This dissertation seeks to better understand how an urban policy, creative placemaking, is adopted within a localized context. Creative placemaking is an ascendant urban policy borne out of a global pressure to adapt to industry changes within the 21st Century knowledge-based economy (Florida, 2002; Howkins, 2001; Jackson, 2012; Nicodemus, 2013). However, there is a need to better understand how a globalized policy response trend is adapted within a localized context, especially with respect to creative placemaking, which is based within a localized identity formation. Additionally, there is a need to understand how areas already dedicated to the knowledge-based economy are adopting creative placemaking for the 21st Century. With this need in mind, higher education institutions and their urban environs are a useful case study for investigating how creative placemaking policy is adopted within an area that has a knowledge-based economy focus. This dissertation research was a qualitative, within case study approach to answer the following sub-questions: (Q1) a policy content question of how does Ohio State University's 15th+High Art District, and its predecessor plans, score in terms of meeting the criteria for being creative placemaking plans?, (Q2) a policy context question of how are current university campus creative placemaking practices perceived by stakeholders?, and (Q3) a policy process question of how equitable is the manifested 15th+High Arts District design? A multiple methods qualitative, within case study research approach was undertaken to answer these sub-research questions through: (M1) a content evaluation of Ohio State University's planning documents pertaining to creative, and proto-creative, placemaking policy adoption using a modified American Planning Association's Comprehensive Plan Standards for Sustaining Places evaluation instrument, (M2) a content analysis of stakeholder perspectives on the 15th+High Arts District providing local context of this policy adoption, and (M3) an equity analysis of 15th+High Arts District manifestation of the district's design to consider the implementation processes of creative placemaking. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]