Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I was wondering, which do you consider more important in the definition of a suburb: integration with the core city, or lack of a downtown skyline? I think this is worthy of discussion due to past debates on whether Long Beach, California is really a suburb of Los Angeles.
For me, integration with the core city is more important in the definition of a suburb than a lack of a downtown skyline, since it truly represents the economic and political ties to a core city.
While the skyline of Long Beach is larger than Mesa, Arizona, Long Beach IMO is more integrated politically and economically with Los Angeles than Mesa is with Phoenix. Mesa at times has tried to secede from Maricopa County along with the cities of Chandler, Gilbert, Queen Creek, and sometimes including Tempe. There has never been any movement for Long Beach to secede from Los Angeles County, thus it appears that Long Beach has stronger ties to Los Angeles than Mesa does with Phoenix, therefore Long Beach is in fact more of a suburb of Los Angeles than Mesa is of Phoenix.
Dublin, Ireland lacks a downtown skyline. Would you consider it a suburb?
My point being exactly. Many people use the excuse of Long Beach having a downtown skyline as a reason why it isn't a suburb of Los Angeles, even though it is strongly tied to Los Angeles both politically and economically. Mesa, on the other hand has less of a downtown skyline, but has a greater degree of political and economic independence from Phoenix considering it once tried to secede from Maricopa County and become its own county seat.
My point being exactly. Many people use the excuse of Long Beach having a downtown skyline as a reason why it isn't a suburb of Los Angeles, even though it is strongly tied to Los Angeles both politically and economically. Mesa, on the other hand has less of a downtown skyline, but has a greater degree of political and economic independence from Phoenix considering it once tried to secede from Maricopa County and become its own county seat.
I dunno... sounds like there's some rivalry between different sections of the Phoenix metro area but that doesn't mean they aren't closely tied. Kinda like how there's a rivalry between Detroit and suburban Oakland County, MI. Or NYC vs NJ. Or Atlanta and some of its suburban areas (Cobb I think?)...
I dunno... sounds like there's some rivalry between different sections of the Phoenix metro area but that doesn't mean they aren't closely tied. Kinda like how there's a rivalry between Detroit and suburban Oakland County, MI. Or NYC vs NJ. Or Atlanta and some of its suburban areas (Cobb I think?)...
For Phoenix, usually the rivalry is East Valley vs. West Valley, rather than East Valley vs. Phoenix, however, there has never been any movement for the West Valley to secede from Maricopa County as far as I know. In addition, the West Valley doesn't seem to have an identity that is as distinct as the East Valley, since parts of the City of Phoenix (Maryvale specifically) are usually grouped with the West Valley. The West Valley also doesn't have as much employment as the East Valley. This makes it appear that the West Valley is more dependent on the Phoenix economy than the East Valley.
The classification doesn't really matter much. What matters is what you are attempting to do once pushed into a particular category. So why is it so important to categorize it as "suburb" or "not suburb"?
Dublin, Ireland lacks a downtown skyline. Would you consider it a suburb?
Rossyln, Virginia has a "downtown" skyline. Washington, DC not so much. Does that make DC a suburb and Rossyln the core city?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
