John Eligon examines the private student housing building boom, and asks whether we are spoiling college students with luxurious off-campus amenities to the detriment of academic and social environments.
With growing freshman classes (up 28 percent in the last five years at the University of Missouri, for instance) universities are relying more and more on private off-campus developments to house their students.
Unlike on-campus housing, which is more modest and includes traditional learning facilities like classrooms and resident faculty, the off-campus housing trend appears to eclipse learning altogether through recreation and relaxation. Elaborate game rooms, beach volleyball courts, outdoor pools and workout machinery that integrates email, all make for an isolated, purportedly stress-free environment where students can socialize and entertain the notion of skipping classes altogether.
At the University of Missouri's Columbia campus, private developers are housing over 3,800 students in units built over the last two years. Rental rates are competitive with the on-campus living costs, yet double the cost of older housing in the area, leading to a cultural divide.
Apart from these culture wars and the debate over how much learning is lost in these off-campus environments, there is concern among market analysts and university officials that this is just another bubble about to burst.
FULL STORY: In student housing, luxuries overshadow studying
Youth, Inexperience, and a Sense of Mission
Forty years ago this week, I arrived in Tallahassee to take my first full-time university job. It was a nervous moment. After nearly eight years of graduate school, I was about to learn if I was any good at the career I'd prepared so long to begin.
Almost Half of Michigan Community Colleges Not Transit-Accessible
Access to transportation is a major hurdle for many community college students, but local transit systems often fail to serve them.
Cost of Living Rising Sharply for College Students
High inflation, rising tuition costs, and a competitive housing market are making it hard for college students to make ends meet.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
Minneapolis as a Model for Housing Affordability
Through a combination of policies, the city has managed to limit the severity of the nationwide housing crisis.
Indy Bikeshare System Turns 10, Expands to E-Bikes
Pacers Bikeshare riders logged over 700,000 rides since the system launched in 2014.
Coming Soon to Ohio: The Largest Agrivoltaic Farm in the US
The ambitious 6,000-acre project will combine an 800-watt solar farm with crop and livestock production.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
