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In the south there is no real way to tell how any city will look in 50 years. There are so many factors that could change how a city will look, first we don't know what the next big thing or company is or where it will take off from. 40 years can change an entire city in every aspect. For all we know a southern city like Columbia, Augusta or Savannah for example could become the next Atlanta or Charlotte.
But while those cities become larger, so will Atlanta and Charlotte.
But while those cities become larger, so will Atlanta and Charlotte.
Due to resources such as water especially in the case of Atlanta and Charlotte, it would honestly be cheaper, smarter and more economic to a state as a whole to invest in massive project in its 2nd and even 3rd tier cities. I'm from Augusta so I use it in my examples. If Georgia invested in more infrastructure like more and wider interstates, a better airport and beautification of the local roadways, the area would attract even more people and companies than it already does. Cites like Augusta and especially Savannah on the coast with a port are far enough away from Atlanta to help distribute the population.
Portland's metro is currently at 2.2M people, and from what I have read online, the Portland metropolitan area is projected to be have roughly 3.6M souls by 2050, not counting the Salem area. This would make Portland in 2050 about the size of the Seattle metropolitan area in 2010. As a city that has outgrown itself currently in terms of infrastructure, clearly there is work to be done in the next 38 years.
In 2050, Portland will probably look substantially the same, but I would imagine the downtown will have more skyscrapers. There are several pending constructions projects downtown which were delayed or suspended due to the recession, and they will probably be completed. Despite the South Waterfront development, there still is some vacant land south of downtown, which probably will be developed. Also, just east of the river, across the Willammette from downtown, is ripe for some development.
The MAX light rail probably will have a few more lines. There is a green line to Milwaukie currently under construction, despite the howls of protect from conservatives in Clackamas County. They likely will extent the MAX to Oregon City, add a line to Tigard or Sherwood along 99W/Barbur Blvd., and add a line to Vancouver, WA. There is always political resistance to new light rail lines, but I think that eventually they will be built. Keep in mind that gas prices are likely to go up quite a bit over the next 38 years. Also, there is talk of creating a high-speed rail line from Eugene all the way to Vancouver, BC. This would benefit the heavily-travelled Portland to Seattle corridor.
Other than that, Portland will be a more diverse city and may have a more diversified economy. Also, maybe we will have an MLB team by then! Or at least a minor league team.
Atlanta and Charlotte have been "rivals" for years. Atlanta's metro is larger because it includes twice the number of counties Charlotte's does.
By adding counties and people.
No that not it. Atlanta nearly have twice Charlotte's MSA population in half the area. In Charlotte's MSA area Atlanta has over 4 million.
ATL core counties
Fulton (949,599) 528.66 sq mi
Gwinnett (808,176) 436.72 sq mi
DeKalb (699,893) 270.91 sq mi
Cobb (688,078) 344.51 sq mi
Clayton (261,532) 144.28 sq mi
ATL core counties (3,407,278) 1,725 sq mi
Charlotte MSA (1,795,472) 3,198 sq mi
Quote:
Originally Posted by gwillyfromphilly
It does seems like Charlotte has the potential to serious rival Atlanta as the top tier city of the Southeast in the future. Though right now the Charlotte MSA isn't up to par yet to rival the Atlanta MSA.
In some ways you can say cities like Charlotte and Nashville are rivals now but actually being on par with Atlanta I don't see this not even 38 years from now.
Atlanta MSA's 40 years ago was bigger than Charlotte's MSA now. I believe Charlotte is a rising city and will grow leaps and bounds. But Charlotte has long a way to go for it to reach Atlanta current size. And Charlotte isn't the only one growing. I'm not sure about Atlanta booming a million a decade like in the past, but Atlanta is growing more by raw numbers than Charlotte. There would likely be at least another 3 million more Metro Atlantans by 2050.
But I don't think Charlotte should focus on trying to catch up with Atlanta. By 2050 Charlotte won't be a little Atlanta anymore, it would be big Charlotte.
Last edited by chiatldal; 10-12-2012 at 10:04 PM..
No that not it. Atlanta nearly have twice Charlotte's MSA population in half the area. In Charlotte's MSA area Atlanta has over 4 million.
ATL core counties
Fulton (949,599) 528.66 sq mi
Gwinnett (808,176) 436.72 sq mi
DeKalb (699,893) 270.91 sq mi
Cobb (688,078) 344.51 sq mi
Clayton (261,532) 144.28 sq mi
ATL core counties (3,407,278) 1,725 sq mi
Charlotte MSA (1,795,472) 3,198 sq mi
In some ways you can say cities like Charlotte and Nashville are rivals now but actually being on par with Atlanta I don't see this not even 38 years from now.
Atlanta MSA's 40 years ago was bigger than Charlotte's MSA now. I believe Charlotte is a rising city and will grow leaps and bounds. But Charlotte has long a way to go for it to reach Atlanta current size. And Charlotte isn't the only one growing. I'm not sure about Atlanta booming a million a decade like in the past, but Atlanta is growing more by raw numbers than Charlotte. There would likely be at least another 3 million more Metro Atlantans by 2050.
But I don't think Charlotte should focus on trying to catch up with Atlanta. By 2050 Charlotte won't be a little Atlanta anymore, it would be big Charlotte.
Alexander County, NC (37,087)
Anson County, NC (26,609)
Cabarrus County, NC (181,468)
Catawba County, NC (154,181)
Chester County, SC (32,912)
Chesterfield County, SC (46,557)
Cleveland County, NC (97,489)
Gaston County, NC (207,489)
Iredell County, NC (161,202)
Lancaster County, SC (77,908)
Lincoln County, NC (78,932)
Mecklenburg County, NC (944,373)
Rowan County, NC (138,019)
Stanly County, NC (60,626)
Union County, NC (205,463)
York County, SC (230,528)
Regardless of who has a larger metro, both are major cities in the South.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dpatt.marine1
Due to resources such as water especially in the case of Atlanta and Charlotte, it would honestly be cheaper, smarter and more economic to a state as a whole to invest in massive project in its 2nd and even 3rd tier cities. I'm from Augusta so I use it in my examples. If Georgia invested in more infrastructure like more and wider interstates, a better airport and beautification of the local roadways, the area would attract even more people and companies than it already does. Cites like Augusta and especially Savannah on the coast with a port are far enough away from Atlanta to help distribute the population.
GDOT focuses more on the Atlanta metro than any other area in the state, while NCDOT focuses on the RTP, Charlotte metro and the Triad. North Carolina's counties are more densely populated and has larger cities than GA.
North Carolina currently has 14 F500 companies with 8 in metro Charlotte.
Georgia currently has 15 F500 companies with 13 in metro Atlanta.
North Carolina is a much more spread out state in almost every criteria.
The Gap between NYC and LA will more or less remain the same, the Gap between LA and Chicago will continue to grow.
LA will have 4.5 - 5 Million people in the city proper and ~ 15 - 16 Million MSA and 20 Million CSA. It will be more dense, more crowded and traffic will suck balls as usual.
I'm hoping that Cleveland continues to gentrify within the city limits. I can see some moderate population growth for the first time in decades, but the suburbs will probably continue to lose population. University Circle will continue to grow and I can see some of the extremely rundown neighborhoods to the west being completely gentrified. Downtown is hard to say since it has always had its ups and downs, but I think with the growing population downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods such as Ohio City and Tremont will form a vibrant community. A lot of the rest of the city will likely continue to decline, but hopefully entire neighborhoods go at once so they can be redeveloped.
Overall, I'm conservatively optimistic about the city's future.
Let me play devils advocate, the cities will be growing but will be looking more like third world country cities, where if you are rich you will be able to live in the few nice areas and the rest of us is screwed, nobody sees it going this way?
As Asian gambling resorts sprout up all over Asia, and the rest of the U.S., and invariably, Latin America and Europe, there'll be less desire to travel those long distance, suffer those long flights, to come to Las Vegas. The future of Las Vegas rests with diversification, which is now starting.
Any projection for what a city will look like in 2050 will depend on falling fertility rates, an aging population, and reverse migration.
As the fertility rates keep dropping in Latin America, we won't be able to count on Latin immigrants anymore to fill the void, as those countries will need all those people, and as we've seen in Spain, the Latino's are returning to Latin America by the thousands, taking Spaniards with them in the process!
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