Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Who exactly said this? I do know that I have always said that the TMC is a medical research facility ever since I been a member of this board. I acknowledge the importance and successes of the Boston healthcare industry. It seems you are unwilling to do the same. All we are saying is that the TMC is a huge part of Houston's large economy. But it being a huge medical center that treat millions of people to perform lab work is all true. That's what type of facility it is. It's not an area with just hospitals.
I believe you did...follow my quote back to the post.
Anyway...I fail to still see how TMC (regardless of its enomormity) makes Houston rank above Boston. I mean it was, if I recall correctly, the Houtsonians who brought up healthcare facilities first because you have the mindset that bigger=better and therefore more important.
We (Boston) took the bait and stated (with numbers and studies, mind you) that Boston's insitutions, even if smaller, were better, we said quality always trumps quantity. They, compounded with the metro's multitude of research companies, would trump any city in the country, and NIH funds exhibited that.
By the way, it doesn't take a genius to figure out waht TMC is...we all know what it is....you all have failed to explain why precisely its soooo important except to say its huge...5.5million patients, size of downtown Dallas, and performs more heart surgeries...and?
Boston's strength is shown by its universities and colleges, and by the tens of thousands of students who choose to stay here to make a career. Boston is one of the largest financial centers in the World, due a lot in part to its invest/venture capital firms (Fidelity, State Street, Bain...etc) Those are huge, huge mulitnational corporations founded and headquarted in the city.
Houston just isn't there yet...one day maybe, you nor I do not know that.
Because I like these studies so much, I will post them again. http://www.mori-m-foundation.or.jp/e...09_English.pdf[SIZE=3][/SIZE]
According to this Boston, is the 20th "power city" IN THE WORLD, and THIRD IN THE NATION. The study basically takes into account all the stuff we'e been discussing.
This one too, page 15: http://www.zyen.com/PDF/GFC%207.pdf
Boston is the 14th most important financial center IN THE WORLD and again THIRD IN THE NATION.
I notice a pattern...You can disagree with it all you want, that's your perogative, but I can't see how you can ignore them...
The city is nearly 700 sq miles. How are you supposed to improve mass transportation? The city has been built around the car until the bubble burst a couple years ago. How is public transit infrastructure supposed to appear? Most of the city doesnt even have sidewalks.
I do agree with you, don't get me wrong, but every city outside of the northeast was basically built around the car, Chicago and most especially Los Angeles.
I know Houston has a light rail system...which they will tell you all about. And I know they are in the process of making larger...So I will preempt them by saying, it will take a long time before Hoston's mass transit system is on par with Boston's.
I do agree with you, don't get me wrong, but every city outside of the northeast was basically built around the car, Chicago and most especially Los Angeles.
I know Houston has a light rail system...which they will tell you all about. And I know they are in the process of making larger...So I will preempt them by saying, it will take a long time before Hoston's mass transit system is on par with Boston's.
Its not the same thing. Ive been to Houston a few times. The "light rail" is a joke that goes from one part of downtown to another. Its a pretty looking monorail to make business travelers think Houston is responsible and liveable. Seriously- most of the city doenst have sidewalks. I mean that too. Ive been all over the Houston metro too.
Worse than L.A. by alot. Its a joke. Its 600 sq miles. Think about that. It has a density of just 3,700/sq mi, over 600 miles! That is unmanageable by any standards for comprehensive public transit.
Moreso than L.A. and others, and L.A. is far ahead in terms of attempts at transit.
Couple those energy costs with the coming demise of the American oil industry, Houston's not going to be growing much in coming decades.
Its not the same thing. Ive been to Houston a few times. The "light rail" is a joke that goes from one part of downtown to another. Its a pretty looking monorail to make business travelers think Houston is responsible and liveable. Seriously- most of the city doenst have sidewalks. I mean that too. Ive been all over the Houston metro too.
Worse than L.A. by alot. Its a joke. Its 600 sq miles. Think about that. It has a density of just 3,700/sq mi, over 600 miles! That is unmanageable by any standards for comprehensive public transit.
Moreso than L.A. and others, and L.A. is far ahead in terms of attempts at transit.
Couple those energy costs with the coming demise of the American oil industry, Houston's not going to be growing much in coming decades.
I was just re-reading my post and then realized it's 600 sqaure miles-LA is about 350, and Chicago is 200 sq miles. It's been a long day, you're totally right.
I know, we studied Houston in my urban planning class...basically, back in the 90's, they had no zoning laws, so they litteraly built towers whereever they wanted, and then there weren't any tenets to fill them. Downtown was bascically tower-parking lot-tower-lot...I'm sure it's changed some in the past 10 years. Google Image Result for http://nuonline.arc.miami.edu/preview/U1_DowntownHouston.jpg
In fact this was the image shown to me...this is from the Congress of New Urbanism..a urban planning movement in the 1970s-1990s.
Houston in the 1980s...again I know this isn't what it is today...but so far away from the urbanism that is Boston.
Actually for the heck of I just did a google aerial of downtown...the northeast corner still looks like that photo.
I was just re-reading my post and then realized it's 600 sqaure miles-LA is about 350, and Chicago is 200 sq miles. It's been a long day, you're totally right.
Ummm...I though LA was like 500+ sq. miles unless your subtract water, land barriers, and other stuff. In that case; Houston is about the same as LA.
I know, we study Houston in my urban planning class...basically, back in the 90's, they had no zoning laws, so they litteraly built towers whereever they wanted, and then there weren't any tenets to fill them. Downtown was bascically tower-parking lot-tower-lot...I'm sure it's changed some in the past 10 years. Google Image Result for http://nuonline.arc.miami.edu/preview/U1_DowntownHouston.jpg
In fact this was the image shown to me...this is from the Congress of New Urbanism..a urban planning movement in the 1970s-1990s.
Houston in the 1980s...again I know this isn't what it is today...but so far away from the urbanism that is Boston.
Houston still looks the same; that picture is the truth.
I was just re-reading my post and then realized it's 600 sqaure miles-LA is about 350, and Chicago is 200 sq miles. It's been a long day, you're totally right.
I know, we studied Houston in my urban planning class...basically, back in the 90's, they had no zoning laws, so they litteraly built towers whereever they wanted, and then there weren't any tenets to fill them. Downtown was bascically tower-parking lot-tower-lot...I'm sure it's changed some in the past 10 years. Google Image Result for http://nuonline.arc.miami.edu/preview/U1_DowntownHouston.jpg
In fact this was the image shown to me...this is from the Congress of New Urbanism..a urban planning movement in the 1970s-1990s.
Houston in the 1980s...again I know this isn't what it is today...but so far away from the urbanism that is Boston.
Actually for the heck of I just did a google aerial of downtown...the northeast corner still looks like that photo.
Its totally crazy.
I also think that the average pop density of 3,700/sq mile is actually quite consistant as well regarding the layout. I dont get the feel that populations are centered around many walkeable areas at all, which would make transit somewhat more feasable. I cant find a chart of Houston populations by zip code, I would have to look them up one by one, and so I wont. Even if they were though, it would still be insane to think about developing a transit system.
I also think that the average pop density of 3,700/sq mile is actually quite consistant as well regarding the layout. I dont get the feel that populations are centered around many walkeable areas at all, which would make transit somewhat more feasable. I cant find a chart of Houston populations by zip code, I would have to look them up one by one, and so I wont. Even if they were though, it would still be insane to think about developing a transit system.
Why are you so obsessed with the 600 sq.miles??? The real Houston is the inner loop which has a population of about 600k+ with only 98 sq.miles.
Why are you so obsessed with the 600 sq.miles??? The real Houston is the inner loop which has a population of about 600k+ with only 98 sq.miles.
Im looking at a map of Houston zip codes winside the inner loop and Ive found one with a population density of over 5,000- 77019 has a density of 5,875.
50 yrs ago it might have been Boston and 50 years from now it maybe Houston. But San Fran easily #5 in the here and now. Silicon Valley is one of the most important economic regions and SF is one of the top cultural cities.
50 yrs ago it might have been Boston and 50 years from now it maybe Houston. But San Fran easily #5 in the here and now. Silicon Valley is one of the most important economic regions and SF is one of the top cultural cities.
I think Boston and SanFran are close, and very much alike.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
