The Next Atlanta (Birmingham, Montgomery, Cullman: buy, live in, restaurants)
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Its not a big deal. I just dont like people making statements about a place without having any clue what he or she is talking about. I cant just start bashing a place like Little Rock, AR because I havent been there to know whats going on.
Observation apparently has not spent any time in Birmingham, or if he has he failed to get out and see whats going on. I can call anyplace a dump, but that doesnt mean I have any real facts to back it up.
Your putting Bham on the same level as cities with beaches, international airports, low crime rates, Skyscrapers, 900K+ pop in city limits, major university's and professional sports teams. I'm glad someone finally slapped some sense into you and I'm proud that I was the one with the opportunity.
This is exactly what I'm talking about. Its not only a leadership issue. Its a mindset issue. But if you had reasonable, simple, reliable transit, I do believe it would be used. Even in the Great Lakes area, the birth of the auto industry, places like Minneapolis and Buffalo (a comparable size place) have better transit systems that people use. The key is to scrap the current system. Put a little more weight towards reliability over coverage. As far as leadership, make an agreed upon plan. Then fund it. Instead of the constant straggling along.
But without that, the culture can still change. If you just make it safer to be outside, people will go. People blame the weather, but thats obviously not the whole story. Many places with horrible weather have higher activity rates. If sidewalks and roads are decent. If I could feel safe not being hit while riding my bike to the grocery store. If police would ticket traffic and parking violations in the city instead of simply committing them and practically running me over. If people would simply move closer to their jobs. This reduces traffic, and reduces the tax of gasoline use and car maintenance and ownership. Start at the ground, rather than relying on leaders to do everything for you. Its a poor city. Even if they wanted to, they can't yet.
I don't want my tax dollars for road building. Its as simple as that. Of course, in a democracy, I have to accept that everyone else does. Your vision, actually IS the mainstream. That is the current thinking.
But again, infrastructure does not simply equal roads. That's a very narrow view. And, I am a relative newcomer trying to give a different vision. Road building and uncontrolled growth is actually the OLD mentality, not new. That is not change. That is chasing the same path we already have been down. It obviously doesn't seem to work so well.
Building raods will not solve places like Roebuck. when driving down Roebuck Parkway, I just wish all those empty buildings would be torn down and returned to forest.
Build on successes, not failures. The central district is growing. Maintain this momentum. THis is turning into a livable, self-sustaining community. There is no reason for people to move to the outer areas yet. Ballparks and domes will not change that, no matter where they are built. Attracting distribution warehouses and manufacturing plants, or some other business district visions might help. Building new roads just helps them get out of town faster. Like I said, there are shrinking cities which can be models for these areas. The inhabitants can be helped.
These are numbers. They do not mean anything. If this means that Birmingham is the same size, but is simply spread out into ever growing housing developments: no I would not like that. I'd be willing to bet many of the current residents of these suburban communities also wouldn't like them to be ever expanding as well. I am not at all anti-growth. but growth for its own sake does not help, and is not sustainable in the long-run. Growth is a trend that can be harnessed. But living in a place that has 1 million vs 2 million, well, that doesn't mean much by itself, does it? By that measure, Detroit is still a more successful city than us. It's still much larger. Growth is not a cure-all by itself.
I do realize that there is more to transportation infrastructure than just roads. but roads are in demand right now in this area, and that will not change anytime soon. We do agree that un-checked sprawl is not the way to go long term, but you again can have high population and economic growth rates without the out of control sprawl if planned and zoned correctly. For neighborhoods like Crestwood and West End that have street grids in place, these are places were efficient bus and light rail can do the most good and could make some reconsider moving to the suburbs.
I do disagree that numbers dont mean anything, actually they do. If Birmingham city grew by 12% and the metro by 37% would that assume that Birmingham is a dying city?. Numbers determine where federal dollars go, where pro sports place franchises, where big name music artist will perform, where airlines place hubs, etc.
BTW the proposed ballpark and the long needed BJCC expansion would do wonders economically for the central district. It wouldnt land any pro franchises right away, but it would change the image of downtown being deal after 5pm.
BTW the proposed ballpark and the long needed BJCC expansion would do wonders economically for the central district. It wouldnt land any pro franchises right away, but it would change the image of downtown being deal after 5pm.
True they might bring more tax base into the city. Although many studies say these things in the long-run these are economic losers. But there are definitely worse wastes of money.
I don't have much 1st=hand experience, just what I know from conversations, but I also think the business climate, including towards existing businesses, could likely be better. Raising business license fees and sales taxes probably doesn't help. I'd sooner get rid of those before the occupational tax.
Its strange how even the seemingly in demand 5 points south seems to always have empty units. Why do places go out of business so frequently there?
Your putting Bham on the same level as cities with beaches, international airports, low crime rates, Skyscrapers, 900K+ pop in city limits, major university's and professional sports teams. I'm glad someone finally slapped some sense into you and I'm proud that I was the one with the opportunity.
So what do you want....a cookie?..lol
When did Knoxville, TN get a beach, international airport, 900k+ in population within the city limits?. This is the city you said Birmingham is not on the same level with.
Louisville, OKC, Jacksonville, Richmond are not even close to have 900k population in their city limits, and any airport can add "international" to its name, but dont offer any international flights.
OKC and Jacksonville dont have major universities in its city limits
Louisville, OKC and Richmond dont have beaches either
Louisville and Richmond dont have pro teams
Even Charlotte, Nashville and Atlanta dont have a 900k population within the city limits.
None of the cities mentioned have low crime rates either.
Come back when you know what you are talking about.
True they might bring more tax base into the city. Although many studies say these things in the long-run these are economic losers. But there are definitely worse wastes of money.
I don't have much 1st=hand experience, just what I know from conversations, but I also think the business climate, including towards existing businesses, could likely be better. Raising business license fees and sales taxes probably doesn't help. I'd sooner get rid of those before the occupational tax.
Its strange how even the seemingly in demand 5 points south seems to always have empty units. Why do places go out of business so frequently there?
The economy lately has been a major factor, and it really isnt a retail chain type place either. When the economy was good the area had very few empty spaces.
I would be for lowering fees, sales and hotel taxes, and dumping the occupation tax all together.
Your right, Knoxville does have a low crime rate and attract people from all over the world, and Birmingham has an insane crime rate and no one who isn't from Alabama ever wants to be caught dead there (no pun intended).
You putting all those cities on Bhams level is hilarious. Do you really think Birmingham, a city with an insane crime rate and 230K people is on the same level as Jacksonville? A city of 950K on the beach with low crime and professional sports teams?
Thats hilarious!
Crime rankings are a dime a dozen, and dont amount to much in the REAL WORLD. But if you think Birmingham is the wild wild west, fine.
Only the rednecks of East Tennessee consider Knoxville a major city.
Jacksonville has only ONE pro team (which they are in danger of losing to L.A or elsewhere), and it does not have a population of 950K (actually its 813K because of its consolidated with Duval County), and its far from having low crime.
Never let the facts get in the way of ass-backward statements.
Where do you propose to get the city's income from? Esp given you are for all these big projects everywhere.
If I were the city I would look to the private sector for some help funding the BJCC expansion and proposed ballpark, through naming rights, etc, etc. If that doesnt work put those two big projects on hold until the money is there. Right now Birmingham city should put all its efforts into lowering taxes and fees for exisiting businesses, and attracting new ones. With an expanded tax base projects like the ballpark can be funded.
I would be for selling Legion Field, and the BJCC to private interest. Neither Birmingham or Jefferson County are financially able to major improvements to either facility at this point.
Looks like B-ham is in the same class to me LOL!!! Also last I checked GDP numbers were: B-ham( 54 bill),Jacksonville(59 bill),OKC(57 bill),Louisville(56 bill) and Knoxville (29 bill).
LOL ... Birmingham is providing wifi to its housing projects, while Atlanta got rid of its housing projects. That, in a nutshell folks, is the big difference between these two cities. One can't see the forest for the trees and only ends up applying small fixes to big problems. The other reinvents the wheel and elements the problem. One refuses to change with the times, turns dogs and water hoses on little black children and 50 years later still wallows in economic dispair and a poor national image. The other embraces the civil rights movement of the 1960s (blacks, gays, hippies) with a "can do" atttitude, is chosen to host the 100th anniversary of the Modern Olympic Games and explodes into the world's Newest Great Global City.
Seems pretty simple to understand, doesn't it?
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