The American College Town

About this book

The college town is a unique type of urban place shaped by the sometimes conflicting forces of youth intellect and idealism. The hundreds of college towns in the United States are in essence an academic archipelago. Similar to one another they differ in fundamental ways from other cities and the regions in which they are located. In this highly readable bookthe first work published on the subjectBlake Gumprecht identifies the distinguishing features of college towns explains why they have developed as they have in the United States and examines in depth various characteristics that make them unusual. In eight thematic chapters he explores some of the most interesting aspects of college townstheir distinctive residential and commercial districts their unconventional political cultures their status as bohemian islands their emergence as high-tech centers and more. Each of these chapters focuses on a single college town as an example while providing additional evidence from other towns. Lively richly detailed and profusely illustrated with original maps and photographs as well as historical images this is an important book that firmly establishes the college town as an integral component of the American experience.