What Smaller U.S Cities Would You Like To See As Bigger Centers

[Razor]

I ust want to start of by saying that My wife and I live fairly close to the border (Ottawa, Ontario), and we love going stateside for these little four or five day extended weekends...Fell in love with Philly, and Pennsylvania as a whole..The finger lakes region in upstate New york was real scenic.Been to NYC, and next year is Boston...Love your lil towns and cities.

Anyways, I started this thread in the Canadian section with some interesting thoughts..Basically, using your imagination what U.S cities would you like to see grow into large centers?..I can picture Tacoma being like a Portland or Seattle, but I've never been there...How about your Duluth's or Savannah's? Would they make fitting large cities?

Just for fun.

[kcexpress69]

As a person who grew up in Missouri, I have gotten to know cities around the Midwest pretty well. I went to school in Springfield MO. It's a city of about 160k that has had modest growth but unlikely to hit 200k anytime soon, especially with the rapid growth in the suburbs to the south. That said, Springfield has become quite the regional center. I would love to see it expand to 250-300k. I would prefer they do more in the central business district.

Columbia Missouri finally surpassed 100k in the latest census. They have alot going on there, but it's mainly a college town with the University of Missouri being the main employer. One thing I could never figure out about that place, is the fact that it's only about 10 miles from the Missouri River. Why on earth did it not become a river city is beyond me. However, Jefferson City, a city of 41k, is right on the river and it's about 25 miles south of Columbia.

Other cities I would like to see become major centers, or maybe larger than just regional centers would be, St. Joseph MO., The Quad Cities, Sioux Falls, SD, Topeka KS, Cedar Rapids IA, Boise ID, and Billings MT.

Speaking of St. Joseph, it's been said that early on, if St. Joe had gotten the railroad over Kansas City, that it might have been the regional center instead of Kansas City.

[Buzter123]

I couldn't read this thread and not put a plug in for Fargo.

Metro pop at +200k (and growing fast), home to the 3rd largest Microsoft office campus in the world, growing high-tech research area ("Silicon Prairie"), major financial, insurance and health care employers, miles of sandy waterfront in the spring.

[chikid]

Originally Posted by Buzter123

I couldn't read this thread and not put a plug in for Fargo.

Metro pop at +200k (and growing fast), home to the 3rd largest Microsoft office campus in the world, growing high-tech research area ("Silicon Prairie"), major financial, insurance and health care employers, miles of sandy waterfront in the spring.

I would love Madison, WI to grow much bigger. I would acutally love it if Milwaukee grew much bigger too! I think it would be cool to have something like the BoshWash corridor with Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago.

[Urbanguy]

I'd like to see these cities become much larger: Honolulu (being biased here) not much room to grow outward but upward like Hong Kong or Singapore would be cool & others like Omaha, ABQ, Spokane, Salt Lake, Portland (Maine), Montpelier, Fargo, Manchester, Des Moines, Boise, Eugene, Salem (Oregon), Vancouver (WA), Columbia, Madison, Birmingham, Louisville, Buffalo, Rochester, Albany & Grand Rapids.

[NYC Rick]

Salt lake City, Birmingham, Louisville and a few others not on this list totally lead the category. I mean SLC alone is in a 35 mile long and 12 mile wide area with over 2 million people in 3 not so large counties.

SLC is making major inroads while the area is really growing.

Originally Posted by Urbanguy

I'd like to see these cities become much larger: Honolulu (being biased here) not much room to grow outward but upward like Hong Kong or Singapore would be cool & others like Omaha, ABQ, Spokane, Salt Lake, Portland (Maine), Montpelier, Fargo, Manchester, Des Moines, Boise, Eugene, Salem (Oregon), Vancouver (WA), Columbia, Madison, Birmingham, Louisville, Buffalo, Rochester, Albany & Grand Rapids.

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by chikid

I would love Madison, WI to grow much bigger. I would acutally love it if Milwaukee grew much bigger too! I think it would be cool to have something like the BoshWash corridor with Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago.

I'd love to see the Appalachian cities develop into majors and the gap filled between the Great Lakes region and the Northeast Corridor. That would require growth in cities like Scranton, Harrisburg, Albany, Syracuse, Altoona and State College to fill the gap. What is the eastern extent of that region? At what point does the line draw? Also to re-emerge the region as a whole, make it a megalopolis from the Mississippi Valley to the Atlantic and south to Florida, basically the entire eastern North America.

[ckh]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

I'd love to see the Appalachian cities develop into majors and the gap filled between the Great Lakes region and the Northeast Corridor. That would require growth in cities like Scranton, Harrisburg, Albany, Syracuse, Altoona and State College to fill the gap. What is the eastern extent of that region? At what point does the line draw? Also to re-emerge the region as a whole, make it a megalopolis from the Mississippi Valley to the Atlantic and south to Florida, basically the entire eastern North America.

I agree with Syracuse, as it has room to grow and there has been some construction in the area.

[ckh]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

I'd love to see the Appalachian cities develop into majors and the gap filled between the Great Lakes region and the Northeast Corridor. That would require growth in cities like Scranton, Harrisburg, Albany, Syracuse, Altoona and State College to fill the gap. What is the eastern extent of that region? At what point does the line draw? Also to re-emerge the region as a whole, make it a megalopolis from the Mississippi Valley to the Atlantic and south to Florida, basically the entire eastern North America.

I would call those cities listed a part of the Interior Northeast. I was thinking of this area as well, as it would kind of be a bridge between the Bos-Wash corridor and the Midwest.

[Patrick S]

Originally Posted by chikid

I would love Madison, WI to grow much bigger. I would acutally love it if Milwaukee grew much bigger too! I think it would be cool to have something like the BoshWash corridor with Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago.

Don't forget Rockford, IL too (and Janesville/Beloit, WI). Rockford is west/northwest of Chicago and almost due south of Madison. Rockford has over 150,000 people with a metro area around 350,000. I was born there, spent the first 5 years of my life there, and used to visit there a lot when I grew up in southern Illinois (I live in Tucson now, too far to drive, obviously) since my father lives in the metro area. Rockford's dull and boring though, so if it grew into a giant metro area there might actually be new entertainment opportunities.

[Tosin007]

Originally Posted by Buzter123

I couldn't read this thread and not put a plug in for Fargo.

Metro pop at +200k (and growing fast), home to the 3rd largest Microsoft office campus in the world, growing high-tech research area ("Silicon Prairie"), major financial, insurance and health care employers, miles of sandy waterfront in the spring.

I don't mean to sound Rude but as long as Canada exists their just isn't a huge reason to live in Fargo in general, similar climate with fewer amenities.
(Not that it isn't a nice City either, I too would also like to see it grow more). If anything because of it's Proximity to Canada.

[Centropolis]

I'm going to sound like a huge homer, but I'd like to see another million in St. Louis, Detroit, Cleveland, and whatever other cities are already primed for heavy duty growth on a street grid, with existing infrastructure and some even rail transit and ample water supplies...just waiting.

Of course there is a huge constellation of decent sized, solid small cities in Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio that could use some more people.

[jd3189]

West Palm Beach,Florida. Needs to carry on more weight to be a vital part of the South Florida Metro area(Miami's metro).

[emathias]

A lot of the Erie Canal towns would be cooler if they had more people. They often have very interesting old centers created from the canal wealth, but without the canal there's not so much. Places like Syracuse, NY, for example.

[Razor]

Originally Posted by emathias

A lot of the Erie Canal towns would be cooler if they had more people. They often have very interesting old centers created from the canal wealth, but without the canal there's not so much. Places like Syracuse, NY, for example.

I've toured through the entire region in the past few years...I can't put my finger on it, but Western Ny/Erie Canal region has it's own thing going on...It's own vibe!..It's depressed for sure, but at the same token it has some real old money and amazing art decco architecture...Cheers to cities like Buffalo making a comeback!

[Patrick S]

Originally Posted by Centropolis

I'm going to sound like a huge homer, but I'd like to see another million in St. Louis, Detroit, Cleveland, and whatever other cities are already primed for heavy duty growth on a street grid, with existing infrastructure and some even rail transit and ample water supplies...just waiting.

Of course there is a huge constellation of decent sized, solid small cities in Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio that could use some more people.

St. Louis used to be one of the 5 biggest cities in the country with a population over 800,000. Now it has half that amount, and shrinking every year - though the metro population keeps increasing. The city really needs to figure out a way to keep people in the city, cause it's a great, fun city. BTW: Go Cardinals.

[xXSkyscraperDudeXx]

I would like to see Pittsburgh be a bigger City!

[Jonboy1983]

Originally Posted by xXSkyscraperDudeXx

I would like to see Pittsburgh be a bigger City!

You and me both! It used to be one of the biggest cities in the country, and then its population went into a freefall. It's growing again, but I wish it still had over a half-million people...

[Tosin007]

Originally Posted by xXSkyscraperDudeXx

I would like to see Pittsburgh be a bigger City!

Doesn't Pittsburgh have a Metro Population of almost 3 Million, this is small to you?

[LMich]

Kind of random, and out-of-the way, but my first thought (and it's really local) was Traverse City, Michigan. Only about 15,000 in population, it serves a HUGE geographic area, and feels much bigger. I'd like to see the resident population mirror its regional importance and its high quality of life. In fact, I'd like to see it and Marquette in the UP become larger cities for their particular regions (Northern Michigan and the UP, respectively). Realistically, each could be about 30,000.

Currently, Great Lakes Central Railroad has a vision for round-trip passenger service from Ann Arbor to Traverse City. Anything that helps develop the northern ends of the state is a good thing, these days, and tying them in, transportation-wise, will only help build the connection.