐发展与行为规范的引领者。1930年上海大夏大学迁至原属荒野的中山路一带，带动商业繁荣、公共设施的完善，进而由聚落效应而形成师生与周边商户交互的大学社区。大夏大学为解决用水卫生问题，自凿水井，铺装管网，且为周边商户提供清洁水源。其间，大夏大学因超负荷供水，与水电公司、市政部门、商户产生利益冲突，但仍以社会优先原则，与各方和解，将现代文明随自来水注入大学社区。由此可见，大学不仅营造着新城市社区，催生出现代性的需求，更可以为周边居民提供现代生活方式的文明尺度。

University is the pioneer of urban civilization, and also the leader of harmonious development and code of conduct in the university-centric urban community. In 1930, the Great China University moved to the desolate Zhongshan Road. It not only promoted business prosperity and improved public facilities, but also formed a university community because of the interaction between teachers and students and surrounding merchants. In order to solve the problem of water sanitation, it dug a well, installed pipe, and provided clean water for the surrounding merchants. In the process, because of the overload of water supply, inevitably, the university had conflicts of interest with municipal departments and merchants. But even so, it still followed the principle of social priority, reconciled with them, and brought modern civilization to the university community accompanied by the development of tap water. Thus, university not only created new urban communities, gave birth to the demand of modernity, but also provided the civilized scale of modern lifestyle for community residents.