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Here's nominating Orlando. From 2010-2015, Orlando has:
-Gone from having 0 major league sports teams with DT Stadiums to 2, and added one franchise.
-Have added a billion dollar public rail transit system, as well as done major road additions and reparations.
-Have added a bike share program, and added to the number of bike friendly roads and bike paths in recent decades.
-Have started to gain much more attention for tech startups than 5 years ago with innovative meetup programs.
-Added a world class, state of the art performing arts center downtown complete with an additional broadway series.
-Theme parks have all undergone growth as the tourist corridor continues to develop.
-Have developed downtown and several surrounding residential neighborhoods with a specific emphasis on local events and businesses being commonplace.
-UCF has continued to receive more attention and be listed as one of the top up and coming national universities, as well as moving into the tier of "Very High Research Activity" Universities, a distinction shared only by FSU and UF within the state. Also, created a medical school and have plans to open a campus downtown in 2 years.
-Florida Hospital, HQd in Orlando was just named as the best Hospital in FL for the 3rd straight year according to USNWR.
What's the criteria you're looking for? There has to be something to base "improvement" from, and what is the time range you're looking for?
Any way you slice "recent", it's going to be hard to argue against Richmond as one of, if not THE, most improved Sputhern cities in the last decade (2005 to now). By any measure of quality of life---infrastructure, growth, real estate, GDP, diversifying economy, attracting new businesses, arts and festivals, the growth of VCU and UR, the city's exploding reputation in food, record growth in tourism (which has never been a strength of Richmond economy)...I cold go on and on. I don't know of any city that's quite as improved as or has turned its reputation around as Richmond has, anywhere in the nation, besides Washington, DC...
Savannah. Easy. 15 years ago few people outside the South knew anything about it if they'd heard of it at all.
Today it is an international tourist destination attracting more than 13 million visitors annually and was No. 3 on Travel + Leisure's most recent list of top U.S. cities to visit. The Grey, a Savannah restaurant, was recently named one of the Top 5 restaurants in the nation.
Savannah is also home to the fastest-growing and 4th busiest port in the nation. The Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport is also among the fastest growing in the nation, adding three new airlines and multiple destinations in the past year alone.
The Savannah College of Art and design enrolls nearly 12,000 students from all over the world, making it the largest private arts university in the nation. It's also among the most prestigious and unique, occupying 67 restored buildings spread throughout Savannah's downtown Landmark Historic District (largest in the nation).
On a more local level, the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System has improved academic performance significantly in the last 10 years and reversed a decades-long trend of white families opting for private schools. Two new high schools have opened in just the past 5 years and a long-range building program will eventually replace every single school in the system with modern state-of-the-art campus.
Alas, as in most cities, violent crime in poor neighborhoods remains a problem and there's been a disturbing spike in murders over the past year. But it's far improved from the situation 25 years ago when the Ricky Jivens drug gang was shooting tourists in the streets downtown and Savannah was named murder capital of the nation.
I used "in the nation" a lot didn't I? Oops! But it kinda makes my point.
I think New Orleans probably takes this for its post-Katrina revitalization efforts. No other Southern city has had as much national attention on that front.
So many possibilities. Every one who has spoken has a valid point (though I'm inclined to side with New Orleans because of the devastations from Katrina and the BP Oil Spill) I agree with all the cities mentioned but I'll go over the ones that weren't.
For transit infrastructure I think Houston, Dallas and Charlotte have changed remarkably. For infill development, Atlanta and Nashville have been booming. Miami is also seeing tremendous growth and influx of cash, it's almost frightening. Greenville, SC and Winston-Salem, NC have definitely become very positively-viewed smaller regions. RDU and RTP specifically have gained quite a reputation too. I think the South has done very well over the past decade or two.
I was thinking about making a thread similar to this. I have to go with New Orleans though and also Birmingham is a city I hear a lot about that is improving.
I think New Orleans probably takes this for its post-Katrina revitalization efforts. No other Southern city has had as much national attention on that front.
Do you think that the revitalization would have taken place without Katrina happening? If not, why? What does the city need to improve?
Do you think that the revitalization would have taken place without Katrina happening? If not, why? What does the city need to improve?
Probably not; Katrina caused a ton of damage which caused the city to rebuild and tackle some fundamental problems.
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