fresh air vents?

I have seen how the fresh air intake for the newly installed furnaces work in a house, this is different in this condo, it has a vent coming up from the crawl space under the condo.

is this something newish?

If it is coming from the crawlspace, I would not call it fresh air. It really should be the other way around. Conditioned air should be pulled through the crawlspace.

Is that an enclosed space? Is that vent their attempt at combustion air?

In Canada when putting in a new furnace in a newly build home, because they are being build more air tight, and in a closed off room, they must have a fresh air supply.

Most likely that combustion air intake extend to the outdoors through the crawlspace.

Did you observe air intakes at exterior walls?

only the the dryer vent