[ShuwanCarlton]

Obviously, The South's subforum leads the way by a mile on this website. Why is there so much more enthusiasm for urban development in this particular region than any of the others? I'm interested

 

[Nic]

Obviously, The South's subforum leads the way by a mile on this website. Why is there so much more enthusiasm for urban development in this particular region than any of the others? I'm interested

Although some will undoubtedly look down their noses at the reason, it is because it is exciting. The South is the the fastest growing area of the U.S. We are experiencing the greatest changes of anywhere in our country. Not to mention, many feel we have something to prove, because the South truly is misunderstood. And, to top it all off, in many areas all the growth has occurred post WWII, so it has been very suburban in nature; we are now finally seeing true urban development that is transforming our cities into something totally new.

 

[aj|mem]

The South is a very competitive place; it's like sibling rivalry really. We all like to know what is going on in other places and then try to "out-do" it. And yes, I definitely believe that part of the mentality is that the South always feels as if it has something to prove to the rest of the Country.

 

[LSyd]

b/c teh south will rise again. it's kind of like the economic war/revenge of the japanese in the 80s. YEE-HAWWW!!!

-

 

[lokinyc]

everyone knows Southerners like to talk more.

 

[newyorkrunaway1]

^^^^^
i agree, lol :jk:

 

[Jasonhouse]

it's the age demographic of the southern forumers... Well that and the significant trend towards highrise and urban living which is finally taking hold in numerous southern cities.

btw, I have a difficult time believing that the south has overtaken the west as the fastest growing region.

 

[Nic]

it's the age demographic of the southern forumers... Well that and the significant trend towards highrise and urban living which is finally taking hold in numerous southern cities.

btw, I have a difficult time believing that the south has overtaken the west as the fastest growing region.

Well, if you include TX and FL in the South, there is no question it is, and will continue to be the fastest growing region.

 

[James704]

'Cause the South is a high-growth and un(der)appreciated region.

 

[teshadoh]

You are all wrong - it's because I make this forum so exciting

 

[Nick in Atlanta]

I have a difficult time believing that the south has overtaken the west as the fastest growing region.

Percentage wise, the West is growing fastest, but the Southeast is not far behind. In terms of the raw numerical increase in people, the Southeast is way ahead in numbers.

California's population is not climbing as fast as it was about 15 years ago. People are still coming to California from abroad, but many native Californians are moving to out of California for cheaper housing and a better quality of life in Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Washington state.

 

[DuskTrooper]

Don't forget Texas!

 

[Carolina Blue]

Although some will undoubtedly look down their noses at the reason, it is because it is exciting. The South is the the fastest growing area of the U.S. We are experiencing the greatest changes of anywhere in our country. Not to mention, many feel we have something to prove, because the South truly is misunderstood. And, to top it all off, in many areas all the growth has occurred post WWII, so it has been very suburban in nature; we are now finally seeing true urban development that is transforming our cities into something totally new.

I would agree with Nic’s comments. The South is a very exciting place to be right now. Most cities are experiencing phenomenal growth, and there’s tons of development. The fact is in Southern boomtowns like Charlotte we are inundated every week with stories about growth and development (such as the one below from WSOC TV last night). I work Uptown and the latest developments, or rumors of developments, are typically the talk of the day. So naturally, we can’t help but talk about it on forums…that’s what we always talk about.

Example of typical media stories in “our world”:

Major New Stores Expected In Uptown Charlotte

POSTED: 11:17 pm EDT April 27, 2005

Charlotte, NC -- Major stores could soon start building in uptown Charlotte after center-city population passes a milestone, experts said Wednesday night.

The latest available statistics show that 10,000 people currently live in uptown Charlotte and builders are planning homes planned for an additional 2700 people.

Charlotte Center City Partners said Wednesday night that new, larger stores will be attracted to uptown Charlotte once the center-city population passes 12,500.

The group's new president, Michael Smith, said that milestone "really allows us to bring new ammenities. Ammenities we all want. It will really compliment the other things we're doing in the center city such as building new transit lines."

Copyright 2005 by WSOCTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed

Link: http://www.wsoctv.com/news/4424516/detail.html

 

[Jasonhouse]

^There's no need to hijack the topic with local boosting dude.

 

[Style™]

4/10 americans will live in the south by 2030. that's more than any other region. while it wont all be dense development, there will be an increase in development.

 

[Justadude]

I think Nic's response sums it up:

- Misunderstood region proving itself capable of great things
- Extremely fast growth with a good outlook for the future
- The rapid emergence of true urban areas, which is something that you only really get to see once in a lifetime

 

[nomarandlee]

4/10 americans will live in the south by 2030. that's more than any other region. while it wont all be dense development, there will be an increase in development.

You sure about that? I just can't see how that would be true.

 

[great prairie]

If you include Texas like this forum does it seems very likely, hard to find over a metro over 500,000 that isn't growing rapidly in the south.

 

[James704]

Things are moving really fast here. Its pretty schizophrenic. While all this is exciting, sometimes I can't wait for things to slow down so we can regain some solidarity.

 

[Raleigh-NC]

Can't speak for the entire South because I haven't seen most of it. I will speak from the perspective of someone who was born in NYC, grew up in Europe, returned to NYC and moved to Raleigh, NC. It is always a major change to go from highly urban, ultra busy areas to lower density ones, but the returns coming from career opportunities and a slower pace are tenfold... for some of us. The South seems to be taking large steps forward and becoming destination for major relocations. Not just a bunch of retirees who are looking for a calmer and cheaper lifestyle, but corporate relocations. The weather, the business climate, the cost of living... These are some of the biggest factors.

Now, along with business growth comes population growth. Major challenges in urban developments also create excitement over providing solutions, which in turn get us all enthusiastic. In the last few years alone, the South seems to focus more on density, public transportation, good urban guidelines, high-rises, and all those things that North has had for a very long time. The pace has changed a lot and it is not uncommon to hear of new developments every week - talking about the larger cities in the South. Hell, even Raleigh is getting back to its good old self, however slow the process might feel. So, the overall enthusiasm of the Southern forumers is well justified, but it is easier to understand if you live in the faster growing areas of this region.