How would you define a college town? (public school, universities)

[Mtn. States Resident]

Originally Posted by creeksitter

Dude1984, by your definitions Knoxville is not a college town. The top metro employers are a medical system, the Oak ridge security facility, and Knox county schools. UT comes in 4th. Biggest manufacturing sector is automotive components where the metro employment is about equal to UT.

You make a really interesting point, creeksitter. While not all universities have a medical school (or osteopathy), those that do tend to have larger hospitals and clinics etc. as a result of students seeing patients. Hospitals or other facilities have to hire additional staff and expand as Graduate Medical Education (GME) grows, consequently often being top employers.

Conversely, universities without medical schools and limited GME programs can still have health care systems among the largest employers simply because more residents need care.

I have enjoyed reading the various posts of the thread.

I guess I would define a college town as one where consideration for public transportation considers if the student without transportation could travel where he needed; the zoning laws were consistent with what the University wanted; a high percentage of businesses ( non-chain) are added because of the university, when public events schedule around college sports or performances etc. Essentially, city hall has to check the university's schedule, building plans etc. before deciding anything. While separate, the university is like the unspoken lobbyist.

I nominate Provo, UT, home to BYU. There are a lot of tech and other businesses that have moved in to expand, due to student and graduates who work in those specialized areas, plus complimentary companies, which were also founded by grads of the university.

MSR

[Mtn. States Resident]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

I would echo that the College needs to be the biggest employer.

I'm sure there are many towns where this is indeed the indicator, however, look no further than Pullman, WA as a great example. The town itself is smallish, but Washington State University is huge in relation to the town. So much so, that during the school year the town is thriving, summer not so much. But even summer has gained in recent years as classes have grown and many potential students visit. I am certain that WSU is not unique in this regard, but it is the one I thought of.

Looks like I now know why I was having trouble posting. I had NO idea you were posting too, pnwguy2. Nice to see a post from you again.

I agree with Pullman and probably Moscow, ID as they are ~ 10 miles of each other. I don't necessarily agree the University has to have the most employees; however, in small towns it is a high possibility. What I belI've matters is the top employer has to be connected to the university because they have students or grads who literally can make a business a success, given the strengths of the University.

Good example, IMO. Perhaps you and I were both thinking about College Football

MSR

[Hemlock140]

I would say a town that without the college would not exist, or would be just a gas stop town. Here, for example:
Pullman, WA (WA State University)
Cheney, WA (Eastern State)
Ellensburg, WA (Central State)
Bellingham, WA (Western State)

[pnwguy2]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

I would say a town that without the college would not exist, or would be just a gas stop town. Here, for example:
Pullman, WA (WA State University)
Cheney, WA (Eastern State)
Ellensburg, WA (Central State)
Bellingham, WA (Western State)

Agreed with all but Ellensburg. It probably could survive being a natural stop off point on I-90, with all the gas/food/lodging that it offers, probably the biggest retail stop on I-90 between Seattle and Spokane and along with Moses Lake, the two in-between areas on the 90.

[baileyvpotter]

I would define a college town by this: where the student ratio is double or triple that of non-students.

[drrckmtthws]

Originally Posted by newbern100

I didnt feel like chapel hill or durham and raleigh were very connected. I know they are getting mass transit between chapel hill and durham soon and I know the duke unc rivalry is huge and duke guys like going to chapel hill to date unc girls , tons of great looking women at unc , not as much at duke .

I just never got the feeling raleigh and chapel hill had much in common, all three cities have big colleges and it has pretty big rivalries,plus chapel hill tends to be very liberal. It is also good little drive from raleigh to chapel hill as well, if and when raleigh/durham/chapel hill are connected by mass transit that region is going to really be a major region in the country. That is a big if and when on mass transit with a republican governor and a republican dominated legislature

UNC and Duke are 10 miles apart, there are many people who live in Raleigh and work in Durham and Chapel Hill, Where I was at was only 15 to 20 minutes when I was working In Chapel Hill. I agree about mass transit but they are all close to each other, so it's not Isolated that's why it's called "The Triangle" because they are all in the same area and are connected you don't even have to get on the Interstate to get to each one, with three research universities, and RTP being one of the Largest employers for each.

[pinebud1111]

I would define a college town in one word:

Oxford.

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by Dawn.Davenport

Maybe isolated is the wrong word.

What I'm trying to say is that it could be far enough from the city of Detroit and it's immediate suburbs to be seen as a college town and not a part of the Metro where there happens to be a big university.

Ann Arbor is it's own metro area. It has its own economy and suburbs that are completely independent of Detroit. Something like less than 1% of residents in either metro area commute between each other. Aside from that, Ann Arbor is almost culturally independent because so much of the lifestyle in Ann Arbor revolves around U-M. There's very little that connects the A2 with greater Detroit.

[pnwguy2]

I drove through Ann Arbor and it never felt like part of the Detroit metro to me. I actually got off the freeway and visited the campus and the Big House, and I never felt like I was in a suburb of Detroit. Perhaps someday, but not now.

[edsg25]

the ultimate college towns appear to be the ones where a state has its flagship public university. and in saying such, i'm going with a definition (that i prefer) that sees some states (IL, WI, MN, TN, NE, MD, LA, AR, MO, etc.) as having one public flagship and other states (IN, MI, IA, MS, AL, AZ,OR, FL, OK, NC, CA, etc.) having two.

so to me, that would make places like Ann Arbor, Madison, Bloomington, Iowa City, Lawrence, Boulder, Austin, Eugene, Athens, Oxford, Auburn, East Lansing, etc., among the best.