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Doesn't this all assume that Houston continues to grow at the same rate it has and that the #2 spot doesn't? The migration south is relatively recent, and could just as easily reverse over time, or at least slow down. When I think of NYC, I think of city life, of towering skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty. When I think of LA, I think of Hollywood, the Pacific... When I think of Houston, I think pollution, heat and GWB.
Can we not talk about Houston anymore? All of these threads are the same. Houston is going to have 'x' amount of people in year 'x'! Houston's growth will obviously slow down, and anyone who thinks it won't is a fool. When Houston has to focus on infill instead of just throwing up new subdivisions, the population growth will slow drastically. I don't care how "desirable" the inner loop is, a city built in such a way as Houston can only spread so far.
If Houston does surpass Chicago, it's not going to happen for a while and it will only be on a city level. Houston hasn't even surpassed the Dallas metro yet . I get all the Houston posters are proud of their "unnatural" growth, but it's not going to last forever. As far as surpassing L.A, that couldn't be more crazy. L.A is nearly twice the size of Houston city-wise alone. As I said before, the vast majority of Houston's population lives outside of the inner loop...not in the "dense" inner loop. Houston isn't building many multi-family homes. Once the city has been completely built out, which won't be too much longer, the population is going to stagnate. I don't know how many more times I could say that, and I don't really care to say anymore.
Yeah true, every city will have it's slow down in population.
Rep for you.
Houston boosters will make the city reach the number number 2 spot just to brag that Texas houses the second most populous city in the country. It's the Texas way. I wouldn't be surprised if more annexations along with migration pushes Houston over 3 million in the next 30 years or so.
That said, Houston is at risk for a hurricane, which could have the same emptying effect that Katrina had with New Orleans. Additionally, no matter how many people Houston adds, it will not replace Chicago or Los Angeles in importance. Chicago has simply been a hub for the middle of the country for too long to be replaced by Houston. Los Angeles in the center of the entertainment industry and that will not change either.
Houston having more people than LA or Chicago will hold the same significance that San Antonio having more people than San Francisco, Denver, or Seattle has. Really, little to none.
Houston is the 4th largest why couldn't it become # 2? I say it is possible in 20 years. As for San Antonio, it is a metro not that much smaller than Denver plus it is growing faster than Denver and Seattle.
Detroit is not in the sunbelt and Houston hasn't stopped growing since the 1920's.
That didn't stop northern cities from growing for 200 years. The only thing that hurt some of them was too single-minded industry. Those cities that had more diverse economies are still doing just fine. I see the South making a lot of the same mistakes right now.
Houston's economy has diversified alot more since the oil bust of the 1980's. Houston has one of the strongest economies in the U.S. That is a great reason for steady and continual growth in population.
That didn't stop northern cities from growing for 200 years. The only thing that hurt some of them was too single-minded industry. Those cities that had more diverse economies are still doing just fine. I see the South making a lot of the same mistakes right now.
While I do understand your point, the cities in the South do have diverse economies. They learned from some of the mistakes that Detroit, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh made.
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. I get all the Houston posters are proud of their "unnatural" growth, but it's not going to last forever. As far as surpassing L.A, that couldn't be more crazy. L.A is nearly twice the size of Houston city-wise alone. As I said before, the vast majority of Houston's population lives outside of the inner loop...not in the "dense" inner loop. Houston isn't building many multi-family homes. Once the city has been completely built out, which won't be too much longer, the population is going to stagnate. I don't know how many more times I could say that, and I don't really care to say anymore.
