Huntsville projected to be largest city in Alabama in less than 10 years (Birmingham: how much, home)

[Tourian]

Originally Posted by UKWildcat1981

Huntsville is my favorite Alabama city, it reminds me more of TN than the rest of Alabama.

That's no accident. They market themselves as such and do their best to distance themselves from "the rest of Alabama."

Originally Posted by Shakeesha

Huntsville is my favorite Alabama city, too.

Two Tennesseans that love Huntsville. The system working as intended.

I don't get why a click-bait piece like this would surface if The Huntsville already considers itself above and beyond anything in Alabama, but I guess it would be a great marketing tool to be able to say it is the "largest city that's kinda but not really in Alabama."

Nevermind other metrics like GDP, economic diversity, amenities, shopping - none of that will come up if Huntsville were to somehow lasso in enough unincorporated Limestone co, combined with natural growth to somehow over take Birmingham. It would be a shallow, empty victory but one that I hope never happens because of the shear pettiness and intellectual dishonesty that spawned this "study" to begin with. If they can come to the same conclusion using recent/current trends, than okay fine - game on.

[atler8]

Originally Posted by rnc2mbfl

It's very interesting how close in municipal population the four largest cities in the state are.

Yes, exactly! I was thinking the very same thing when I ran across this thread recently.
I doubt that there is another state with the same remarkably close bunching of it's 4 largest cities in terms of city proper population size.

[Reactionary]

From the link:

"No one is in a race to be the biggest city in Alabama. Our challenge is to continue growing and still maintain the high quality of life we have." [Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle]

It saddens me to see Birminghamsters express their envy at Huntsville. Few people in Huntsville believe that Huntsville can be 'distanced' from the rest of Alabama, and those people who do are mostly transplants.

There are things that Huntsville does better than Birmingham - Rocket City Brewfest is an example; however we couldn't do it without Bham assistance. BTW don't get me wrong, Magic City Brewfest is great.

Birmingham is our nearest big city neighbor and there are lots of ties that bind us together.

[preguntas]

What makes Birmingham so essentially the 'go to' city of the state is the fact it has the texture that real cities can only acquire over time.
A sense of place and the robust mechanisms of a spoke and wheel metro structure. (not to mention the crossroads of the state and one of two crossroads for rail in the S.E.)


Mobile is my 'other' city here in the state. Madison County just does not have an identity to me, other than its job focus which means little if one does not work there.

[MPC]

I don't the data has adjusted from the 2010 census. I'm optimistic that with current developments, Bham can be close to if not at 220,000 come 2020 census. Bham has is a good downtown core, which is vital in my opinion.

They need to build from the inside out so people will move into the city and more specifically downtown. That way you get better shopping options and the convenience factor; being able to walk to the store instead of having to use your car, which you would have to do in Huntsville.

A lot of cities are trying to revitalize their downtown's. I don't think anywhere in the world is as suburban as America. My thing is, if it ain't broke don't fix it. I will never understand why people moved from urban areas to suburban areas. Go look at old photos of Bham and see all the people walking the streets, look at the urbanity.

I think Bham is doing right by building up their downtown and I also think it will show in the future. Maybe 218-220k by 2020?

[Shakeesha]

Originally Posted by Tourian

That's no accident. They market themselves as such and do their best to distance themselves from "the rest of Alabama."

Two Tennesseans that love Huntsville. The system working as intended.

UKwildcat is not from Tennessee.

I don't get why a click-bait piece like this would surface if The Huntsville already considers itself above and beyond anything in Alabama, but I guess it would be a great marketing tool to be able to say it is the "largest city that's kinda but not really in Alabama."

There is absolutely no reason to be jealous of Huntsville's success. If anything, you should be proud of any city in Alabama that is doing well. Birmingham has many things to offer, and a better downtown IMO.

Nevermind other metrics like GDP, economic diversity, amenities, shopping - none of that will come up if Huntsville were to somehow lasso in enough unincorporated Limestone co, combined with natural growth to somehow over take Birmingham. It would be a shallow, empty victory but one that I hope never happens because of the shear pettiness and intellectual dishonesty that spawned this "study" to begin with. If they can come to the same conclusion using recent/current trends, than okay fine - game on.

Those metrics are important, I agree.

[Tourian]

Originally Posted by Shakeesha

UKwildcat is not from Tennessee.

I was going by your and his stated location. A wise man once said, "It's not where you're from, it's where you pay rent." Or something like that.

There is absolutely no reason to be jealous of Huntsville's success. If anything, you should be proud of any city in Alabama that is doing well. Birmingham has many things to offer, and a better downtown IMO.

I never said anything about nor am I jealous. But I don't think annexing land and being the sole benefactor of aggressive corporate state sponsored welfare is "doing well."

Those metrics are important, I agree.

That's great, but what makes Huntsville your "favorite" and why? Reminding you of Tennessee is it?

[steveklein]

Originally Posted by Tourian

I never said anything about nor am I jealous. But I don't think annexing land and being the sole benefactor of aggressive corporate state sponsored welfare is "doing well."

Isn't UAB the biggest employer in the Birmingham area? Or very close to it? Isn't UAB a public institution that is in many ways an arm of the government? Would Birmingham or would Birmingham not be even smaller and less well-off if it weren't for the tax dollars that funnel in to UAB?

[Tourian]

Originally Posted by steveklein

Isn't UAB the biggest employer in the Birmingham area? Or very close to it? Isn't UAB a public institution that is in many ways an arm of the government? Would Birmingham or would Birmingham not be even smaller and less well-off if it weren't for the tax dollars that funnel in to UAB?

Would UAB still be called UAB if it weren't in Birmingham?

The reason I ask is I don't see what your point is or where you are going with it. UAB is there and it receives funding and it has grown organically because of the service it provides and the expertise it has shown. If UAH were to swell up and become Alabama's largest employer, than good on them.

Remington, Polaris and Google OTOH, are not organic growth but rather the result of partisan politics of a Republican governor looking to help one specific area.

[steveklein]

Originally Posted by Tourian

Would UAB still be called UAB if it weren't in Birmingham?

The reason I ask is I don't see what your point is or where you are going with it. UAB is there and it receives funding and it has grown organically because of the service it provides and the expertise it has shown. If UAH were to swell up and become Alabama's largest employer, than good on them.

Remington, Polaris and Google OTOH, are not organic growth but rather the result of partisan politics of a Republican governor looking to help one specific area.

The point is that Tuscaloosa and Birmingham is where the board of trustees has done aggressive expansion. That means that yes... UAB, and in turn Birmingham, are growing in part due to state welfare as you put it.

If what you said was really true, then you'd see a bunch of projects going to UAH instead of UAB. Maybe, just maybe, Huntsville has taken off as the tech capital of Alabama and that plays a major role in getting companies which are heavy into technology and engineering to locate to Alabama. When you are competing with other states and countries for new developments, it is wise to put your best foot forward. In Alabama, when it comes to technology and engineering, that is Huntsville. Just like if a medical company were to express interest in Alabama, I suspect sites around Birmingham would be preferred compared to Dothan.

Do you think the California government is neglecting the Inland Empire because all the tech companies are locating in the Silicon Valley? Do you think it is a coincidence that Raleigh is outdoing Charlotte in science/technology/engineering firms because of the Research Triangle Park, while the banking sector is setting up shop in Charlotte?