The American Kei Truck, Write For College Towns, Coyote on Campus, & More
Around the College Towns: Links and commentary related to urbanism and higher ed for the week of April 20 - April 27.
Note: I use this link round-up to (mostly) focus on stories that fell through the cracks in terms of higher ed and urbanism, rather than big national news (although, sometimes I am forced to do the big stuff). Please send over any tips, authors, or content to cover.
Would You Like to Write for College Towns?
The academic year is rapidly coming to an end. With that, I am gearing up for some summer travel. My June will mostly be spent in China for some conferences and other events. In August, I will have another research trip for my dead and dying college book up the US West Coast.
I am looking for a couple of guest writers who would like to post on College Towns during this time. I am mainly looking for things similar to what I cover—issues in higher education and urbanism. I am always open to things that are a little weird, too. Ideally, these will be smaller issues around your neighborhood, campus, or city, rather than national political commentary.
This could be a good opportunity for those who have a hankering for writing an article, but who do not want to commit to an entire Substack. Please reach out to me if you are interested (email: ryanmallen555 at gmail.com).
New Reasonably Sized Truck Unveiled
American trucks have been getting larger and larger over the last few decades. There are hardly any models available that are reasonably sized. This means Americans are forced to either cling to older models from the 90s or buy expensive vans with a tiny truck bed attached. The American auto manufacturers simply have refused to indulge the small truck market.
So I was excited to see a new American-made truck that is bucking this trend: introducing the Slate Truck. This new truck is being advertised as “minimalist design” and the American answer to the Japanese kei truck, which has gained a cult following in the US.
Apparently, the Slate Truck will be priced at under $20,000. One potential drawback is that it is electric but only gets 150 miles per charge. I hope it does work out and American auto manufacturing gets some competition. I will have some future coverage of US truck culture, and possibly a review of this new model. Would you want one of these?
Other Urbanism Links
Phoenix is opening a long-awaited light rail extension.
Seoul is redesigning its subway maps after 40 years of usage. I guess I will feel even older visiting my old stomping grounds this summer with all the aesthetic changes.
What can reverse the declining birth rates? Italy’s hoping high-speed rail will do it. Hey, I have my doubts, but it’s worth a try.
Texas may still get a high-speed rail line from Dallas to Houston despite Trump’s defunding.
Last week, it was Vietnam; this week, it is Mongolia allowing China to build another rail line to connect the countries.
Are Dorms Too Luxurious Now?
“Is the Traditional College Dorm Dead?” asks a journalist in San Diego. She wonders if these new developments in this space have gotten too luxurious. At the same time, a student at the University of Arizona calls for more traditional dormitories rather than these kinds of new luxury towers popping up around campus.
While I often think protests against student housing is just rooted in general obstructionism, I can see the issue of inflated costs. It certainly is more expensive to build a mega dorm tower than something smaller.
I’ve covered modular dorm units in the past that were hailed as cheap dorm construction, but those had limited usage in a real campus setting. California Polytechnic State University is actually trying similar modular units for its newest billion-dollar dorm project. The units from California-based FullStack Modular will be stacked 12 stories tall on campus!
I am impressed with what I am seeing from this company. And the real-world usage means that it is actually working somehow. I hope to have a future post to review these modular dorm units.
Other Education Links
New numbers on international students’ interests in US grad programs: bleak.
But the good news is that the Trump administration has reversed the cancellation of thousands of international student visas. It just took considerable media attention, protests, and lawsuits. I will continue monitoring this space.
Rice plans to increase enrollment by 30%. I have to wonder, where will those students come from in a time of shrinking college-going students? The Age of Conquest in Higher Ed is here and furious.
The Resident Assistants for the student housing within the Cal State system are making a push to unionize.
Student at Columbia throws Molotov cocktail from dorm window. Luckily, no one was hurt. Once again, my alma mater is still in disarray.
Around Substack
Note: I also think it’s important to shout out some fellow Substackers whom I am reading here this week. Here are a few:
, writing for , has an essay wondering about the loss of boredom. He reflects on how technology has made it so that kids and young people are now never bored. The effects of this are things I have been thinking a lot about, too.
at the has a new appeal: Cities Are Not Luxury Goods. He fights back against the notion that skyrocketing housing prices are a good thing for cities (a surprisingly common argument from the scarcity mindset crowd).Sometimes you could watch a movie on a flight back then, though: There would be a single screen in the middle of everyone, above the aisle, hanging and always jiggling like it might fall. It would play a scheduled movie once the seatbelt sign came off. If you’d already seen it, or it wasn’t your kind of flick, or perhaps wasn’t even in a language you even understood, you would still probably watch it
, founder of construction and real estate firm Building Culture, writes in about the inspiration he took from a trip to Spain. Given his expertise in building, he provides an overview of construction materials and design approaches that can be both beautiful and long-lasting.The city’s official housing policy for those thinking of moving there remains: ‘if you cannot afford to live in the city, don’t.’ Indeed, scarcity seems like the point.
at the always has something interesting to say. In his recent post, he poses an intellectual thought exercise: What if Books Were Never Invented?The humble arch has been around for millennia. And while I won’t get too technical here, the incredible thing about the arch is that it keeps everything in compression. Remember when I said you could stack brick thousands of feet high before failing in compression? Meaning a brick arch, entirely in compression, is incredibly strong. Or efficient is probably a better word.
Without books, we'd rely on different channels for learning such as, oral traditions, apprenticeships, visual arts, and communal storytelling would take center stage. This insight reminds us that knowledge flows through many streams, not just the printed page.
Finally… Coyote Catches Lunch on Campus
I like to end these Around the College Town posts with some kind of viral or fun clip. This time, the clip comes from me!
I spotted a coyote on my campus (Soka University of America) this week around noon. He ends up catching some kind of critter—maybe a rat or ground squirrel. There's a little ground squirrel colony close by. I guess it was lunchtime!
I am always appreciative of being able to work on a college campus, especially one that is surrounded by nature like we have here. I guess one reason I went to grad school for a decade was to make sure I could work in a place like this rather than a suburban office park.
Thanks for the shoutout!