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After living in different cities around the country I'm starting to believe that if your cities' surrounding downtown neighborhoods are of the post WWII design your city is doomed to not ever having a true urban core, ok yes Dallas, ATL, and Houston have and are building high rise condos in the city center but what about the surrounding neighborhoods? I think its the surrounding areas that are the key to give cities that big city vibe when on the street. Sure skyscrapers give a big impression but if there's no life in the area then the impression become deflated. I think the urban fabric of the surrounding neighborhoods have to change, but that will be hard to come by because of NIMBY's and lack of demand, almost everyone that I have met in Dallas that's coming from another part of the country is uninterested in looking for a condo everyone wants a house.
After living in different cities around the country I'm starting to believe that if your cities' surrounding downtown neighborhoods are of the post WWII design your city is doomed to not ever having a true urban core, ok yes Dallas, ATL, and Houston have and are building high rise condos in the city center but what about the surrounding neighborhoods? I think its the surrounding areas that are the key to give cities that big city vibe when on the street. Sure skyscrapers give a big impression but if there's no life in the area then the impression become deflated. I think the urban fabric of the surrounding neighborhoods have to change, but that will be hard to come by because of NIMBY's and lack of demand, almost everyone that I have met in Dallas that's coming from another part of the country is uninterested in looking for a condo everyone wants a house.
I would say a 20th century design instead of post world war 2
The hoods around Houston, Dallas and ATL's downtowns were built before ww2
Montrose, the heights and the wards had single family homes but they were still highly walkable with store fronts on every street and were connected by street car systems, and all were built before WW2
Well Miami already kind of has everything in place as far as store fronts, sidewalks, etc. The only thing that's really lacking is better PT but other than that it has done a good job, I lived in Plantation for about 4 months and it wasn't walkable at all to me, but once you head in to Ft. Lauderdale and Miami you do see a real change even in the residential neighborhoods.
There are benefits to be taken into consideration; less pollution, increased property values and PT usage, stronger support for street level retail etc...
With that said, I still wouldn't prefer to live 'wall to wall', but there's room for improvement in all 3. I also hate street level parallel parking, but that's me.
The Atlanta Beltline was established to address many of these concerns.
I would say a 20th century design instead of post world war 2
The hoods around Houston, Dallas and ATL's downtowns were built before ww2
Montrose, the heights and the wards had single family homes but they were still highly walkable with store fronts on every street and were connected by street car systems, and all were built before WW2
Yes your correct Htown but most of these areas including the ones around Dallas are highly undesirable, even in the Houston metro where Houston is the foundation of the metro and no other to rival it, its hard to pin point a true center of activity.
Yes your correct Htown but most of these areas including the ones around Dallas are highly undesirable, even in the Houston metro where Houston is the foundation of the metro and no other to rival it, its hard to pin point a true center of activity.
These neighborhoods in Houston aren't that bad. The Heights is nice, 3rd ward (I believe) is gentrifying, and 1st ward isn't so bad.
You'd be surprised. There are parts of the D.C. area that used to be farms some decades ago but are pretty walkable now.
Yeah, but that's largely because of the Metro and resulting transit-oriented/transit-joint development.
Atlanta, Houston, and DFW are all experiencing a good bit of infill. They'll become denser and more urban, but not in the same exact way that their northern/midwestern counterparts are IMO.
Yes your correct Htown but most of these areas including the ones around Dallas are highly undesirable, even in the Houston metro where Houston is the foundation of the metro and no other to rival it, its hard to pin point a true center of activity.
The most exclusive zip codes are all within the city, but yes there is no one center of activity in the city. too spread out.
The Heights and Montrose are fairly active though, and 3rd ward and East Downtown are on the up and up and will be more so once the rail goes threw these areas.
East Downtown has sooooooo much potential.
there are tons of empty warehouses that can be converted into lofts for more high density living
There are benefits to be taken into consideration; less pollution, increased property values and PT usage, stronger support for street level retail etc...
With that said, I still wouldn't prefer to live 'wall to wall', but there's room for improvement in all 3. I also hate street level parallel parking, but that's me.
The Atlanta Beltline was established to address many of these concerns.
EDIT: sorry for any typos, using my phone at the moment..
Oh I'm with you there I do like my space and wall to wall is not for me either, however what options do these 3 cities offer other than high rise condos in the center of the city or a suburban home, its almost as if there's no middle ground.
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