Which Texas City could reach world class status first. (Houston: sales, apartments)

[TheOverdog]

Dallas does a lot of stuff just plain wrong: big showy architecture, but an inability to fill its potholes.

Have you never been to DC or Chicago, or New York? Manhattan potholes are a common joke in movies, and Manhattan is probably about as expensive and more showy than the entire DFW metroplex.


Since "world class city" is kind of meaningless, I just picked the top few from the wikipedia entry on global, world class cities:
I'd say for the most part, DFW and Houston don't much meet many of these.

Economic characteristics

Serve as the corporate headquarter sites for multinational corporations, international financial institutions, law firms, conglomerates, and stock exchanges that influence the world economy.
Contribute significant financial capacity/output to the city's, region's, or even nation's,[6] Gross domestic product (GDP).
House the major stock market indices /market capitalisation.
Provide a variety of international financial services, notably in the FIRE industries, banking, accountancy, and marketing.
Appear near the top of cost of living.


For what it's worth, according to this article, Dallas is an alpha- and Houston is a Beta+ on the world class scale. Rome is a Beta+ with Houston, but Atlanta is an Alpha-. Whatever.

[nature's message]

Houston and Dallas are already world-class cities.

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by justme02

No, because thats only relevant when were talking about economy which does not equal to world class. Is Detroit world class? It gets a lot of international freight. Weve already gone through a list of land locked cities that are world class.

Youre trying to make the argument that a port makes a city world class or makes it more world class. I dont buy it. It can make a cities economy more international, but it doesnt make a city world class. Also does world class=international?

I said a world class economy is a component of a world class status. A Seaport in and of itself does not make a city world class.

As far as the land locked world class city list you and the OP came up with, if you look at them closely many were national or provincial capitals like Munich, or Zurich or were in fact seaports such as Frankfurt and Sao Paulo. I have also challenged whether in fact some of those cities are indeed world class including those that I have just mentioned. Only one of those cities you listed, Milan really supports your argument in my opinion, and even Milan is a political capital, but the jurisdiction is so small it probably is not relevant, I mean Dallas and Houston are county seats and could be counted as political capitals in that sense. I agree a seaport is not an absolute necessity, to world class status, but it does give a city a leg up especially if it is a more important port like Houston. And Dallas is not worlds ahead in any other category that I can see to make me think it will become world class first.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by Jack Lance

I . And Dallas is not worlds ahead in any other category that I can see to make me think it will become world class first.

I disagree with most of what you wrote (especially about the European cities), but were dancing in circles about it so there isnt any point in going any further.

As to what I quoted you, I never said this nor even implied it. Im not going to reiterate my position again. I wrote it many times, you can go read it again if you wish.

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by justme02

I disagree with most of what you wrote (especially about the European cities), but were dancing in circles about it so there isnt any point in going any further.

As to what I quoted you, I never said this nor even implied it. Im not going to reiterate my position again. I wrote it many times, you can go read it again if you wish.

I feel the same way

[HtownLove]

Originally Posted by happycrow

DFW resident here.

Dallas will qualify as a world-class city when it no longer needs to reach out and lean on the entire DFW metroplex to salvage its ego. The actual city of Dallas simply does not rate in this category, and likes to think that it drives the commercial importance of the region, rather than benefitting from it. Just ain't so. I live here and work here, and the unromantic truth is that this is a surprisingly provincial little burg.

Houston's muscular import/export sector makes it far more likely to become a globally-influential city than Dallas, though it obviously has quite a ways to go. Could Houston reach the kind of global influence Chicago has, or even San Francisco? Yeah, it could, with steady growth and continued economic diversification.

I am glad that a DFW resident is making this point here because when Houston posters make it Dallas posters get all in a dizzy.

Dallas is making efforts to improve on their amenities but as of now it does not stand up to Houston on its own. The arts district is a step forward, but without the fine arts in Fort Worth, Dallas does not compare to Houston.

Yes the US is a metropolitan country, but I don't know of any of our better cities other than DFW where the art is better outside the major city than inside it.

Boston, NY, SF, Chicago, DC all have the best art in their respective cores. Add to that Houston, ATl, Detroit and Seattle.

Dallas has to be more self reliant if it is to be a global city

Originally Posted by Jack Lance

How much trade between Asia (China, India, ect..), and North America is handled by truck or train ? Trade is a very important component of a world class economy, which in turn is a vital factor in whether a city is considered world class in total... Does that help ?

I agree. A major part of being a global city is having a global economy. Being a regional powerhouse is not going to cut. Cities like Manchester and Liverpool are strong cities, but their lack of major global industries hinder them from being classified as global cities.

[dallasboi]

Originally Posted by HtownLove

I am glad that a DFW resident is making this point here because when Houston posters make it Dallas posters get all in a dizzy.

Dallas is making efforts to improve on their amenities but as of now it does not stand up to Houston on its own. The arts district is a step forward, but without the fine arts in Fort Worth, Dallas does not compare to Houston.

Yes the US is a metropolitan country, but I don't know of any of our better cities other than DFW where the art is better outside the major city than inside it.

Boston, NY, SF, Chicago, DC all have the best art in their respective cores. Add to that Houston, ATl, Detroit and Seattle.

Dallas has to be more self reliant if it is to be a global city



I agree. A major part of being a global city is having a global economy. Being a regional powerhouse is not going to cut. Cities like Manchester and Liverpool are strong cities, but their lack of major global industries hinder them from being classified as global cities.

But houston is the one in the class down the hall with the beta's....Dallas and atlanta are the alpha's

[HtownLove]

Originally Posted by dallasboi

But houston is the one in the class down the hall with the beta's....Dallas and atlanta are the alpha's

grasping at straws? That GaWC crap has been debunked inside and out. In the end, Dallas still needs to stop using crutches

[dallasboi]

perhaps if houston was an alpha and Dallas was beta then houstonians would swear by this ranking.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by dallasboi

perhaps if houston was an alpha and Dallas was beta then houstonians would swear by this ranking.

That I feel pretty certain.