College Towns: Urbanism from a Past Era

Interview Format and Credibility

• Several commenters found the piece hard to read because it’s essentially an unedited Zoom transcript, arguing that what works for a podcast doesn’t for text.
• Some questioned editorial sloppiness (e.g., name errors) and unclear institutional descriptions as early “red flags.”

Why College Towns Feel Different

• College towns work partly because most students don’t have cars, must live close to campus, and share similar schedules and life patterns in a compact area.
• This creates walkability and dense social life that’s hard to replicate when adults work in dispersed locations, have partners with different commutes, and default to cars.
• Downsides noted: transient populations, heavily worn student housing, and landlords with little incentive to maintain quality.

Car-Centric Culture vs Walkable Urbanism

• One camp argues US car-dependence is culturally entrenched but also economically and infrastructurally unsustainable, citing high vehicle costs, maintenance burdens, and failing rural road systems.
• Others counter that cars are affordable if you avoid luxury models, that gravel roads to shrinking towns aren’t a “failure,” and that people rationally choose cars and suburbs.
• Some see mitigation (better design, protected bike lanes, safer crossings) as possible; others say even modest changes face fierce political resistance.
• There’s debate whether US has a true “housing shortage” vs a distribution and jobs-location problem; both sides cite data.

Suburbs, Life Stages, and Alternatives

• Many say dense, walkable college life suits young people, while older adults with kids want space, quiet, and perceive suburbs as “paradise,” not “hell.”
• Others note suburbs need not be car-dependent; European examples show suburban buses and rail can work if land use allows.
• Multiple commenters stress that retrofitting US sprawl for transit would require massive rebuilding; expectations of “1,000 Amsterdams” are seen as unrealistic.

Culture, Noise, and Place

• A tangent on loud music at Puerto Rican beaches sparks debate about cultural relativism versus overgeneralizing “local culture.”
• Some locals and travelers describe pervasive noise (music, vehicles) as a serious quality-of-life issue, not just a quirky cultural trait.

Housing, Density, and Homelessness

• Strong arguments that restrictive zoning and opposition to new housing (“vocal minorities”) directly produce homelessness and extreme rents, especially in places like San Francisco.
• Others respond that more units alone won’t solve visible street disorder without parallel enforcement and social services.
• There’s nostalgia for historic SROs/boarding houses as a lost “safety valve” between normal housing and street homelessness, while others recall them as miserable but still better than sleeping outside.

Nature of College Towns as Enclaves

• Some view modern universities as semi-closed “all-inclusive resorts” with their own services and police, partly insulating students from wider urban problems and possibly dampening activism.
• Others prefer more integrated models where campus and city fabric grow together.