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Something rarely mentioned when folks speculate as to why some places are run down and others are not is the fact that the average life-span of the average home is about 80 years if kept up. After that time, major work has to be done on the home to bring it up to present code. For example, electrical lines, plumbing, gas lines, settlement issues. All of these issues contribute to a decline of a neighborhood. Now, if the neighborhood is in a good location and many of the homes have gone through the regenerating process, the future may look good. But, if the neighborhood is not in a convenient location with no redeeming factors, well, you get the picture. Places like Baltimore with most housing stock approaching 100 years or older are facing this dilemma now. Many neighborhoods have experienced rebirth while others are doomed due to their poor location and the fact that not many of the homes have been properly taken care of.
What does this say for places like Phoenix or other "modern-built" cities? 20 years-no major change but I would say in 40-50 years, major change unless there is investment. Remember, it takes money to redo an older home. So in the future, many cities will be facing the same types of issues that older cities have already been experiencing regardless of economics, race, crime, or any other factors.
Yea not ATL or LA. I would imagine it to be one of the Southwest boom cities like Vegas or Phoenix. There's a huge water crisis, both of the cities are located near Mexico, and they both overbuilt like crazy.
That or NYC because as we've heard, NYCHaitian is runnin the east side, nucca, and it's only a matter of time before that situation pops off to epic proportions.
If Phoenix was a person, he/she would be raped, pillaged, and stoned numerous times a day if some of you had your ways. Give it a rest. Phoenix is a nice city, just not for everyone, and it has just as much of a chance of failing as many cities in the U.S. Perhaps some of you who think you know everything about the city (but strangely have never visited it) should actually do some research for a change instead of jumping on the bandwagon and singing out of sync with your pie holes open to the sky and rubbing those glorious crystal balls of yours.
Here's the problem with Phoenix and Las Vegas and scores of other cities not mentioned. The driving force of their economies were growth itself. The economy grew as long as the city grew and vice versa. While home to a handful of corporations and industries, not possessing the means for sustainable growth in the form of big business is a major economic weakness. While the boom times were occurring, while land speculation and housing construction happened on every newly built street corner, those cities flourished. But, as we've unfortunately recently witnessed, those economic structures were a house of cards.
The cities I'd be most concerned with are cities like those and cities that either have outmoded industries or aren't actively pursuing emerging industries. For those of you who've listed Houston, I'd recommend you relax that rhetoric. Houston's economy includes huge elements of petroleum, but it's no one trick pony like Detroit. First, oil isn't going anywhere. We may lessen our dependence on oil as a fuel source, but it has greater uses than just gasoline. Remember that when you burp your tupperware next time. It is true around half Houston's economy is tied to energy, but I doubt we're going to diminish our demand for electricity any time soon either. This city has a bright future, regardless of the negative wishes of some city-daters.
Location: The land of sugar... previously Houston and Austin
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lrfox
If I had to pick one ENTIRE city that will face severe issues 20+ years from now it will be Houston due to its HEAVY dependence on the Oil industry.
Already happened (sort of) in the 1980's. Houston was much, much less diversified economically back then as compared to today. But it still bounced back.
So I highly doubt it. The city's energy companies are working on alternative fuel technologies right now. 20+ years is a long time for the city to diversify even further. With the low cost of living and other incentives, companies continue to move to Houston or start up here.
These days, the city's largest employer is actually the Texas Medical Center.
I agree, and will add that Phoenix has had a HUGE influx of Mexican drug gangs. Kidnappings there have become almost commonplace, as they are in Mexico. Drug thugs are set to ruin that place probably quicker than any other US city. It's already a sweat box. Who's going to want to move there when it becomes just like Mexico? Wasn't there a Kurt Russell movie where they just walled off the city and let the thugs have it?
Lol kidnappings are a common place...matter of fact I haven't seen my sister in 2 days...
Idk where you guys are getting your info from about Phoenix having water problems, and in no way is in a crisis over water.
Well, the actual city of Atlanta itself is already pretty ghetto, so no.
Maybe Milwaukee or Phoenix or something.
For a person coming from Baton Rouge you have some nerve calling Atlanta ghetto, Atlanta is a world class city that is home to Fortune 500 company's, the world's busiest airport, world's largest aquarium and outside of being a college town what can be said for your city, people move here in droves every year including a lot from Louisiana's other slum city New Orleans, if they would go back to New Orleans our crime rate would drop significantly, tell your small city to get on the same level as Atlanta and then you may make comments that we will listen to.
Here's the problem with Phoenix and Las Vegas and scores of other cities not mentioned. The driving force of their economies were growth itself. The economy grew as long as the city grew and vice versa. While home to a handful of corporations and industries, not possessing the means for sustainable growth in the form of big business is a major economic weakness. While the boom times were occurring, while land speculation and housing construction happened on every newly built street corner, those cities flourished. But, as we've unfortunately recently witnessed, those economic structures were a house of cards.
The cities I'd be most concerned with are cities like those and cities that either have outmoded industries or aren't actively pursuing emerging industries. For those of you who've listed Houston, I'd recommend you relax that rhetoric. Houston's economy includes huge elements of petroleum, but it's no one trick pony like Detroit. First, oil isn't going anywhere. We may lessen our dependence on oil as a fuel source, but it has greater uses than just gasoline. Remember that when you burp your tupperware next time. It is true around half Houston's economy is tied to energy, but I doubt we're going to diminish our demand for electricity any time soon either. This city has a bright future, regardless of the negative wishes of some city-daters.
Jump back -
While construction and growth have certainly been A driving force for some of these cities, please keep in mind that (in Phoenix's situation) the economy has diversified in the last couple of decades as much as the population has changed. Yes, Phoenix was hit hard with the housing industry, but do you think these cities haven't lured new corporations or other industries? In addition, I don't think Phoenix would be luring so many college graduates only for the type of lifestyle many of you claim doesn't exist in Phoenix (think Portland) if there wasn't something for them to do.
For a person coming from Baton Rouge you have some nerve calling Atlanta ghetto, Atlanta is a world class city that is home to Fortune 500 company's, the world's busiest airport, world's largest aquarium and outside of being a college town what can be said for your city, people move here in droves every year including a lot from Louisiana's other slum city New Orleans, if they would go back to New Orleans our crime rate would drop significantly, tell your small city to get on the same level as Atlanta and then you may make comments that we will listen to.
If you took away Buckhead and the suburbs what would that leave?
If you only knew how much your world class culture depended on South Louisiana and Texas.
Back to the topic at hand. I think it will be one of the sprawled out sunbelt cities. Somewhere that doesn't have a stable economy or only depends on one industry.
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