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One thing that also appears to be somewhat of a national trend is the growth of closer-in suburbs. But then I guess that may also depend on your definition of "closer-in." It seems like some have argued that all of Mecklenburg may be considered "closer-in," but looking at the outer edges, places like Cornelius, Ballantyne, western parts of Steele Creek and eastern parts of Mint Hill and Matthews are all probably about 45 minute commutes to uptown in traffic. This is still better than Atlanta obviously, but as Charlotte continues to grow then that commute time will probably grow as well.
One thing that also appears to be somewhat of a national trend is the growth of closer-in suburbs. But then I guess that may also depend on your definition of "closer-in." It seems like some have argued that all of Mecklenburg may be considered "closer-in," but looking at the outer edges, places like Cornelius, Ballantyne, western parts of Steele Creek and eastern parts of Mint Hill and Matthews are all probably about 45 minute commutes to uptown in traffic. This is still better than Atlanta obviously, but as Charlotte continues to grow then that commute time will probably grow as well.
I'd eventually like to see the downtown areas of the larger suburbs/satellite cities like Rock Hill, Gastonia, and Concord become destinations in themselves, similar to what downtown Decatur and Marietta are for metro Atlanta. I suspect that will happen over time as those cities become even more engulfed in Charlotte's urbanized area.
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Originally Posted by Mutiny77
I'd eventually like to see the downtown areas of the larger suburbs/satellite cities like Rock Hill, Gastonia, and Concord become destinations in themselves, similar to what downtown Decatur and Marietta are for metro Atlanta. I suspect that will happen over time as those cities become even more engulfed in Charlotte's urbanized area.
Gastonia is working on their downtown. Apartments are going into a couple of the buildings of what's left of downtown. The old Loray Mill is being converted to 140 lofts. They want to put a transit center on East Franklin, just east of the new Convention Center.
Gastonia is working on their downtown. Apartments are going into a couple of the buildings of what's left of downtown. The old Loray Mill is being converted to 140 lofts. They want to put a transit center on East Franklin, just east of the new Convention Center.
This is kind of funny. The words Gastonia and downtown. Gastonia is hillbilly land.
I do remember quite well the urban flight of the 70's. Many cities experienced this including Charlotte. Many folks were leaving Charlotte's inner urban neighborhoods for the outlying suburbs, many outside the city limits, where everything was newer, cleaner, away from the decaying inner city. Hard to imagine this now, but I do remember Dilworth was practically a ghost town in the early 70's. Nice big houses along Euclid Ave were rotting away. Now, thankfully the trend has reversed somewhat.
These threads are nuts, but some things I have to comment on: "Many folks were leaving Charlotte's inner urban neighborhoods for the outlying suburb." I lived in Charlotte and worked uptown. 8-10 minute drive down Tryon (due to the traffic lights) and I was in University (suburban). Is this what you meant by outlying. I guess I am thinking in terms of "large" inner urban neighborhoods and then folks leaving for outlying suburbs (Like NYC to LI).
Uptown/downtown - then drive -10 mins I'm in what looks like classic cookie cutter suburbs.
Or I could just jump on 85 and be in Gastonia (other direction) in 12-15 mins. Rural/hick land.
Gastonia is working on their downtown. Apartments are going into a couple of the buildings of what's left of downtown. The old Loray Mill is being converted to 140 lofts. They want to put a transit center on East Franklin, just east of the new Convention Center.
What niche is Gastonia trying to fit into?
I know that Rock Hill is putting their chips on the active (sports/outdoors) adult/family.
If that is damning... you are damning just about every major city in America.
And you were contentious enough to stick to the core enough that you weren't including new neighborhoods at the periphery, that were suburban in nature (regardless of where the city limits fell)?
Then so be it. It's why there is a lot of interest in Charlotte.
In regards to the second point, I don't understand. ATL forumers cried foul when I did include it and the numbers looked bad for them, now you don't want it included for the same reason? LOL.
The math & data proves that Charlotte is developing quite differently than ATL did. Thankfully.
It does. Charlotte and most every other city in the US had the same effects, including Manhattan in NYC for crying out loud.
You just don't notice it because Charlotte's city limits have grown to include what we would call the suburbs in Atlanta.
In other words it is a statistical manipulation caused by Geographic boundaries... not an active reflection of what went on in all of the core neighborhoods of the city.
This trend also played out in Brooklyn, Queens (to a lesser extent because it has some dense suburbs further out than Brooklyn), Boston, Chicago, Washington D.C., Philidelphia, Baltmore, and many other major cities that did not overly expansive borders into their surburbs or growing borders. It was very much a nation-wide trend of the time. I'd like to think we are just at the start of coming away from that trend.
That was exactly the same point I made earlier a few pages back. Anyways just for fun I have found a source than even mentions Charlotte having even worse sprawl than Atlanta so I don't see how it could have a "stronger" core.
USATODAY.com
(Just as a courtesy so people don't have to click on the link and read the table it mentions that Atlanta is ranked #392 while Charlotte is ranked #492 on the list ranked from worst sprawl to least sprawl.)
Now before some of you get confused I am not ripping on Charlotte here and I am glad that they have made some advances such as the Lynx Light Rail and the various condo projects Uptown, but I find it very hypocritical when posters on this forum are claiming that Charlotte is somehow developing "differently" than Atlanta especially when Atlanta has made the same advances with infill development such as Atlantic Station and the new streetcar line they are building not to mention having a head start with the MARTA system. Honestly the only real differences between the two cities are that the city limits of Charlotte are larger and that Charlotte has less people residing in the metro area, other than that you could almost literally substitute one for the other.
Last edited by diablo234; 02-22-2013 at 05:20 AM..
This is kind of funny. The words Gastonia and downtown. Gastonia is hillbilly land.
When I first saw that, I thought you were referring to Atlanta? Point is all sunbelt cities are sprawly, Charlotte has a better chance of doing some things differently given it's current MSA as compared to ATL which was at this state 40 or so years ago. Many lessons have been learned, etc. It's up to city leaders to incentivize and encourage more urban design...for both metros.
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