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There are advantages and disadvantages to having space and living in density. Density is far better for a city's environment but that does not mean that space is bad either. The reason is what all the problems a major metropolitan area brings. It's not that space or sprawl is evil. It's just what it is doing is what people dislike about it. Yes Houston is different. But it's different than about 90% of the world in how it's built and it wants to change. Even LA saw the error in their ways and is trying very hard to densify it's city and is now over 8,000 ppsm which currently where Baltimore is now. You don't have to be cramped in a dense place. There are many places within Chicago, Washington DC, and *gasp* New York where you have your space. Houston is developing that now. But you can't just keep building out just because you have infinite amount of land. You might as well pave the entire state over with a parking lot and you'll be the envy of the western world.
Personally, I prefer density. It makes for a much more vibrant, walkable, and urban streetscape. Believe it or not, inner Houston and Dallas is starting to build neighborhoods like this with their own unique twist. Washington DC - Google Maps
Believe it or not, you can have your space and then some in this neighborhood.
Houston's version of DC's dense neighborhood. (BTW, as a person that has lived and still visits Miami on the regular, this looks amazingly close to South Florida's sidewalks. Houston - Google Maps
I couldn't find a similar hood for Dallas. Maybe somebody can post that link. But chances are, if there is still open land in these cities especially close to downtown and they are zoned for homes, this is most likely how they be built or they will be something density in mind. Both has it's advantages. Just because you are dense does not make you urban *cough Miami cough*.
BTW, I do agree with Omshahi. I think LA is going to become even more dense with even a chance to reach 10,000 in the next few decades. Both Texas cities are starting to follow the LA mold now. Houston city is approaching 4000 and it's inner loop is approaching 6000.
Congratulations. I hope Dallas regains its spot as the 2nd largest city in the state but I think 2004 was the last time Dallas would ever have a greater population than San Antonio. Not that it really matters because to me, Dallas has remained the state's 2nd largest city. San Antonio has never posed a threat to Dallas because for one, Dallas is the largest city in the largest metro region in the state.
Compared to San Antonio, it has a larger metro by itself, not even counting the Fort Worth side of the metro. Larger buildings, skylines, economy, Sports, Arts, etc. At first glance, Dallas appears larger. Dallas wins in every other category. It takes more than some city limit count to be a bigger city.
Sorry San Antonio!
San Antonio has larger finance/insurance, healthcare/biomedical, Aerospace, and convention and tourism industry than Dallas. Not to mention a history buffs paradise. Plus San Antonio's art scene is just as strong.
San Antonio attracts millions of more visitors, 26 million to Dallas' 22 million. So having more peope switch planes at DFW, doesn't mean they get off the plane. Plus San Antonio's downtown vibrancy is leaps and bounds ahead of downtown Dallas. San Antonio also has a higher median family income than Dallas.
So in essence Dallas does not win in every other category. Having a Bigger Skyline doesn't equate to a better city!
San Antonio proper is probably over 1.4 million plus another 75,000 more people in inner city bedroom cities.
Last edited by SweethomeSanAntonio; 05-24-2010 at 07:30 PM..
density = longer waiting lines, more expense, more traffic, more people in your way, more trash on the streets, more frustration, and more time away from home. While it may be more lively and exciting from the tourist aspect, it doesn't really seem to be a quality of life enhancement.
It's subjective. If you live in neighborhoods that are well kept and your neighbors actually care about the appearance of the area, has many parks a short walking distance away, have stores of all kind just down the block with sidewalks, I don't see how the quality of life is any worse than say, Southlake. Personally, I would find living in Southlake to be very boring and a horrible quality of life for me. But it may be great for others. And that's ok.
But if you can get past the expense part and I do hear you on that, this can be a great quality of life for you and your children. Washington DC - Google Maps
San Antonio has larger finance/insurance, healthcare/biomedical, Aerospace, and convention and tourism industry than Dallas. Not to mention a history buffs paradise. Plus San Antonio's art scene is just as strong.
San Antonio attracts millions of more visitors, 26 million to Dallas' 22 million. Plus San Antonio's downtown vibrancy is leaps and bounds ahead of downtown Dallas. San Antonio also has a higher median family income than Dallas.
So in essence Dallas does not win in every other category. Having a Bigger Skyline doesn't equate to a better city!
San Antonio is probably over 1.4 million.
Are you sure about the larger finance/insurance thing. I was thinking Dallas would out on top with that one. I do hear you on the others.
It's subjective. If you live in neighborhoods that are well kept and your neighbors actually care about the appearance of the area, has many parks a short walking distance away, have stores of all kind just down the block with sidewalks, I don't see how the quality of life is any worse than say, Southlake. Personally, I would find living in Southlake to be very boring and a horrible quality of life for me. But it may be great for others. And that's ok. But if you can get past the expense part and I do hear you on that, this can be a great quality of life for you and your children. Washington DC - Google Maps
Well that's the thing; people keep bringing up expenses, but lots of people just prefer not to live in a urban style area. I'm one of those people.
Well that's the thing; people keep bringing up expenses, but lots of people just prefer not to live in a urban style area. I'm one of those people.
But lots of people do prefer to live in urban style areas. That's why I said it's subjective. It's just nothing more than a preference but it does not make one quality of life superior to the other.
Finance industry emerges as San Antonio's leading economic generator
[SIZE=2]- Committee presents initial findings of study of finance industry in San Antonio -[/SIZE][SIZE=2]
[/SIZE]
A new economic impact study shows that San Antonio’s financial industry is the city’s leading economic engine, generating more than $20 billion a year in jobs that earn an average annual salary of $52,612.
The numbers were compiled as a result of a study led by Finance San Antonio, the ad hoc committee created last July by the San Antonio City Council at the request of District 8 City Councilman Art A. Hall, which has the task of assessing the city’s finance industry.
Terry Brechtel, Finance San Antonio committee chair, said that the data compiled by the city’s Economic Development Department along with representatives from the Federal Reserve Bank asserts that the finance industry is the largest economic generator for San Antonio and the study is conservative and comparable to other previous industry studies.
Sectors included in the study are banking and credit, investment activities, insurance, funds, trusts and other financial vehicles, accounting and bookkeeping.
The total economic impact of the finance industry is $20.5 billion and it provides 50,469 jobs with total wages at $2.66 billion. The average annual wage for the industry is $52,612 compared to the average wage in San Antonio of $33,911. This data was compiled using data from 2004.
When compared to the aerospace, healthcare, hospitality and information technology industries, the finance industry:
registers the largest economic impact by almost double the second-ranked industry (healthcare)
pays the highest average wages
pays the second highest amount of total wages
employs the third largest number of people, and
this study further substantiates that San Antonio has a diversified economy.
In addition, San Antonio’s employment numbers in finance and insurance top other major Texas cities including Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston and Austin.
“It is time for us to look at the finance industry in a different way and focus on its strengths to help further solidify other economic generators such as the bioscience technology, hospitality, information technology, telecommunications, automotive manufacturing, logistical/distribution, and aircraft maintenance industries,” said Brechtel.
The committee will continue to conduct research on the economic impact of the finance industry in San Antonio. They will also hire a consultant to conduct a gap analysis and provide input regarding methods for encouraging the growth of the industry. A final presentation and additional findings will be presented to the mayor and city council in December.
“For years San Antonio has sold itself short in terms of perception of quality of employment and range of wages, but recent studies including this one, are helping to reshape our view of San Antonio,” said District 8 City Councilman Art A. Hall. “There is much to be done, but by developing an action plan to help strengthen the finance and insurance sector of our economy, and help build the rest of our economy through increased resources, we have the chance to truly impact, for the better, the future of San Antonio.
“These results put us in a different class of city. By having finance as our leading industry changes the way we and others will view San Antonio.”
[SIZE=2]Members of the Finance San Antonio Ad Hoc Committee are: [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Terry M. Brechtel, Chair [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Michael Burke, MDB Capital Ventures[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Alan Chesler, Ehrenberg Chesler[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Karen Diaz, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Randy Goldsmith, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Ramiro Cavazos, City of San Antonio Economic Development Department, Ex Officio[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Milo Nitschke, City of San Antonio Finance Department, Ex Officio[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Staff members supporting this committee include: [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Dr. Steven Nivin, City of San Antonio Economic Development Department[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Albert Garza, City of San Antonio Economic Development Department [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]Marina Sifuentes, City of San Antonio Economic Development Department[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]About Finance San Antonio Ad Hoc Committee[/SIZE] [SIZE=2]On July 14, 2005, the San Antonio City Council, at the request of District 8 City Councilman Art A. Hall, created the Finance San Antonio Ad Hoc Committee, whose purpose is to make recommendations to the city council on actions that could be taken to increase the attractiveness of San Antonio to the financial industry and further promote the development of this sector of the city’s economy. [/SIZE]
San Antonio has larger finance/insurance, healthcare/biomedical, Aerospace, and convention and tourism industry than Dallas. Not to mention a history buffs paradise. Plus San Antonio's art scene is just as strong.
San Antonio attracts millions of more visitors, 26 million to Dallas' 22 million. So having more peope switch planes in DFW, doesn't mean they get off the plane. Plus San Antonio's downtown vibrancy is leaps and bounds ahead of downtown Dallas. San Antonio also has a higher median family income than Dallas.
So in essence Dallas does not win in every other category. Having a Bigger Skyline doesn't equate to a better city!
San Antonio proper is probably over 1.4 million plus another 75,000 more people in inner city bedroom cities.
Dallas is one of the top convention cities! Dallas has larger telecommunications/banking/, international trade, energy, technology, manufacturing, and agriculture. Actually, 27 million people visit Dallas anually, NorthPark Center alone brings in 25 million visitors. Leisure and business visitors have made Dallas the No. 1 destination in Texas.
The 1-million-square-foot Dallas Convention Center has been rated “Top Management/Staff,” “Top Exhibit Space” and “Best Managed” by peer groups and users. The Dallas Convention Center’s 2002 expansion brings the space to 1 million square feet–bigger than the MLB’s Ballpark at Arlington. It also created the world’s largest singular, column-free exhibit hall in the world, at 203,000 square feet.
So in essence Dallas does not win in every other category. Having a Bigger Skyline doesn't equate to a better city!
San Antonio proper is probably over 1.4 million plus another 75,000 more people in inner city bedroom cities.
I said bigger, i didn't say better. I still contend that when it comes to "big city", San Antonio just can't compete. Although San Antonio has alot to offer and probably is the best tourist spot in Texas, it still doesn't have a complete "big city atmosphere", at least not YET, but its starting to show signs of trying to get there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ladarron
Leisure and business visitors have made Dallas the No. 1 destination in Texas.
.
The number 1 destination thing in TX is kind of old and done with. It was always quite subjective anyway because the Dallas convention and visitor's bureau based that notion primarily on how many people zipped through the airport, whether they were changing planes or not. I remember something about Houston actually being the number 1 destination about a year or 2 ago, even though it was probably primarily for business.
San Antonio attracts 26 million as of 2006. It Is growing every year, I doubt Dallas has surpassed San Antonio. Houston attracts 27 million, followed by San Antonio.
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