Is America's suburban dream collapsing into a nightmare? (Houston, Dallas: house, college)

[loves2read]

the fact is people are going to be spending money to redo homes in areas that now are not considered that great because of their location--
but I don't know that business is going to care where THEIR offices are located since with the economy like it is most people are grateful to HAVE a job--
look at where Exxon is located and where RIM is coming in--those are commuter-driven locations for the most part...
Fidelity in Westlake has Trophy Club, Southlake, Keller fairly close for a wide range of housing levels--but there is no public transit--maybe carpools are facilitated but I think a lot of people working for Fidelity would cringe at the idea of carpooling...since it sets the image of can't-afford-to-buy-gas-for-my-BMW...

the city govs are going to have to stop trading all the tax abatements and rolling out the red carpet to encourage new mega-companies or get these companies to provide some infrastruture for the people they hire to work for them---

people mean problems--transportation/housing/water and energy consumption---
it does not come for free....and having them here is getting to be a real trade off for what IS economically sound....
having a company move in and get abatements then fail to live up to them just creates a problems--Cabela's in Haslet/NFTW is good example--they have not had strong sales, are out in the middle of nowhere so their workers drive from all over and so do their customers--they have not met their quotas and there is talk they may close...

[Synopsis]

Originally Posted by Rakin

Within the next 5 years downtown Dallas will be 2nd in size to Las Colinas. The explosion in growth & building planned here is unbelievable.

Las Colinas? Is that a joke?

[Miami305Kid]

The suburbs are a great place to raise a family. Despite the obvious lack of entertainment you gain a lower crime rate and better education. Of course there are exceptions but for the most part what I said holds true.

[loves2read]

I think if you move people/families making 200-500+K into downtown areas you will see a significant drop in crime and the quality of the public schools in that area will improve with the new students ... whether families will choose to take that risk to have different style of living, less money/time spent on transportation costs -- guess it depends on the city and its incentives tangible and intangible--there are areas of FTW that are bordeline right now that with influx of middle class families would definitely improve...

[Lakewooder]

With Gas Over $4, Cities Explore Whether It's Smart to Be Dense - WSJ.com

"Expensive oil is going to transform the American culture as radically as cheap oil did," predicts David Mogavero, a Sacramento-based architect and smart-growth proponent...

[Lakewooder]

Gas prices could change RE landscape - Dallas Business Journal:

"High gas prices will accentuate urbanization trends already playing out in Dallas and other cities as people move to the city's core to live close to work and other amenities, said Gabriel Barbier-Mueller, chairman and CEO of Harwood International..."

[Lakewooder]

Dallas City Hall Blog | The Dallas Morning News How much should cities do to limit sprawl?

[Lakewooder]

Editorial: Gas prices a game-changer for Dallas | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Opinion: Editorials

"In heavily car-dependent cities like this one, living closer to the urban center makes a striking difference in a family's budget. Census figures released yesterday showed slower suburban growth nationwide and a slower out-migration from cities, a fact experts attributed to the overall economic slowdown. This trend will only grow as the cost of commuting rises.

In fact, as The News' Steve Brown reports in today's business pages, reverse migration is starting to happen locally..."

[Grainraiser]

That does not surprise me at all. Commutes are getting longer and longer and people are starting to realize that those old crumbling neighborhoods in the city will soon be prime real estate. Just how much further north can folks go. Sherman?

[lh_newbie]

Originally Posted by Grainraiser

That does not surprise me at all. Commutes are getting longer and longer and people are starting to realize that those old crumbling neighborhoods in the city will soon be prime real estate. Just how much further north can folks go. Sherman?

Old and crumbling, huh? I assume your being sarcastic and poking fun at the "if it wasn't built within the last 5 years, it's old" mentality we seem to have in our region. Funny stuff.

Brian