Will San Jose's population hit one million next year? (Palo Alto: apartment, home)

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by Carlite

The fascinating thing is how much the City cares. Nothing will change, except bragging rights. San Jose already has the largest population in the Bay Area. Therefore the official name of the larger metropolitan area is San Jose-San Francisco Combined Statistical Area, though i wonder how many folks say San Jose first. San Jose has also already become the 10 largest city in population in the United States. It's not going to move up that ranking for a while, because the 9th largest city, Dallas, has a quarter million more people than San Jose.

San Jose isn't ever likely to overtake Dallas. It has a lot less land area. So, unless it becomes dense like San Francisco (difficult/impossible to do, even if it wanted to), it is probably going to stay at #10 or maybe even fall down on the list.

[GioLM]

San Jose is undergoing a huge urban development project as we speak that will start to be visible within about a year. Finally the city has decided and agreed for smart growth, and proper urban zoning and planning, and high density mixed-use building is at the top of the list. The city will be bulldozing much of the eyesore strip malls and unleased two story office buildings that plague the North end, and in their place transit oriented urban commerce and business developments are planned. Anyway the city's website can explain all this better than I can so I encourage everyone to take a look at what San Jose is trying to achieve. Where it probably wont be perfect, the effort and the progression is refreshing. City of San Jose Planning: Vision North San Jose This is a link that shows an example of what N 1st street is intended to look like by 2020. True it isn't the most impressive of urban scapes, but it is a step in the right direction, and a step away at least from more Santana Rows...and hopefully if the city has learned anything a step away from the same mock-euro cheap stucco buildings.

[Freezer41]

there was a city limit sign last year that listed a population over a million but it was taken down

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by GioLM

San Jose is undergoing a huge urban development project as we speak that will start to be visible within about a year. Finally the city has decided and agreed for smart growth, and proper urban zoning and planning, and high density mixed-use building is at the top of the list. The city will be bulldozing much of the eyesore strip malls and unleased two story office buildings that plague the North end, and in their place transit oriented urban commerce and business developments are planned. Anyway the city's website can explain all this better than I can so I encourage everyone to take a look at what San Jose is trying to achieve. Where it probably wont be perfect, the effort and the progression is refreshing. City of San Jose Planning: Vision North San Jose This is a link that shows an example of what N 1st street is intended to look like by 2020. True it isn't the most impressive of urban scapes, but it is a step in the right direction, and a step away at least from more Santana Rows...and hopefully if the city has learned anything a step away from the same mock-euro cheap stucco buildings.

I think San Jose's biggest problem is it attracts too much of one type of personality type--the geek type. And our development reflects that....it always ends up being kind of bland. But I am glad that SJ is trying to urbanize to create a core urban area. Geeks are innovative but not in an artistic/aesthetic way.

[Radical347]

Originally Posted by mysticaltyger

San Jose isn't ever likely to overtake Dallas. It has a lot less land area. So, unless it becomes dense like San Francisco (difficult/impossible to do, even if it wanted to), it is probably going to stay at #10 or maybe even fall down on the list.

Dense like San Francisco? It doesn't have to be anywhere near that to overtake Dallas in population -- we're talking 1.3 million, not 3 million. Dense like Los Angeles is a better comparison. Still difficult but not out of the question.

This, of course, assuming that Dallas doesn't increase at a similar/faster rate.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by Radical347

Dense like San Francisco? It doesn't have to be anywhere near that to overtake Dallas in population -- we're talking 1.3 million, not 3 million. Dense like Los Angeles is a better comparison. Still difficult but not out of the question.

This, of course, assuming that Dallas doesn't increase at a similar/faster rate.

Yes, I agree, we could end up dense like Los Angeles or Oakland. But the same could eventually happen for Dallas, and Dallas has more land area than SJ...so I still think Dallas will stay ahead of SJ for the forseeable future. Prohibitive housing costs and restrictive land use planning will also slow population growth here.

[Carlite]

It would be remarkable if San Jose's population density equalled Oakland's. As of now, Oakland has a population density of 7,004 people per square mile, San Jose has 5,400. (The city of Los Angeles is at 8,092 people per square mile). So San Jose would have to have a 30% increase of population within its present borders to equal Oakland's current population density. That's not impossible, but it's unusual. In a period of great boom, San Francisco's population has increased 19% from 1980-2010. A 30% increase in San Jose's population would add about 300,000 people, which would bring it up to around to Dallas' current population, although Dallas probably will keep growing.

As someone who likes walkable, transit-friendly cities I'd say that a 30% population increase could only do San Jose good, but I'm not sure everyone there would be agree! To me, though, San Jose has urban-ness Downtown, in Japantown, along some commercial streets like Stevens Creek and Story Rd., even if they're lined with malls. North First is an interesting story, some would question whether that's the best place for growth or Downtown, which will presumably have BART eventually, might not be better.

Value of reaching 1,000,000--as Krudmonk mentioned, some federal and state funding formulas are based on population. I don't believe any have a threshold at 1,000,000, so getting that millionth person is no more financially valuable than getting the person before.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by Carlite

As someone who likes walkable, transit-friendly cities I'd say that a 30% population increase could only do San Jose good, but I'm not sure everyone there would be agree!

Those who burn great amounts of their lives stuck on 880, 101, and/or 280 every morning and evening may disagree. The only definite that would occur if SJ's population blows up is even more traffic nightmares. Transit proposals and actual construction (ha!) won't keep up with this.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by bigdumbgod

Those who burn great amounts of their lives stuck on 880, 101, and/or 280 every morning and evening may disagree. The only definite that would occur if SJ's population blows up is even more traffic nightmares. Transit proposals and actual construction (ha!) won't keep up with this.

The root of the problem is that we do a terrible job with mass transit in America. It's always done after the fact, after massive suburban sprawl has already taken place, in half a$$ed fasion, and way over budget. Higher density in SJ would make mass transit more economically feasible in theory....but that doesn't mean it will be done right.

[Radical347]

Originally Posted by bigdumbgod

Those who burn great amounts of their lives stuck on 880, 101, and/or 280 every morning and evening may disagree. The only definite that would occur if SJ's population blows up is even more traffic nightmares. Transit proposals and actual construction (ha!) won't keep up with this.

Then those should find closer jobs and/or housing. With more people will come more use of (& demand for) mass transit. I say bring 'em on.