Is Birmingham a "major city"? (Hoover, Mountain Brook: 2013, best schools)

[bluebeard]

Originally Posted by birminghamster

But Birmingham IS sunbelt sprawl, just on a much much smaller scale. If it expands a lot, it will be that.

Well, yeah. Thanks for exactly making my point on why some of us aren't for Birmingham just encouraging unplanned growth.

[sleepless in Bham]

Originally Posted by Tourian

Ok fine. But what if I'm not struggling. What I if I already have a nice house a good job a nice car and a commute under 20 mins? What if I like to cook at home and only go out to eat once a week and my idea of a good time is spending an afternoon in my back yard grilling and watching my kids play in the back yard? If I want I can load them up and take them to a movie, Mcwane or some attraction further out but why does a life like that necessarily have to be better if you stuck me in a bigger sprawled out mess of a city, doubled my commute or forced me out of my nice car and onto a bus or train, lowered my pay, made my house smaller and made me spend more time away from my family?

Sure it's a contrived scenario but so is yours. Some of you guys all assume no one can be happier in a smaller place with less stuff going on. Fun mind blowing fact: there are people who think Birmingham is too big and too busy and prefer even smaller places to live and are HAPPY while doing it.

You would be able to do those same things if metro Birmingham had 2, 3, 4 million people. I get around pretty easy in Birmingham, Atlanta, or larger cities. Your access the places and events would be the same if the population doubled. More people=more money=making the things we already have here better.

BTW Im pretty happy here, but that doesnt mean I wanna see the area become stagnant.

[Tourian]

Originally Posted by sleepless in Bham

You would be able to do those same things if metro Birmingham had 2, 3, 4 million people. I get around pretty easy in Birmingham, Atlanta, or larger cities. Your access the places and events would be the same if the population doubled. More people=more money=making the things we already have here better.

BTW Im pretty happy here, but that doesnt mean I wanna see the area become stagnant.

Please show me where I said I didn't want Bham to grow or for it to be stagnant.

All I'm getting at is there is a way for this city to grow into its own and be better without being Atlanta, kind of like Atlanta, diet Atlanta jr lite whatever. As long it is on an upward trajectory and a modest pace I'm good.

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by Tourian

All I'm getting at is there is a way for this city to grow into its own and be better without being Atlanta, kind of like Atlanta, diet Atlanta jr lite whatever. As long it is on an upward trajectory and a modest pace I'm good.

It should be realized that Atlanta's development patterns took a turn for the better from the Olympics era onward. Of course sprawl continued--and it will happen if Birmingham's growth rate increases--but there was a much greater emphasis on infill and transit.

At this stage, it would be better and more reasonable and realistic for Birmingham to take development cues from the likes of Nashville and Charlotte.

[bluebeard]

Originally Posted by Mutiny77

It should be realized that Atlanta's development patterns took a turn for the better from the Olympics era onward. Of course sprawl continued--and it will happen if Birmingham's growth rate increases--but there was a much greater emphasis on infill and transit.

I agree that the tides are turning (every so slowly) for Atlanta, Birmingham, and many other sprawling cities. This is precisely the growth that I'd support. Most of the Bham metro area does not yet support this, and would rather spend the hundreds of millions of dollars of subsidies on doubling-down on sprawl. however, downtown, southside, and other denser parts of the city are actually growing, even if the other parts aren't.

On a related note, the previously derided "bars" that are being added are a symptom of Bham's success on this front. There is an increasing interest in urban living and a growing professional class in Bham. With this comes the increase of urban entertainment, such as bars and restaurants that are also centrally located.
Of course with growth some sprawl is inevitable, but there is such thing as urban planning and funneling resources in certain directions. Its a myth that sprawl happens solely due to individual choices and that its not very much subsidized and planned this way.

[characterRef]

Sprawl itself is not all the time a truly bad thing - poorly "planned sprawl" is lol

Intelligent design can incorporate ex-urban land use models with concepts of diffusion in achieving certain goals of people movement , access, ingress, egress, amenities and other aspects of community.

The so-called "answers" to awful sprawl need not simply knee-jerk retrograde thinking, design and planning.

Younger "growth cities" obviously have a clearer canvas and palate...cities like ATL, not so much....ditto Bham

[fltonc12]

Originally Posted by characterRef

Younger "growth cities" obviously have a clearer canvas and palate...cities like ATL, not so much....ditto Bham

Not exactly. Atlanta's "canvas" was once clear too. It turned into what it is today and continues to add to it. While I see your point, it isn't like Atlanta is all of a sudden going to become irrelevant. Each New South city will continue to add to the canvas, making itself one of the big dogs to not only the South, but the country and world in general.

It's Charlotte's time now, just as it was Atlanta's time then. Birmingham will eventually become on the Charlotte level, while Charlotte jumps on Atlanta's level.

This will happen with other Southern cities like New Orleans, Raleigh, Nashville as well.

[Strangejelly]

Lol, anyone living in Bham complaining about Atlanta's sprawl or traffic as a reason not to live there are just making excuses for themselves. Just be honest.

I'd have more respect for those posters if they would just be honest and say they like the connections they have in Bham, or they like the slightly lower cost of living or, they don't care about having more to do as they don't do much or are satisfied with what Bham offers, or big city living isn't for me, or I prefer denser metros like DC. "Sprawl" happens in any sunbelt city and Atlanta traffic is on par with any large Metro.

[Tourian]

Now that it is IN to revitalize a city's core then for it to spread out, Birmingham won't necessarily experience the massive amounts of sprawl that Atlanta or Charlotte have. We're also not a cluster of small cities like the triangle. We've got a decent network of roads and enough "room" downtown to support another 100k worth of residents if this current direction is more then just a fad but rather a trend here to stay.

The next step I think is for a developer to come in and take advantage of the historic tax credit and start buying up homes in Norwood or eastlake and renovating them. Then set up a private security team to patrol the areas and start selling the homes to trendy up and comers.

[characterRef]

oh my

Birmingham is relegated to being what it is : "Birmingham ALABAMA"

My money shall remain on Raleigh and cities such as Nashville, TN

Heck, I'll even bet on Huntspatch...anyday