Which Texas City could reach world class status first. (Houston: movies, living)

[Johnhw2]

Originally Posted by Newbe10

I thought Houston was already considered a world class city??

It is by most people, how ever urban planners have a definition that includes vibe and density that newer cities (which do not follow the failed design of high cost old school cities out of the reach of most people and families). Houston doesnt now and wont ever meet their definition, thank goodness.

Houston is world class by normal standards.....urban planners are like all professions, they speak in code and have a secret handshake that mortals who simply live in a city cant possibly understand.

I agree with you completely...Houston is world class is Dallas is right on the edge of being so.

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by Johnhw2

It is by most people, how ever urban planners have a definition that includes vibe and density that newer cities (which do not follow the failed design of high cost old school cities out of the reach of most people and families). Houston doesnt now and wont ever meet their definition, thank goodness.

Houston is world class by normal standards.....urban planners are like all professions, they speak in code and have a secret handshake that mortals who simply live in a city cant possibly understand.

I agree with you completely...Houston is world class is Dallas is right on the edge of being so.

Yup, right up there with Paris, Rome, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Vancouver, New York....Houston

World Class cities are world class. A status not yet achieved by any Texas city, but achievable within a century (maybe 50 years for Dallas) considering the considerable resources at disposal.

[happycrow]

DFW resident here.

Dallas will qualify as a world-class city when it no longer needs to reach out and lean on the entire DFW metroplex to salvage its ego. The actual city of Dallas simply does not rate in this category, and likes to think that it drives the commercial importance of the region, rather than benefitting from it. Just ain't so. I live here and work here, and the unromantic truth is that this is a surprisingly provincial little burg.

Houston's muscular import/export sector makes it far more likely to become a globally-influential city than Dallas, though it obviously has quite a ways to go. Could Houston reach the kind of global influence Chicago has, or even San Francisco? Yeah, it could, with steady growth and continued economic diversification.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

I guess what should have really been clarified is what the definition of world class is. What makes a city world class?

Im going to respectfully disagree with happycrow in the sense that a region can be world class. Every city has a huge amount of their importance come from the outlying regions. In Houston, even though there is more that comes from the city, many of the economically important areas come from the far flung areas of the city. I dont even need to mention that Dallas and DFW are like that too. Los Angeles is like that, the Bay Area is like that, and even DC too. What the region offers is just as good as what the city offers in many cases. The difference lies in where you live relative to it all.

[happycrow]

@justme02

In terms of linking a regional economy to the global one? (first measure on that global-cities page on wikipedia), yes, clearly. In terms of cultural trends, art, interest to global headlines, political influence, "we do it this way" examplar? Dallas does a lot of stuff just plain wrong: big showy architecture, but an inability to fill its potholes. People pay attention to what happens in Chicago, or SF, or DC. Who pays attention to Dallas?

But, as you said, fundamentally a ymmv situation depending on how one defines the question.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by happycrow

@justme02

In terms of linking a regional economy to the global one? (first measure on that global-cities page on wikipedia), yes, clearly. In terms of cultural trends, art, interest to global headlines, political influence, "we do it this way" examplar? Dallas does a lot of stuff just plain wrong: big showy architecture, but an inability to fill its potholes. People pay attention to what happens in Chicago, or SF, or DC. Who pays attention to Dallas?

But, as you said, fundamentally a ymmv situation depending on how one defines the question.

Well, Dallas and Houston are much younger than the cities mentioned and both get little tourism compared to them. However, I feel that both are in their growing states and are younger vs. places like Chicago or San Francisco that are much older. With the economic growth that is happening here, eventually people will pay more attention to what happens here.

To be clear, I am not saying that I think they are world class. I think both are in the becoming stages and that Houston has a slight edge because of its superior fine arts and its more international economy. Dallas (and DFW) are world class in a lot of ways as is Houston. I dont find either are quite there yet.

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by justme02

Frankfurt, Milan, Zurich, and Munich are not capitals.

I throw some more non-national capitals that have no direct access to the sea:

Sao Paulo (its close but no direct access)
Johannesburg

To sum up my point on this, most of the cities that you and the OP have listed for the most part, make better arguments for either Austin (National or provincial capitals) or Houston in that they do actually have access to seaborne shipping..becomming "world class cities" Point made !

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by Jack Lance

To sum up my point on this, most of the cities that you and the OP have listed for the most part, make better arguments for either Austin (National or provincial capitals) or Houston in that they do actually have access to seaborne shipping..becomming "world class cities" Point made !

What I dont buy is that ports make a city world class or more world class. Its not even a Houston, Dallas, or Texas thing.

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by justme02

What I dont buy is that ports make a city world class or more world class. Its not even a Houston, Dallas, or Texas thing.

How much trade between Asia (China, India, ect..), and North America is handled by truck or train ? Trade is a very important component of a world class economy, which in turn is a vital factor in whether a city is considered world class in total... Does that help ?

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Originally Posted by Jack Lance

How much trade between Asia (China, India, ect..), and North America is handled by truck or train ? Trade is a very important component of a world class economy, which in turn is a vital factor in whether a city is considered world class in total... Does that help ?

No, because thats only relevant when were talking about economy which does not equal to world class. Is Detroit world class? It gets a lot of international freight. Weve already gone through a list of land locked cities that are world class.

Youre trying to make the argument that a port makes a city world class or makes it more world class. I dont buy it. It can make a cities economy more international, but it doesnt make a city world class. Also does world class=international?