Cranberry ultra-growth? (Pittsburgh, Lebanon, West Mifflin: places to live, move to, housing)

[Copanut]

Who is Mr. Lowry?

[Lobick]

Originally Posted by Copanut

Who is Mr. Lowry?

NR's Rich Lowry: Palin "Sent Little Starbursts Through The Screen"

[Copanut]

Guess I'm out of the loop.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Could you explain to me what your issue with say Colfax/Allderdice is?

Allderdice has a decent enough magnet program, but it is partially open-enrollment, and I've heard from friends who graduated in the late 2000s relations aren't always so rosy between the gifted students and their more average peers. Colfax I'm less familiar with.

I'm not implying these schools are war zones or that the quality of education is inherently inferior. I also know parental involvement is important first and foremost. But good suburban schools just tend to have better resources. I also feel there's less of a risk kids will fall in with the wrong crowd.

[Mugatu]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

Well the thing is that a ton of jobs are actually in the suburbs and not in the city. Nearly all of the jobs I've had have consisted of me (who lives in the city) commuting the suburbs (Robinson, Canonsburg, Monroeville). My current one is first one actually within the city limits.

Yup. Since I've moved up here I've worked in Carnegie, Robinson and currently considering a new job in Sewickley. I'd definitely live in the city if it was practical for me, but it seems like I'm stuck working out here in the Western burbs, so I'd rather have the short commute, so I moved out this way.

[speagles84]

Originally Posted by escilade18

I would even be surprised if it caught up to Penn Hills (second largest with a population of 42,329), or Hempfield township(largest suburb with a population of 43,241).Cranberry is currently at a population of 28,098 which is similar to the population of Monroeville and still smaller than Bethel Park, Mt. Lebanon and Ross Twp. who all have a population in the low 30,000's. It would be great for Cranberry to develop into a satellite city (something that Pittsburgh currently lacks), but I would not count on it taking over Pittsburgh (you don't even have that happen in metros where the satellite city grows larger than the principle city such as San Jose being larger than San Francisco or Ft. Worth being similar size to Dallas )

Although Hempfield Township has 43,000 residents, I hardly consider it a direct suburb of Pittsburgh (although I know it is). I like to think of it as Greater Greensburg, which is a part of Metropolitan Pittsburgh.

Monroeville, Bethel Park, Mt. Lebanon and Ross townships all are either done growing or on such a slow increase though. Cranberry is still rapidly growing and will continue to for sometime. I'd estimate it maxes out around 2030 with more than 40,000 residents.

[escilade18]

Originally Posted by speagles84

Although Hempfield Township has 43,000 residents, I hardly consider it a direct suburb of Pittsburgh (although I know it is). I like to think of it as Greater Greensburg, which is a part of Metropolitan Pittsburgh.

Monroeville, Bethel Park, Mt. Lebanon and Ross townships all are either done growing or on such a slow increase though. Cranberry is still rapidly growing and will continue to for sometime. I'd estimate it maxes out around 2030 with more than 40,000 residents.

40,000 is reasonable to expect by 2030 but I don't see it growing to anywhere near 100,000 for example. There are only a few areas that have the capacity to grow to be that large and Cranberry is not one of them

[speagles84]

Originally Posted by escilade18

40,000 is reasonable to expect by 2030 but I don't see it growing to anywhere near 100,000 for example. There are only a few areas that have the capacity to grow to be that large and Cranberry is not one of them

Agreed completely. When I said 100,000 that was a maximum even if it absorbed Adams and Jackson townships and they built to their capacity. Where else in our area do you think a suburb can reach 100,000? I can't think of any due to the fact of PA's annexation laws.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by escilade18

40,000 is reasonable to expect by 2030 but I don't see it growing to anywhere near 100,000 for example. There are only a few areas that have the capacity to grow to be that large and Cranberry is not one of them

I think 40,000 is a reasonable projection. I also think that given the nature of Cranberry's development, its population "capacity" could potentially grow upwards of 55,000 or so (which would place its population density around 2,500 per square mile).

[escilade18]

Originally Posted by speagles84

Agreed completely. When I said 100,000 that was a maximum even if it absorbed Adams and Jackson townships and they built to their capacity. Where else in our area do you think a suburb can reach 100,000? I can't think of any due to the fact of PA's annexation laws.

Well they aren't Suburbs per say, and this would require some annexation, but cities such as Greensburg or Washington have some potential to handle larger populations due to the more urban feel of them (possibly Butler too but I am not too familiar with that city.) I personally think that if Greensburg did a merger with hempfield township it could be well on its way to reaching 100,000 (although you are right, with the annexation laws it is unlikely)