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I notice cities like Atlanta, Houston and Austin topping several positive lists that deal with the social qualities that matter. Their positives far outweigh their negatives, which is why millions are moving to those places while other areas barely grow (or even decrease in population). Many may not like it, but the Sunbelt is the economic and social future of this country. |
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I respect your knowledge of urban economics. However, I meant to point out the New Urbanism models being developed in Sunbelt urban areas that are highly successful. They are especially successful in cities that have multiple large employment centers spread throughout their respective metropolitan areas (which covers most American cities), such as Houston, where only 7% of area workers commute to Downtown and the rest look to the burbs for work (minus the TMC, Uptown and GPlaza).
I have read various reports on the effects and economics of sprawl and I have come to the conclusion that it is very possible to turn the ill fated auto-centric American communities into very sustainable areas. The Sunbelt is the perfect region for testing new urban models and that is happening on a large scale as we speak (as I am sure you are aware). I have no doubt that the Sunbelt is leading the rest of the country in terms of testing new and successful ways to live in cities. |
Why test when we already know the most successful way to live in a city? Again, 'testing' different kinds of sprawl is wanting to have your cake and eat it, too. It's trying to reinvent the wheel, and it ultimately we know that it has more negative consequences than sustainable, urban development. What's the use of testing when we know the substandard outcomes of the product? Sprawl by any other name is still sprawl.
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There is no way America cities can go back into their Pre-WWII urbanity unless we can change the dominant auto-centric mentality. That will take a lot of social and economic changes. |
No, I think we do know for sure the most successful way to live in a city. And, even if we didn't we for sure by now know the least successful way to live in a city/urban area. This isn't about trying to replicate Pre-WWII density levels. What this is about is how not to replicate a metropolitan Atlanta, the least dense major (top 20) urban area, and least dense major metropolitan area in the United States. The problem is regardless of how fast Atlanta City is filling back in, the damage it's done is already done, and it's going to be very hard to reverse. Again, there are many reasons to love Atlanta, it's sprawl is not one of them. Every city has it's sprawl, but even you can't deny that no-one has done sprawl like Atlanta which is easily the most thinly spreaded major metropolitan area in the United States and probably North America.
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Fair enough.
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