What sunbelt city has the best pre-wwII urban design? (metro, highway, Atlanta)

[Octa]

Going by these four criteria:

1) Structural density - not limited to skylines, but rather the compactness and build of the urban environment.
2) Walkability - how comfortable it is to walk places without worry of injury and how close are those places.
3) Transit - how efficient is the public transit.
4) Livability - This ties into walkability, but the amenities that(parks, restaurants, venues, stores) are close by that make living in the city itself(not metro) worthwhile.

[nei]

What do you define as the sunbelt?

[memph]

Are San Francisco, Denver, New Orleans and Savannah considered part of the sun belt? How about Richmond, Norfolk, Raleigh and Charleston?

[munchitup]

If you consider the Sun Belt to be everything south of the 37th parallel - I'd say Los Angeles, San Diego, New Orleans, Atlanta, Charleston and Savannah.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by memph

Are San Francisco, Denver, New Orleans and Savannah considered part of the sun belt? How about Richmond, Norfolk, Raleigh and Charleston?

Yes, some consider Denver the sunbelt. We get something like 69% of possible sunshine. And Denver is definitely the best. For everything!

I really think some of you should at least get into the latter part of the 20th century, instead of focusing so much on pre WW II. It ain't coming back!

[nei]

Originally Posted by Katiana

I really think some of you should at least get into the latter part of the 20th century, instead of focusing so much on pre WW II. It ain't coming back!

Plenty still around from before the latter part of the 20th century to look at though!

[Octa]

Originally Posted by nei

What do you define as the sunbelt?

I intentionally didn't define it since I figured people would have different definitions of it, but if I did, I would say any city outside of the major ones such as NYC, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angelos, and Chicago that are young and experiencing major growth due to jobs and weather.

Originally Posted by Katiana

I really think some of you should at least get into the latter part of the 20th century, instead of focusing so much on pre WW II. It ain't coming back!

That's not really correct when we talk about city design and functionality. Le Havre is one of numerous cities that were destroyed during the war that has been rebuilt and didn't reflect the post-war thought of urban design. Certain cities in the US such as New Orleans, DC, and Richmond seem to be embracing the past and are trying to make the city core more pedestrian friendly at the expense of abundant parking lots and huge multi-lane highways. So I don't see why you think 'it ain't coming back" when there's a large push to rethink the policies of the past 60 years.

[nei]

Originally Posted by Octa

I intentionally didn't define it since I figured people would have different definitions of it, but if I did, I would say any city outside of the major ones such as NYC, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angelos, and Chicago that are young and experiencing major growth due to jobs and weather.

Then I'd go for either Portland or Seattle which are young relative to eastern and midwestern cities. But they're not what are thought of "sunbelt cities" and certaintly aren't growing because of weather (though there is a regular on CD that moved to Washington partly because of the weather).

[Komeht]

Easily charleston.

Santa Fe and San Francisco
New Orleans of course

[sheena12]

Portland and Seattle are not the Sunbelt. Hardly. Perhaps the Rain Belt?

I think that smaller cities of the Mid South and Missouri - if by extension that is the Sun Belt to you would have these cities.

I don't know these cities intimately, and living full time in the Sun Belt has never interested me, but pre-WWII structures have, and I have noticed that the following places might have what you are seeking.

St Louis
Memphis
Louisvillie
Little Rock

and Cincinnati - which has a borderline sub tropical climate.

All of these cities seem to have older, walkable, historic areas, and active historical societies. They are the opposite of "Atlanta sprawl". That's what I think the OP is intending to avoid.

I'd agree with New Orleans, Charleston, Richmond, which also been mentioned.