Dominant city usurpations

SIGSEGV · #1 Posted **Dec 29, 2018, 6:12 PM**

What are examples of a country's (or state/region's) dominant city changing?

For example, in Nevada, Reno used to be the most important city for a while and then Las Vegas took that role over. In the US, arguably NYC usurped Philly at one point for most important city. In the Midwest, Chicago decrowned St. Louis.

And what are some future changes in city dominance people predict? Has Columbus already become the dominant city in Ohio? Will Melbourne outpace Sydney?

austlar1 · #2 Posted **Dec 29, 2018, 6:16 PM**

never mind

iheartthed · #3 Posted **Dec 29, 2018, 7:30 PM**

Los Angeles/San Francisco

kcexpress69 · #4 Posted **Dec 29, 2018, 8:09 PM**

My example doesn't necessarily include just a city, but more of a region. Northwest Arkansas has two MSAs that include the cities of Fort Smith, Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, and Bentonville. Add them both up and you have over 800,000 people. Central Arkansas has a CSA that includes Little Rock, N. Little Rock, Conway, and Pine Bluff. There's over 900,000 people living there. Don't get me wrong.... Little Rock will remain the Dominant city in the State of Arkansas for years to come, but as far as regions go, Northwest Arkansas is making a great case for fighting for some of that dominance that Central Arkansas has long enjoyed.

skyscraperpage17 · #5 Posted **Dec 29, 2018, 8:49 PM**

Nashville overtaking Memphis in Tennessee.

Agent Orange · #6 Posted **Dec 29, 2018, 9:29 PM**

Montreal > Toronto

Sydney > Melbourne > Sydney

Philadelphia > New York

Rio de Janeiro > São Paulo

Austin55 · #7 Posted **Dec 29, 2018, 10:41 PM**

In Texas,

Austin has yet to really overtake anyone but I do think it's taken away a lot of attention from San Antonio. Can't imagine either ever overtaking DFW or Houston in the next century though, likely not ever.

Houston certainly overtook Galveston right around the turn of the 1900s, with lot of assitance from the hurricane.

dc_denizen · #8 Posted **Dec 29, 2018, 11:01 PM**

Montreal is the ur-example.

BG918 · #9 Posted **Dec 29, 2018, 11:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Austin55

In Texas,

Austin has yet to really overtake anyone but I do think it's taken away a lot of attention from San Antonio. Can't imagine either ever overtaking DFW or Houston in the next century though, likely not ever.

Houston certainly overtook Galveston right around the turn of the 1900s, with lot of assitance from the hurricane.

Austin absolutely overshadows San Antonio especially in the past 20 years. I do think San Antonio will have its day soon though. You’re correct neither will dethrone Houston or DFW.

What about Kansas City over St Louis?

SunDevil · #10 Posted **Dec 30, 2018, 1:45 AM**

I believe Florida went from Pensacola to Jacksonville to Miami

#11 Posted **Dec 30, 2018, 3:18 AM**

This thread's already been done: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=209261&page=39

Hamilton · #12 Posted **Dec 30, 2018, 3:26 AM**

Cleveland -> Columbus
Jamestown -> Williamsburg -> Richmond, Virginia

kcexpress69 · #13 Posted **Dec 30, 2018, 4:24 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BG918

What about Kansas City over St Louis?

Kansas City might be well ahead of St Louis on city population, but that's pretty much where it ends. There's too many drawbacks to where Kansas City is located. A state line runs right through the metro area splitting the Missouri side from the Kansas side about 60/40. Furthermore, the city itself is divided by the Missouri River with a major portion increasingly growing north of the river. I think this divide severely limits the potential of Kansas City. However, the Metro area as a whole is growing. I just don't believe it will ever catch up to St Louis.

Dogtownbnr · #14 Posted **Dec 30, 2018, 5:02 AM**

^St. Louis is FINALLY really pushing for consolidation of the City and County. Things are truly materializing! I’d guess 5-10 years, maybe less. If that happens, STL proper will be 1.5 million. Metro likely pushing 3 million or more of things improve. I expect that eventually with the switch from manufacturering to tech in full swing.

kcexpress69 · #15 Posted **Dec 30, 2018, 6:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dogtownbnr

^St. Louis is FINALLY really pushing for consolidation of the City and County. Things are truly materializing! I’d guess 5-10 years, maybe less. If that happens, STL proper will be 1.5 million. Metro likely pushing 3 million or more of things improve. I expect that eventually with the switch from manufacturering to tech in full swing.

I wouldn't get your hopes up just yet. This may be still a ways off. I hope that it happens, but I wouldn't expect the population to jump to 1.5 million. They might be able to annex some of the unincorporated parts of the county such as Concord, Oakville, Afton, Lemay, and Mehlville, but I doubt that the existing municipalities in St. Louis County would want to be annexed. It will be interesting to see what happens, if in fact it does happen!!

Paul in S.A TX · #16 Posted **Dec 30, 2018, 7:00 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BG918

Austin absolutely overshadows San Antonio especially in the past 20 years. I do think San Antonio will have its day soon though. You’re correct neither will dethrone Houston or DFW.

What about Kansas City over St Louis?

Austin beats S.A. In certain categories and vice-versa, but in no way does Austin overshadow anything over S.A. Especially when comparing, economy, population density and urbanity.

Centropolis · #17 Posted **Dec 30, 2018, 2:46 PM**

. double

Centropolis · #18 Posted **Dec 30, 2018, 2:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BG918

What about Kansas City over St Louis?

as has already been mentioned, st. louis is dominant in missouri (politics, etc) in a way kc will never likely be. the GDP of the st. louis metro is weighted very heavily into missouri, it has the lions share of old “missouri” institutions (missouri history museum, missouri botanical gardens, etc), while KC arguably only has one foot in missouri (its more than that with core KCMO
being in MO but the GDP and cultural split really rips things in two).

Centropolis · #19 Posted **Dec 30, 2018, 2:55 PM**

thats not to say that kc might not overall become dominant through metro population, economically or “popularity contest” wise. the current core city population “advantage” is of course mostly meaningless. kc is winning the popularity contest with outstate missouri recent college grads, probably. i think it has an advantage for the early-mid 20 something crowd and has a more festive downtown. i think st. louis wins on the thirty-something front, especially people with kids who want a more urban neighborhood with more school options. kc doesnt have pre-war urburbs/suburbs. i think the core city variety of schools is greater in st. louis, too. urban dwellers in kc seem to veer “full suburban” more starkly at a certain point in their lives as if “its time” to put “urban living” behind them.

Leveled · #20 Posted **Dec 30, 2018, 3:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcexpress69

I wouldn't get your hopes up just yet. This may be still a ways off. I hope that it happens, but I wouldn't expect the population to jump to 1.5 million. They might be able to annex some of the unincorporated parts of the county such as Concord, Oakville, Afton, Lemay, and Mehlville, but I doubt that the existing municipalities in St. Louis County would want to be annexed. It will be interesting to see what happens, if in fact it does happen!!

Citi suburbs shouldn’t be given the option to say no. They exist because of the city. They can pay their share.