Quote:
Originally Posted by COS
I have a mixed opinion on the Colorado Springs reference. I can understand how an outside perspective, or just a Denver perspective, might produce the opinion that the Springs is a second city due to how different the economic drivers and political climate are. However, after living in both Denver and the Springs, I am of the opinion that the Springs is Denver's biggest suburb and not anywhere close to being able to stand alone as it's own city.
The Springs has basically no suburb network of it's own, the largest being Fountain at roughly 35k people. Outside of the DoD and the private sector companies like NG/Boeing/GD it supports, there's no other significant independent economic drivers compared to other peer cities. Even though the Springs has significant tourism, Denver still is the main tourism center in Colorado and provides tourism transfers down to the Springs. A large portion of the Springs population growth in the past 10 years has been driven by commuters to jobs in Denver's traditional south suburbs in work centers like the Tech Center and Greenwood Village.
I think the main factor preventing the Springs from being viewed as any other Denver suburb is the geographical Palmer Divide. Douglas County's aggressive development of Castle Rock and keeping ranch open space in the 15-mile stretch between Castle Rock and Monument has helped prevent a seamless sprawl connecting the south suburbs to the Springs. As the public transportation options become more effective in the next 10 years, I would bet the demographics of commuters will become undeniably linked to the point that the Springs MSA will officially fall within the Denver CSA. I have the same opinion on Ft Collins MSA.
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I've spent the last year and a half as a truck driver based in Denver. I'm local (which means I get paid by the hour and go home every night) but my runs take me as far out as 325 miles. I've gotten to know the state I grew up in like the back of my hand. I know every pass; I know every town.
Colorado is much different than how I pictured it during all the years I spent as a Denverite that only occasionally left the city for a camping trip, or to ski, or to see the great sand dunes, or whatever. Much different. There are towns that are bigger than I thought they were -- or smaller. There are places I thought were very far from each other since it takes several hours to get from one to the other, but it turns out they're only dozens of miles apart -- but on the opposite side of a mountain range. I know all the traffic patterns. I know where development is booming and where it's not. (Speaking of which, I do flatbed, so I move a lot of brick and lumber.) I know where development is contiguous, or becoming contiguous, or where there are still gaps. I know the relationships towns have with neighboring towns. I know the "suburbs" of The Springs and the "suburbs" of Ft Collins.
Anyway, I agree with every word of your post.