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I’d replace Seattle with Baltimore. Seattle has the much larger downtown, but Baltimore is substantially more urban throughout its entire cityscape (both are roughly 80 sq. mi)
Does the city not get any credit for West Midtown/Upper Westside and the Beltline? Midtown itself has also been filling out rather nicely.
Its getting better for sure. The area definitely feels more urban then it did before and I was just naming a few areas as examples. But all of the developments here still come with parking garages and large open parking lots. This to me isn't exactly urban, it's just "suburban" style urban just like Tysons Corner. You still don't see alot of foot traffic on the sidewalks and there is no Marta stop servicing the area which further leads to less accessibility without a car. It's like a TOD development without the transit. Large chunks of Fulton County is still single family homes on single lots with driveways. The city isn't a top 10 contender here imo.
Its getting better for sure. The area definitely feels more urban then it did before and I was just naming a few areas as examples. But all of the developments here still come with parking garages and large open parking lots. This to me isn't exactly urban, it's just "suburban" style urban just like Tysons Corner. You still don't see alot of foot traffic on the sidewalks and there is no Marta stop servicing the area which further leads to less accessibility without a car. Large chunks of Fulton County is still single family homes on single lots with driveways. The city isn't a top 10 contender here imo.
I'm not arguing that Atlanta is a top 10 contender, but the Upper Westside/West Midtown and the Beltline in particular have most definitely generated a lot of foot traffic. Also a development can include parking and still be relatively urban as long as it properly fronts the street (zero lot lines, street wall that engages pedestrians, etc) and doesn't prioritize drivers. The Upper Westside/West Midtown and the eastside Beltline do a pretty good job at this and the nature of development in those areas isn't like Tysons Corner or Buckhead. The neighborhood commercial districts (East Atlanta Village, Inman Park, Va-Hi, L5P, etc.) deserve a mention also.
I’d replace Seattle with Baltimore. Seattle has the much larger downtown, but Baltimore is substantially more urban throughout its entire cityscape (both are roughly 80 sq. mi)
Yet Seattle is substantially denser (and has a higher transit commute share).
Some of that is Seattle's apartment districts, which bring concentrated density in a way Baltimore's townhouses don't. And some is Seattle's lack of abandonment.
Location: That star on your map in the middle of the East Coast, DMV
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mhays25
Yet Seattle is substantially denser and has a higher transit commute share.
That's due to Baltimore's fall from grace. It's original bones of urbanity are still stronger than Seattle's city wide. DT Seattle now is probably ahead of Baltimore, but don't forget in it's heyday Baltimore housed almost 1 million people in 80 sq mi. It's truly like a mini Philly in that regard.
My rankings put Seattle slightly ahead overall now, but that's due to the immense infill that's happened in Seattle's core the past 15 years or so.
I’d replace Seattle with Baltimore. Seattle has the much larger downtown, but Baltimore is substantially more urban throughout its entire cityscape (both are roughly 80 sq. mi)
How is that possible if Seattle has a larger population than Baltimore and actually smaller land area and more hilly terrain than Baltimore? Abandoned infrastructure shouldn’t count.
Location: That star on your map in the middle of the East Coast, DMV
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nephi215
In order
1. NYC
2. Chicago
3. Philly
4. San Francisco
5. Boston 6. DC
The 6th most urban is DC.
It's really a top 6 tbh.
Even if DC is after the other 5, the grouping of most urban American cities that IMO will never be surpassed in urbanity in the US cuts off at 6. This won't change in any of our lifetimes and probably not ever.
So the conversation starts at SEA, LA, Balt, Pitt, NO, MIA, ATL, Detroit etc.
I'm not arguing that Atlanta is a top 10 contender, but the Upper Westside/West Midtown and the Beltline in particular have most definitely generated a lot of foot traffic. Also a development can include parking and still be relatively urban as long as it properly fronts the street (zero lot lines, street wall that engages pedestrians, etc) and doesn't prioritize drivers. The Upper Westside/West Midtown and the eastside Beltline do a pretty good job at this and the nature of development in those areas isn't like Tysons Corner or Buckhead. The neighborhood commercial districts (East Atlanta Village, Inman Park, Va-Hi, L5P, etc.) deserve a mention also.
I think we just have different opinions of urban. I find Virginia Highlands to be really quaint with alot of charm however I don't find it urban at all. It has the few blocks of shops along North Highland Ave and on the south border on Ponce and these are not flanked by high density urban style housing, most of the area is single family homes.
Even if DC is after the other 5, the grouping of most urban American cities that IMO will never be surpassed in urbanity in the US cuts off at 6. This won't change in any of our lifetimes and probably not ever.
So the conversation starts at SEA, LA, Balt, Pitt, NO, MIA, ATL, Detroit etc.
I do think it’s a too 6
BUT
ATL is not in this convo. I could think of MANY cities before ATL.
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