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View Poll Results: Will Houston surpass Chicago as the 3rd largest city by 2020?
Yes 497 41.49%
No 701 58.51%
Voters: 1198. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 05-16-2008, 11:57 AM
 
Location: Hell's Kitchen, NYC
2,271 posts, read 5,121,443 times
Reputation: 1613

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Quote:
Originally Posted by wickedripeplum View Post
Yes the population is growing a greater rate now but that doesn't mean it will continue to indefinitely. Houston isn't built for high density living, Chicago is. Chicago is gaining back it's population and has the infrastructure to gain more. It's silly to say that Houston is definitely going to maintain its currently level growth 15/20 years down the line.
99.9% of that is true, except that a lot of Houston isn't built yet. However, it's silly to say that any city will definitely maintain its currently level growth 15/20 years down the line.
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Old 05-16-2008, 12:07 PM
 
Location: Oak Park, IL
5,523 posts, read 13,883,517 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by theSUBlime View Post
That's exactly my point.
Quote:
Originally Posted by theSUBlime View Post
No, my point is that Houston is growing faster than Chicago, so stop acting like it isn't.
???
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Old 05-16-2008, 12:38 PM
 
Location: Marion, IA
2,793 posts, read 6,101,555 times
Reputation: 1613
There's no way Houston will surpass Chicago in 10/20 years.

Two things have to happen:
1) They need a high density mass transit system. This involves subways (not light rail) and an upgraded freeway system.
2) People will have to change their habbits of getting to work. ie start taking the train/walk/bike/ride the bus to work.

These things did not happen in 10-20 years. Chicago has been growing for 200 years.
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Old 05-17-2008, 12:54 AM
 
Location: Washington D.C. By way of Texas
20,500 posts, read 33,308,823 times
Reputation: 12109
Quote:
Originally Posted by zz4guy View Post
There's no way Houston will surpass Chicago in 10/20 years.

Two things have to happen:
1) They need a high density mass transit system. This involves subways (not light rail) and an upgraded freeway system.
2) People will have to change their habbits of getting to work. ie start taking the train/walk/bike/ride the bus to work.

These things did not happen in 10-20 years. Chicago has been growing for 200 years.
I agree except your 1st point.
It does involve light rail. It's just how much Houston puts down. If they cover the city, it will be no different than Chicago using subways. Light Rail is after all a mass transit system creating high density development around it. As of now, construction on the new 5 lines start this summer.
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Old 05-17-2008, 01:45 PM
 
11,289 posts, read 26,052,511 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spade View Post
I agree except your 1st point.
It does involve light rail. It's just how much Houston puts down. If they cover the city, it will be no different than Chicago using subways. Light Rail is after all a mass transit system creating high density development around it. As of now, construction on the new 5 lines start this summer.
I think it's a huge difference. I think Houston's light rail could someday try and be more like Chicago's Metra. It has a couple hundred stations covering many lines, and runs through generally lower density areas.



The Chicago L also has a huge amount of stations, but it runs through neighborhoods that have up to 30,000 people per square mile. The density of these areas is far above, and over a much greater area than Houston. People can utilize public transit more because tens of thousands of them can just walk directly to the station and trains come ever few minutes, for 24 hours a day on some lines. I think it's more about density as opposed to just having a system in place. At least for really using the system to live your life, and not just try and ride to work.

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Old 05-17-2008, 09:10 PM
 
Location: Washington D.C. By way of Texas
20,500 posts, read 33,308,823 times
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Of course they are different. Houston's light rail is that, light rail. Chicago's L is heavy rail. To compare the two is not fair to both systems. However, Houston's light rail is every bit as mass transit as Chicago's L. Also, Houston's rail will cover most of the inner loop in create high density areas inside of it. Chicago's Metra is commuter rail, right? Well that's what Houston is building to Galveston, Cypress,Pasadena, and Katy. Completely different from Houston's light rail system.

Here's the map of Houston's rail line.

Remember, Houston just started rail transportation in 2004 so this is still new to them. As the years go along, we will see if Houston can become a city that has multiple alternatives to move around the city. From the early stats on the starter red line. 43,000 people in it's measly 7 miles. I'd say they are on the right track. As you can see from that picture, Houston has alot of options. They can easily expand the system to areas not actually served by the rail lines. Especially the short lines like the Green line and the Purple Line.
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Old 05-18-2008, 11:35 AM
 
Location: Houston, Tx
1,507 posts, read 3,393,001 times
Reputation: 1527
Smile H-town will pass chi-town

If Houston continues to grow at it's current rate and Chicago continues to shrink at it's current rate Houston would pass Chicago by the year 2034. Enough said.
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Old 05-18-2008, 01:15 PM
 
Location: Washington D.C. By way of Texas
20,500 posts, read 33,308,823 times
Reputation: 12109
Quote:
Originally Posted by jd433 View Post
If Houston continues to grow at it's current rate and Chicago continues to shrink at it's current rate Houston would pass Chicago by the year 2034. Enough said.
Here's the thing. Chicago isn't shrinking. I've read reports that Chicago actually surpassed the 3 million mark.
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Old 05-18-2008, 01:22 PM
 
146 posts, read 687,096 times
Reputation: 74
Quote:
Originally Posted by jd433 View Post
If Houston continues to grow at it's current rate and Chicago continues to shrink at it's current rate Houston would pass Chicago by the year 2034. Enough said.
That's pretty much impossible, though. A place's growth rate is just not gonna stay the same for that long. I'm not saying Houston won't surpass Chicago, but you can't call extrapolation from current growth rates 25 years into the future "evidence" of that.
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Old 05-18-2008, 01:24 PM
 
Location: Los Angeles
132 posts, read 595,169 times
Reputation: 138
Houston is a great town, it is the most LA of america's cities.
Problems?
Wierd lack of zoning, which obviously makes a city more livable. We've known this for several hundred years.
Humidity? Truly sucks in the summer.
Other than that I truly love Houston!
Ima HGoggs garden.
Houston, regardless what San Antonio, Austin, Dallas say (apparently jealous)
Houston is great!!!!
Sorry mean people in the other cities in TX, but it's the best. All those people in Dallas say it sucks, they suck!
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