Fast Growing Small Towns, Should They grow to be major?

[Jortega]

I have noticed some cities are small, but should they have some skyscrapers so they can at least grow to become a major, city.? For example my hometown, Pueblo, Colorado, has a fast growing rate. It has gained 5,000 residents since last year for only having about 150,000 residents. And that is what happened with Dubai and Shanghai, which are huge and both have the top 2 tallest buildings in the world. Any ways Pueblo is like Dubai in the early 1970s. They both are having a boom with population and that is why places, except for Pheonix, Arizona, build huge towers, to expand jobs. Pueblo is a town that produces metal, which is givingbit enough money to build a huge tower. Now with the small population and the large amount of space in all of Pueblo and Pueblo West they could build a tower like a freestanding structure that can let people view the natural beauty of the north and west side in the downtown area. Of they do it will get money from the tourism. Now here is my question. Should small towns build skyscrapers so they can raise the population? The city is run mostly on hydroelectric power, and many of the citizens walk a lot and it saves earth. Denver used to have a high crime rate until the skyscrapers came in to the town and now is a huge place being in 14th place for most skyscrapers in a city in the us. With all of the factories making it seem like a poluted place, but they all are on the least populated part and mostly don't affect that many people in the city. The tallest building there is now just 17 Flores high and makes it about 280 ft high. We could change it all and have our lives be clean in a massive city.🗼🏦🏢󾓦🌁🌆🌃🌇

[ThePhun1]

One to watch over the next 50 years is St. George, Utah. The population has exploded since 1990. It's one of the few places not relatively close to a major population center to do that. I honestly can't think of any other place not within 80 miles or so of an established city that is growing so fast. It's relatively close to Las Vegas but not close enough to where Vegas is a reason it's growing so fast (especially since STG is in a dry state that's the polar opposite of Nevada in many ways).

[jcchii]

Austin might be closest in US

[ThePhun1]

Originally Posted by jcchii

Austin might be closest in US

Hardy har, actually a better example in that region may be Kileen and Temple or even San Marcos.

[JoninATX]

Originally Posted by ThePhun1

Hardy har, actually a better example in that region may be Kileen and Temple or even San Marcos.

All the small central Texas cities are experiencing high growth. Waco, Temple, Killeen, Kyle, San Marcos, and New Braunfels. Each one of them expect for Kyle as a population over 50,000. Waco and Killeen are by far the largest cities outside of Austin and San Antonio.

[Private Dick]

Originally Posted by Jortega

I have noticed some cities are small, but should they have some skyscrapers so they can at least grow to become a major, city.? For example my hometown, Pueblo, Colorado, has a fast growing rate. It has gained 5,000 residents since last year for only having about 150,000 residents. And that is what happened with Dubai and Shanghai, which are huge and both have the top 2 tallest buildings in the world. Any ways Pueblo is like Dubai in the early 1970s. They both are having a boom with population and that is why places, except for Pheonix, Arizona, build huge towers, to expand jobs. Pueblo is a town that produces metal, which is givingbit enough money to build a huge tower. Now with the small population and the large amount of space in all of Pueblo and Pueblo West they could build a tower like a freestanding structure that can let people view the natural beauty of the north and west side in the downtown area. Of they do it will get money from the tourism. Now here is my question. Should small towns build skyscrapers so they can raise the population? The city is run mostly on hydroelectric power, and many of the citizens walk a lot and it saves earth. Denver used to have a high crime rate until the skyscrapers came in to the town and now is a huge place being in 14th place for most skyscrapers in a city in the us. With all of the factories making it seem like a poluted place, but they all are on the least populated part and mostly don't affect that many people in the city. The tallest building there is now just 17 Flores high and makes it about 280 ft high. We could change it all and have our lives be clean in a massive city.🗼🏦🏢󾓦🌁🌆🌃🌇

The secret is out!!

Build skyscrapers to expand population and lower crime! We have been discussing these topics on this very forum for years, trying to figure out ways to do these things... and the solution is staring at us right in our stupid faces! Build skyscrapers guys! Duh!

[Buckeye Native 001]

Is the OP a reincarnation of banned forumer (and notorious Pueblo booster) Eeyore?

[Leo the Dog]

Casa Grande, AZ could turn into a large city in the next century. It lies halfway between Phoenix and Tucson. There were plans of building a massive international airport at one point to serve the growing population along the 10 corridor. There are plenty of water rights. It is largely an agricultural hub. Urban development uses far less water than agriculture.

There are railroad rows that could also be expanded and upgraded to serve the "sun corridor" and access to the 8 freeway to San Diego and the 10 to Phoenix - LA and Tucson - Texas, and the 19 to Sonora, Mexico.

[mr1138]

Originally Posted by Buckeye Native 001

Is the OP a reincarnation of banned forumer (and notorious Pueblo booster) Eeyore?

I was wondering the same thing...

In all seriousness though, I think the original post simply has the logic backwards. It's putting the cart before the horse. Cities don't build skyscrapers to create jobs and become rich. Jobs and wealth are created, and then (if the city allows it), skyscrapers may follow.

I think there are some things that a city can do to spur growth and interest. It starts by taking care of and nurturing whatever old, walkable areas are left in a city, something Pueblo is actually doing decently. But it also requires efforts by local economic policies to spur job creation and population growth, and these could be radically different depending on the city. And honestly... I think it takes at least some degree of luck and random chance. It's amazingly simplistic to think that a city can secure its future by just "building skyscrapers." I don't think any other city can or even should be using Dubai as a model for success (I would debate how successful a bunch of empty skyscrapers are anyway).

[wong21fr]

Pueblo County might be finally growing again, but it's outside of the city. The majority of the growth is actually occurring in unincorporated areas outside of the city where retirees are flocking for the low cost of living. In the last 25 years, the City of Pueblo has added about 10,000 residents. It's just not the boomtown that the OP mentions. Heck, it's not even in the top ten for fastest growing cities in Colorado.

The OP sounds like ol' Eeyore, but not as articulate.

[llamaorama]

While I doubt it could become a "major city", I have a feeling that Bryan-College Station is really going to move up in the ranks and surpass other small to mid sized cities in the state despite being somewhat smaller than the rest of them.

College Station was the second fastest growing city in the country in 2014. Brazos County as a whole grew 27% between 2000 and 2010 to about 200,000 people.

Texas A&M is a huge and highly regarded university and research institution with 58,577 students, of which 14,000 are in the school of engineering and many others in valuable STEM majors. There is another 20,000 or so community college students. This attracts companies who set up branch offices and operations locally. There is a project to develop a "biocorridor" of biotech companies of which there are 3 or 4 set up now in a new industrial park. Also scores of industrial and service industry development all over the city and region. We have gigabit internet too.

Really all the things that can build a sustainable foundation for rapid growth are here. The only weaknesses I see are the downturn caused by a decrease in oil and gas drilling, being relatively peripheral to transportation networks, and the reputation of College Station for being kind of suburban and not having a traditional urban college town feel. All these things are being resolved though- the economy will adapt, there is a toll road to the north Houston suburbs in the works, we have more flights than we did a decade ago, and there is a ton of infill development.

Hardy har, actually a better example in that region may be Kileen and Temple or even San Marcos.

I wonder if Killeen will hit a wall or even shrink if change comes to Fort Hood or the US simply spends less on defense. I'm amazed it is as big as it is, and I wouldn't be surprised if it is close to or already reached its peak.

Temple has an abundance of jobs in healthcare, logistics, and manufacturing, but the west hill country half of Bell County where Killeen and most of the population lives is really is nothing more than a giant bedroom community and service center for Fort Hood. The colleges and hospitals and retail there are mostly oriented into serving military families and retirees.

It's proximity to Austin probably hurts more than it helps. Someone leaving the military after being stationed there isn't going to hang around when one of the most popular new cities to move to in the US is an hour's drive south.

[JoninATX]

Originally Posted by llamaorama

While I doubt it could become a "major city", I have a feeling that Bryan-College Station is really going to move up in the ranks and surpass other small to mid sized cities in the state despite being somewhat smaller than the rest of them.

College Station was the second fastest growing city in the country in 2014. Brazos County as a whole grew 27% between 2000 and 2010 to about 200,000 people.

Texas A&M is a huge and highly regarded university and research institution with 58,577 students, of which 14,000 are in the school of engineering and many others in valuable STEM majors. There is another 20,000 or so community college students. This attracts companies who set up branch offices and operations locally. There is a project to develop a "biocorridor" of biotech companies of which there are 3 or 4 set up now in a new industrial park. Also scores of industrial and service industry development all over the city and region. We have gigabit internet too.

Really all the things that can build a sustainable foundation for rapid growth are here. The only weaknesses I see are the downturn caused by a decrease in oil and gas drilling, being relatively peripheral to transportation networks, and the reputation of College Station for being kind of suburban and not having a traditional urban college town feel. All these things are being resolved though- the economy will adapt, there is a toll road to the north Houston suburbs in the works, we have more flights than we did a decade ago, and there is a ton of infill development.



I wonder if Killeen will hit a wall or even shrink if change comes to Fort Hood or the US simply spends less on defense. I'm amazed it is as big as it is, and I wouldn't be surprised if it is close to or already reached its peak.

Temple has an abundance of jobs in healthcare, logistics, and manufacturing, but the west hill country half of Bell County where Killeen and most of the population lives is really is nothing more than a giant bedroom community and service center for Fort Hood. The colleges and hospitals and retail there are mostly oriented into serving military families and retirees.

It's proximity to Austin probably hurts more than it helps. Someone leaving the military after being stationed there isn't going to hang around when one of the most popular new cities to move to in the US is an hour's drive south.

I will say that's a pretty accurate summary especially in Killeen case. Killeen is nothing more that a giant suburb that mostly relizes on Fort Hood. the city will feel the pitch when the up coming cuts at Fort Hood. But for Temple, as well as Belton seems to have a more brighter future since that area is becoming an economic hub for central Texas.