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Because Birmingham hasn't convinced them that there's a reason to become a part of them. We can't force them to incorporate into Birmingham. I suppose they could incorporate into each other, so at least there would be fewer towns to work with each other, but that's not really something I could tell them to do either, and I'm not sure it would actually help anyone anyway.
I think it would help, lets say for an example these suburbs merged
Bessemer, Brighton, Lipscomb, and Midfield
Hueytown, Pleasant Grove, Fairfield
Mulga, Sylvan Springs, Maytown, Adamsville, Graysville
Gardendale, Fultondale, Tarrant City
Center Point, Clay, Pinson, Trussville
Irondale and Leeds
Hoover, Homewood, Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills
These communities can keep their identity, but share services like police, fire, garbage, etc.
I think it would help, lets say for an example these suburbs merged
These communities can keep their identity, but share services like police, fire, garbage, etc.
Yeah, sure, might be. But if I'm gonna speculate about completely unlikely things its gonna be a lot grander than merging suburbs.
If you're going to push for regional development, I think pushing areas you don't even live in to merge with other areas you don't live in might be a less than optimal use of your positive energies (which are great to have in general and should be encouraged).
Yeah, sure, might be. But if I'm gonna speculate about completely unlikely things its gonna be a lot grander than merging suburbs.
If you're going to push for regional development, I think pushing areas you don't even live in to merge with other areas you don't live in might be a less than optimal use of your positive energies (which are great to have in general and should be encouraged).
I realize the likely of something like that happening is slim to none. The other choice is to make incorporation harder. It seems like every crossroads with a traffic light and a Shell gas station assumes that they can self sustain themselves and become a city. If your currently an municipality, but you are struggling to pay the bills, that should be grounds to either merge with another city or un-incorporate all together.
NO, you don't KNOW. Savannah is far from boring and is on par with Mobile. And GA is far from being South Dakota, does SD has almost 10 million people vs Alabama's 4.8 million??????
And you're obviously very secure in your superiority. After all, I would be too if it was based on such an important metric as the number of people within various political boundaries.
This is only going to turn into an outright Atlanta/Georgia-bashing if insecure Atlantians feel the need to come over here and bash Birmingham/Alabama. We didn't start that. Some of us just dispute that we want Birmingham to model after Atlanta's historical development pattern and that we can learn by it. That's it. Is that ok by you guys?
1. Atlanta's projects were replaced with MIXED-INCOME developments wherein a certain percentage of government-subsidized (section 8) units were built and occupied alongside those priced at market rates.
2. Atlanta is land-locked save for a very small portion of unincorporated Fulton County on the southwest side (below I-20). The last major annexation into the city of Atlanta was Buckhead in the 1950s. All of the record population growth in Atlanta over the past decade has been due to in-fill housing and higher density, and especially the explosion of high-rise condos and apartment towers throughout the city.
3. For a city that was once almost 70 percent black to now be non-majority ANYTHING (about 45 percent black-white split) is nothing short of a miracle and diversity worth celebrating!!! (NOTE: Gwinnett County on the metro's northeast side is home to about 850,000 people and is one of the most diverse counties in the nation, with an almost remarkable equal split of black, white, asians and hispanics -- a true melting pot!)
4. Fulton County represents just a fraction of the Metro Atlanta area, and the city itself actually extends into DeKalb County. Some of the metro area's most desirable areas and most popular attractions are in DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett and other adjacent counties. The airport is actually in Clayton County. To say you have no need for anyplace in Atlanta outside Fulton is stupid, ignorant and selling yourself short.
5. Only about half of Georgia's population of 10 million lives in the Metro Atlanta areas. Take Atlanta out of Georgia, and you've still got a state of about 4.5 million people ... about equal to Alabama! While it is true that Georgia's 2nd-tier cities may suffer some national recognition by being in Atlanta's shadow, this is most certainly NOT the case for Savannah -- an absolute national treasure and paradise of which Alabama has nothing to compare! Savannah is beautiful, charming, historic, funky -- one of the top 10 most visited cities in all of America, and the nation's 4th busiest port to boot. In fact, Savannah's port is the 2nd-largest economic engine in all of Georgia's economy after Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
So yeah ... there's a LOT more to Georgia than you Alabamans want to admit. Y'all come east and see us some time! You'll be surprised -- SHOCKED! -- at what you find!!
For the 50th time...WE KNOW BIRMINGHAM WILL PROBABLY NEVER BE IN THE SAME LEAGUE AS ATLANTA.
Birmingham could possibly be in same league as Charlotte and Nashville. It will take alot of work, but it would be worth it.
No, it never will. Birminghams time came, the city leaders squandered it, and it is now gone.
It's destined to become more of what it already is. A metro of thriving well off suburbs and a dying inner core plagued with violence, and poverty.
Atlanta, Nashville, and Charlotte. All three of these cities have thriving cultural and business centers in there core city. All three have large sprawling million dollar neighborhoods in the city core, all also have sprawling middle class neighborhoods in the city. All have top notch residential hi-rises, 2 have skyscrapers, all of them have events that bring over 50K people to the city each year and on top of that a thriving economy that is based within the anchor city.
On top of that all 3 have professional sports teams.
Also all 3 are already bigger than B-Ham and to top it off are growing at a much more rapid pace.
Take away ATL, CLT, or NSV suburbs and you still got one helluva city in every case.
Now take away Birminghams metro and leave just the city, what do you got? Mostly blight.
I'm not dissing B-Ham, this is just reality. Birmingham isn't even on Knoxville or Memphis level, How on earth can it compete with Nashville, Charlotte or Atlanta?
If it ever does want to compete the city itself is going to have to be cleaned up so people will feel safe living in the city itself and not trying to escape to the burbs, which is what's currently happening. B-Ham has been losing population sense the 70s. Charlotte (the city not the metro) in 10 years gained 200K people, B-ham (the city) only has 230K people. It's close to impossible for B-Ham to ever become the next Charlotte, so how is it gonna be the next Atlanta?
Last edited by Observation; 03-14-2011 at 03:57 PM..
I think it would help, lets say for an example these suburbs merged
Bessemer, Brighton, Lipscomb, and Midfield
Hueytown, Pleasant Grove, Fairfield
Mulga, Sylvan Springs, Maytown, Adamsville, Graysville
Gardendale, Fultondale, Tarrant City
Center Point, Clay, Pinson, Trussville
Irondale and Leeds
Hoover, Homewood, Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills
These communities can keep their identity, but share services like police, fire, garbage, etc.
Those are some like minded areas with similar demographics, and it makes perfect sense, however I could never see the last four agreeing to it (not that any would, but still) M-B is just M-B, I'm surprised they haven't dug a moat or put walls up. Hoover and V-H are kind of in a weird competition even though Hoover is way in the lead. And Homewood is landlocked and content.
Was there any serious traction to them forming their own "Cahaba" County or was that just all smoke?
I honestly don't know why places like Brighton, Lipscomb, Tarrant, Mid/Fairfield, etc. exist at all. They should all be annexed by Birmingham.
1. Atlanta's projects were replaced with MIXED-INCOME developments wherein a certain percentage of government-subsidized (section 8) units were built and occupied alongside those priced at market rates.
I don't know the details, but that sounds great and the city should be given a lot of credit for it. All you said was that you got rid of project housing, and then talked about white and rich people, so forgive me for thinking that you were for a model of development that was simply classist and racist. You're choice of words gave this impression.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Newsboy
2. Atlanta is land-locked save for a very small portion of unincorporated Fulton County on the southwest side (below I-20). The last major annexation into the city of Atlanta was Buckhead in the 1950s. All of the record population growth in Atlanta over the past decade has been due to in-fill housing and higher density, and especially the explosion of high-rise condos and apartment towers throughout the city.
Point taken. You added lots of people. Some of that in at most the last decade or 2 has been due to developments along MARTA and such. However, that vast majority since 1950 was due to sprawl. We know they are correcting this now, but personally, I am talking about its past development. What's its doing now is great, but its not there yet for me. Compare it to, say, Boston or San Francisco and tell me its a community you can survive without a car in.
3. For a city that was once almost 70 percent black to now be non-majority ANYTHING (about 45 percent black-white split) is nothing short of a miracle and diversity worth celebrating!!!
Sure. But your words did not give this off.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Newsboy
4. Fulton County represents just a fraction of the Metro Atlanta area, and the city itself actually extends into DeKalb County. Some of the metro area's most desirable areas and most popular attractions are in DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett and other adjacent counties. The airport is actually in Clayton County. To say you have no need for anyplace in Atlanta outside Fulton is stupid, ignorant and selling yourself short.
Wait, so is Atlanta sprawling all over the surrounding counties or not. Now you're confusing me
Quote:
Originally Posted by Newsboy
5. Savannah is beautiful, charming, historic, funky
No doubt. So far, I've found it to be the most beautiful city in the US.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Newsboy
So yeah ... there's a LOT more to Georgia that you Alabamans want to admit. Y'all come east and see us some time! You'll be surprised what you find.
Yeah, but here's the thing: A lot, if not most of us feel this way because we HAVE been there. You talk to us like we don't know anything, have never been anywhere but Alabama. but you assumed this. I mean, I know I just sold my banjo for a pair of shoes last week, but maybe some of the others can back me up.
I will also point out while you're talking about consolidatuon / annexation of Birmingham's suburbs that the exact opposite is happening in Metro Atlanta. Over the past 5 years about 6 new cities have incorporated here -- Sandy Springs, Milton, Johns Creek, Dunwoody, Chattahoochee Hills -- most all of them previous unincorporated areas of Fulton County. In fact, all of Fulton County save for a very small southern section is now inorporated. This means the city of Atlanta cannot grow its boundaries.
While I agree the number of tiny little cities in Jefferson County is mindboggling, to me the most damaging thing has been the fracturing of the public school systems. Despite all the mutilple city governments in Metro Atlanta, there is a limited number of large county school districts. Until and unless the laws are changed in Alabama to discourage the splitting off of independent school systems and encouraging some of them to reconsoldate, the schools in Birmingham and Jefferson County are forever doomed.
I guess for me, the grocery store, restaurants and many shops I would want access to are out a drive to Buford Highway, not really accessible any other way. The MARTA goes in the rough area, and maybe it will extend there, but currently, a lot of driving if required for my living there.
This is the thing, its like LA: you potentially could live in one small area, but if you want to actually partake in anything, you have to accept a lot of driving. In fact, in general, I think Atlanta is like a much-less desirable LA. In fact, it'd be easier to live in LA and be able to bike around then in Atlanta. That's in a city that's famous for loving its cars and not giving them up.
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