Downtowns are back

[mhays]

The biggest reasons have more to do with (a) the convenience of being close to work, (b) a desire to live where the action is, and (c) an exploding number of singles and couples with no kids. Some of that overlaps your points.

Point b is furthered by the upward spiral of more people bringing more services and cool things which bring more people.

[Quixote]

Looks impressive, right?


SSP/DoctorBoffin

But wait, that's just the tip of the iceberg...







SSP/DoctorBoffin


SSP/DoctorBoffin


SSP/DoctorBoffin

[Yuri]

Awesome. It will look like some futuristic Los Angeles movie. Take a night shot, with a nice filter and you have Blade Runner.

[Yuri]

Downtown Cincinnati




------------------------------ 2020 ------ 2010 ------ 2000 ------ 1990 ------ Growth ------ Density

Downtown ---------------------- 6,629 ------ 5,657 ------ 4,303 ------ 4,649 ---- 17.2% ---- 31.5% ---- -7.4% ------- 2.7 km² --- 2,486.5 inh./km²

Over-the-Rhine ---------------- 5,622 ------ 6,064 ------ 6,439 ------ 8,353 ---- -7.3% ---- -5.8% --- -22.9% ------- 1.1 km² --- 5,019.6 inh./km²

Cincinnati ------------------ 309,317 ---- 297,098 ---- 330,796 ---- 364,831 ----- 4.1% --- -10.2% ---- -9.3% ----- 201.6 km² --- 1,534.3 inh./km²

Cincinnati Metro Area ----- 2,241,397 -- 2,121,683 -- 2,001,353 -- 1,837,151 ----- 5.6% ----- 6.0% ----- 8.9% -- 10,833 km²


Downtown Cincinnati is a very constrict area, boxed by the highways and the hills. Growth wasn't as impressive as we've seen elsewhere, but it seems solid.

As it's immediately north of Downtown, I decided to bring Over-the-Rhine. It still posts population losses and now might be a sign of gentrification, I don't know.

And maybe the most remarkable thing here is the city of Cincinnati itself, posting growth for the first time since 1940-1950.

[jmecklenborg]

Originally Posted by yuriandrade

[SIZE="3"]Downtown Cincinnati

As it's immediately north of Downtown, I decided to bring Over-the-Rhine. It still posts population losses and now might be a sign of gentrification, I don't know.

And maybe the most remarkable thing here is the city of Cincinnati itself, posting growth for the first time since 1940-1950.

Correct, yuppie singles and couples with no kids taking up entire floors where 10-20 adults and kids used to live.

[LA21st]

Originally Posted by yuriandrade

Awesome. It will look like some futuristic Los Angeles movie. Take a night shot, with a nice filter and you have Blade Runner.

Once the purple line is completed to West LA, you will see a explosion of highrises in LA like never before. It's gonna be crazy, just that one line alone.
I dont think outsiders are really aware of the change that will happen.

[Yuri]

Originally Posted by LA21st

Once the purple line is completed to West LA, you will see a explosion of highrises in LA like never before. It's gonna be crazy, just that one line alone.
I dont think outsiders are really aware of the change that will happen.

Yesterday I watched the 1st episode of the 3rd season of HBO's Westworld. Lots of futuristic takes on Downtown LA, MacArthur Park and I found very realistic, full of residential infill.

They also put some skyscrapers on Downtown-Santa Monica corridor, which is a bit less likely.

[Yuri]

Downtown Phoenix




------------------------------ 2020 ------ 2010 ------ 2000 ------ 1990 ------ Growth ------ Density

Downtown --------------------- 12,896 ------ 8,643 ------ 7,981 ------ 8,721 ----- 49.2% ----- 8.3% ---- -8.5% ------- 5.2 km² --- 2,495.8 inh./km²

Phoenix MSA --------------- 4,845,832 -- 4,192,887 -- 3,251,876 -- 2,238,480 --- 15.6% --- 28.9% --- 45.3% -- 37,731 km²


Census tracts (4) match perfectly with the official definition of Downtown Phoenix. Growth there picked up later, in the 2010's only, in a moment the region slowed down considerably. I don't know how things are on the ground there, population is still low, but it looks promising regardless.

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by yuriandrade

Not much to say about Downtown Buffalo. Even though it's posting a decent growth, it still has a very small population and low density. Lots of room for improvement.

I guess the most remarkable news comes from the city and the MSA, growing for the first time since 1940-1950 and 1960-1970, respectively.

While the population growth may be small in Buffalo's central business district, the amount of development in Greater Downtown area which includes the medical campus and Larkinville has been in the multiple Billions worth, a figure that the tiny CBD pop growth doesn't show.

Major Development completed since 2010 Census

•$375M UB medical school
•$290M Gates Vascular Institute
•$272M Oishei Buffalo Children's Hospital
•$172M LECOM Harborcenter mixed use project including full-service Marriott hotel, twin pad ice arena, workout/training facility, fine dining restaurant, giant sports bar, parking garage (adjacent to the KeyBank NHL arena)
•$137M Robert H. Jackson US Courthouse
•$130M Seneca Creek Buffalo casino
•$110M Delaware North HQ including Westin Hotel
•$110M Coventus Medical office/R&D building
•Tens of Millions of dollars expansions to Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
•countless buildings downtown and in Larkinville rehabbed into residential, office space, mixed-use, hotels, new restaurants
•Explore & More children's museum down by the water in Canalside

•Buffalo's tallest tower 529ft/161m and 1.2M square feet (former Marine Midland bank/HSBC tower) now rechristened Seneca One Tower by DC-based developer Douglas Jemal

•$150M makeover
•repainted exterior in terracotta and gun metal
•adding 115+ apartments
•redoing office space
•Buffalo-based M&T Bank alone spending $58M (separate from main rehab cost) inside the structure for a technology hub

I'm sure benp will let me know if I missed anything major

[dc_denizen]

I'd rather they add towers and midrise along the major arterials.

[JDRCRASH]

Originally Posted by dc_denizen

I'd rather they add towers and midrise along the major arterials.

Thats happening, too, especially around Koreatown.

Just wait till Westlake/MacArthur is cornered on all sides with development. It will pop like CRAZY.

[liat91]

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

Thats happening, too, especially around Koreatown.

Just wait till Westlake/MacArthur is cornered on all sides with development. It will pop like CRAZY.

That’s what I’m hoping for.

Major high rises across the 110 would be insane as well, leading all the way to Westlake.

[Quixote]

Originally Posted by dc_denizen

I'd rather they add towers and midrise along the major arterials.

DTLA is centrally located within LA County, and is the hub of Metro, Metrolink, and CAHSR (whenever that will arrive). Ideas of a built-up DTLA and a multi-nodal city aren't mutually exclusive. DTLA being the dominant nodal center is critical to restructuring the city's economic, political, cultural, and social dynamics. It will allow both residents and politicians alike to finally connect the dots and understand the region's enormous urban potential.

[Skintreesnail]

The Rochester growth is nice to see; grew up near there. Surprised of the higher density than Buffalo. Buffalo has some pretty dense neighborhoods right outside it's downtown (Allentown, west village, Elmwood), but obviously needs more mixed use downtown. Hopefully the Canalside district will add some residential.

[TimCity2000]

^ curious as to which areas you used to define as "downtown" birmingham?

there's no way it has lost residents over the last 10 years. downtown is one of the few growing areas of the city.

[Yuri]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

^ curious as to which areas you used to define as "downtown" birmingham?

there's no way it has lost residents over the last 10 years. downtown is one of the few growing areas of the city.

It's the two census tracts bordered by the freeway loop on three sides and the railway south. It's the area showed in the pic.

Originally Posted by dc_denizen

note the east end has completely filled in during the past 20 years

(by comparing to the CBRE map above)

I'll check each census tract later. I don't remember which ones were pushing Downtown Washington up.

[TimCity2000]

Originally Posted by yuriandrade

It's the two census tracts bordered by the freeway loop on three sides and the railway south. It's the area showed in the pic.

personally, i'd include census tract 45.02 as well, which also appears in the pic (upper right).

[Yuri]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

personally, i'd include census tract 45.02 as well, which also appears in the pic (upper right).

Birmingham was hard for me because neither Wikipedia nor Google brought definitions of it. I guess this concept is not much used there.

That census tract you mentioned is growing, but it doesn't do much to increase the overall density.

[TimCity2000]

Originally Posted by yuriandrade

That census tract you mentioned is growing, but it doesn't do much to increase the overall density.

Agreed, but it would still double the population you currently show for downtown Birmingham.

The Convention & Visitors Bureau seems to include it in their definition, and several hotels in that census tract have the word "Downtown" in their name: https://www.birminghamal.org/neighborhood/downtown/

Obviously not a big deal, and I do appreciate the time you've put into this. I just felt like downtown Birmingham was not adequately shown.

[mhays]

I've stayed in Midtown and DTLA in recent years. Midtown is pretty good (last visited in February 2020), but I saw nothing like the pedestrian volumes of the busier parts of DTLA.