How College Campuses Fulfill an Urbanist Dream

In an article for the University of Washington’ The Daily, Nicole McMillan highlights how college campuses mirror the qualities that many urbanists value most in communities: mixed use, walkability, access to transit, and dense housing. Unfortunately, McMillan writes, “For many people, college is the first and only time they live within a walkable community.”

McMillan outlines the—to urbanists—well-known history of car dependence, massive highway projects, and urban renewal in the United States, as well as the unique qualities of college life that make campuses ideal social communities.

For McMillan, this points to the fact that “When areas prioritize pedestrians in their infrastructure, the result is a happier and healthier population.” Campuses also offer a higher-than-average number of ‘third places,’ the spaces between home and school or work that allow people to relax, meet, socialize, and have random interactions.

To maintain the communal college atmosphere after graduation, McMillan recommends continuing to seek out your own third places, those where you’ll meet people who challenge your existing perspectives and help you grow.