#14 Mars College: Building Temporary Desert Cities

Nestled in the California Desert, Mars College can be thought of as a pop up city. It rises from the sand, disassembles, and then comes back. This week, Jackson sat down with Gene and Freeman from Mars College. They chat first about the mission behind and the logistics of constructing a city from scratch each cohort before diving into daily life. When you’re so remote, communal living is a big part of life, so the three talk about shared responsibilities and the food situation at Mars. Finally, they talk about the college side of the group— how people learn from one another.

Topics Covered: 

• Introduction to Mars College — (00:35)
• What it means to be a “pop up city” – (2:55)
• The layout and different types of spaces at Mars College — (7:01)
• Utilities at Mars College — (8:55)
• Community and responsibilities — (12:01)
• Food at Mars College — (13:59)
• Academics at Mars College — (16:39)
• Study groups — (19:45)
• Mars survival items – (25:22)

Campfire is brought to you by Cabin - a network of coliving neighborhoods for nature-loving creators and remote workers. You can learn more at the following links:

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Episode Links:

Mars College’s website 

Gene on Twitter

Cabin’s website

Episode Credit:

Hosted by @JacksonSteger

Sound Engineering by @Prodcolin

Videos and Clips by @McdonnellCallum 

Produced by @PhilippeIze

Distribution by @Alisonclaire and @PhilippeIze