The Ten Most Important US Cities (and in Canada)

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by fleonzo

Thanks

You're welcome.

[mousquet]

Toulouse barely sufficient...
What a joke.

You know, it is only the main European hub of aerospace engineering and manufacturing today, with Airbus and a whole cluster of businesses specializing in that matter based over there, and one of the fastest growing cities in entire Europe.

Oh well, "sufficient"... Yeah, right.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by DCReid

Yes, Montreal's ranking is a little odd. I would think it would now rank around the same level as Vancouver. .

Not really. Not even close. This is a fairly business-oriented list, and Montreal is a way bigger business centre than Vancouver, has more head offices, etc. (Vancouver is a great city but the main metrics it is ahead of Montreal on are people in certain Asian countries thinking of a place to move in Canada, and Australian ski bums looking for a place to land for a while.)

It may have changed a bit of late but I believe Calgary even has more head offices than Vancouver. If Vancouver has more head offices than Calgary today, it's not that far head, when you consider the size of the two cites. Or metro areas, which is what we're really measuring.

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by DCReid

Yes, Montreal's ranking is a little odd. I would think it would now rank around the same level as Vancouver. Also Denver ranking above Seattle and Philly is strange, and Tampa's relative high ranking, above Detroit and Austin is quite odd.

Montreal CMA is 1,640,000 people larger than Vancouver. It has more HQ, higher GDP (or Gross Metropolitan Product in this case), has always been seen in Canada as a notch above Vancouver.

Anyone that follows Canada knows that Montreal is a more important city than Vancouver. Vancouver is more important for Chinese nationals to park their money...in real estate.

[SFBruin]

I don't think Seattle is that important.

Rich? Yes. Important? Maybe.

[SFBruin]

FWIW, I think San Francisco and Washington DC are the two most important cities in the US, at least politically.

Edit: I suppose you could throw New York in there, to make a top 3.

[Nite]

Originally Posted by DCReid

Yes, Montreal's ranking is a little odd. I would think it would now rank around the same level as Vancouver. Also Denver ranking above Seattle and Philly is strange, and Tampa's relative high ranking, above Detroit and Austin is quite odd.

Why would anyone think Vancouver was at Montreal's level

[ssiguy]

Originally Posted by Nite

Why would anyone think Vancouver was at Montreal's level

No one except Vancouverites.

Vancouver definitely has high levels of connectivity due to being a huge port city and a large draw for immigrants and especially those who want to launder their money. It also has a robust technology sector and is a film making centre. That said, none of Canada's 25 largest corporations are headquartered any where in BC. Calgary is Western Canada's economic centre with a plethora of corporate headquarters.

Vancouver is not even in Montreal's league and nor is it in Seattle's.

[Smuttynose1]

Originally Posted by Nite

Why would anyone think Vancouver was at Montreal's level

I live in New England, about as close as one can get to Montreal in the United States and about as far away from Vancouver, and I swear I hear more press about Vancouver than Montreal. I know Montreal is much larger and it's a beautiful city. I know it's weird and I don't understand why, but Vancouver just gets a lot of press. I work in planning and planners love Vancouver, so maybe that has something to do with it. Also, Vancouver's strong economic connections with China may have something to do with it, as China is covered much more extensively in the press now. I would also say that the Pacific Northwest cities in general, including Portland and Seattle, get probably more press than their sizes would suggest.

[Zeej]

Originally Posted by Smuttynose1

I live in New England, about as close as one can get to Montreal in the United States and about as far away from Vancouver, and I swear I hear more press about Vancouver than Montreal. I know Montreal is much larger and it's a beautiful city. I know it's weird and I don't understand why, but Vancouver just gets a lot of press. I work in planning and planners love Vancouver, so maybe that has something to do with it. Also, Vancouver's strong economic connections with China may have something to do with it, as China is covered much more extensively in the press now. I would also say that the Pacific Northwest cities in general, including Portland and Seattle, get probably more press than their sizes would suggest.

Not surprised that Vancouver is heavily discussed in planning circles - Vancouverism is definitely a thing that has influenced other places.

[Crawford]

Say what? Vancouver is more prominent than Montreal in New England?

Nonsense. Montreal is much more prominent than even Toronto in New England.

[homebucket]

Montreal and DC should probably be swapped on this list.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by homebucket

Montreal and DC should probably be swapped on this list.

As Crawford points out, the fact that the U.S. has an enormous domestic market pushes American cities down relative to Canadian ones. Every time Montreal deals with New England, it counts as "international" activity.

[homebucket]

I’d also move Denver down to B- and Detroit and Austin up to B.

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by pdxtex

That's some old ass data. Important cities should further the culture and offer innovation but should be well balanced and obtainable. I don't think I would include places like Seattle, DC or San Francisco any more. They have just become repositories of high income group think. Honestly outside of New York, Chicago, Toronto and maybe Los Angeles or Boston, the most important cities right now are going to be immigrant havens of the south. Dallas, Houston and Atlanta are the most important cities under 9 million.

Eh? What does being affordable have to do with global importance? Are HK and Singapore less important because they're expensive cities to live in?

[SlidellWx]

In terms of supplying the nation with the energy needed to allow the modern world to operate the way it does, the most important metro areas in the country are:

1. Houston, TX (17.2% of national fuel production)
2. Beaumont, TX (10.1% of national fuel production)
3. New Orleans, LA (6.8% of national fuel production)
4. Baton Rouge, LA (6.1% of national fuel production)
5. Corpus Christi, TX (5.6% of national fuel production)
6. Chicago, IL (5.4% of national fuel production)
7. Lake Charles, LA (4.8% of national fuel production)
8. San Francisco, CA (4.6% of national fuel production)
9. Los Angeles, CA (3.3% of national fuel production)
10. Philadelphia, PA (2.8% of national fuel production)

Source:
https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/refine...ity/table3.pdf

The last big fuel outage was after Katrina in 2005 when the large parts of the nation experienced fuel shortages and prices spiked to nearly $4/gallon due to the refineries in New Orleans and Baton Rouge being knocked out commission for more than a week. In current dollar value, that is gas of $6/gallon. God forbid a Cat 5 hit Houston directly.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-sig...na-out-of-gas/

[bnk]

Originally Posted by SlidellWx

In terms of supplying the nation with the energy needed to allow the modern world to operate the way it does, the most important metro areas in the country are:

1. Houston, TX (17.2% of national fuel production)
2. Beaumont, TX (10.1% of national fuel production)
3. New Orleans, LA (6.8% of national fuel production)
4. Baton Rouge, LA (6.1% of national fuel production)
5. Corpus Christi, TX (5.6% of national fuel production)
6. Chicago, IL (5.4% of national fuel production)
7. Lake Charles, LA (4.8% of national fuel production)
8. San Francisco, CA (4.6% of national fuel production)
9. Los Angeles, CA (3.3% of national fuel production)
10. Philadelphia, PA (2.8% of national fuel production)

Source:
https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/refine...ity/table3.pdf

The last big fuel outage was after Katrina in 2005 when the large parts of the nation experienced fuel shortages and prices spiked to nearly $4/gallon due to the refineries in New Orleans and Baton Rouge being knocked out commission for more than a week. In current dollar value, that is gas of $6/gallon. God forbid a Cat 5 hit Houston directly.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-sig...na-out-of-gas/

I'm surprised SF refines as much fuel that it does

Where does that happen?

On the east end by Richmond and the burg of Chicago or Oakland.

I figure both or all three airports need a lot of jet fuel, and the ships need bunker fuel, but is bunker oil produced at refineries?

Can't it be pipelined easier from So Cal or
Alaska?

I understand why Chicago being a major Midwestern transportation hub can produce so much crude. I think they get a lot from the Tar Sands in Canada
And there are some huge refineries there but nothing as massive as those on the gulf coast Like those in southeast Texas and Louisiana.

Those are critical. And if several went out during a natural crisis like a hurricane or even a limited nuclear war it would be a national disaster since Biden or better said his handlers have already drawn down the SOR to less than 50% now due to elctions and politics.

[craigs]

Originally Posted by bnk

I'm surprised SF refines as much fuel that it does

Where does that happen?

On the east end by Richmond and the burg of Chicago or Oakland.

Yes. Chevron is in Richmond, Phillips 66 is in Rodeo, Valero is in Benicia, PBF Energy and Marathon are both in Martinez, and Tesoro is in Pacheco.

For the Los Angeles area, we have Marathon in Carson, Marathon in Wilmington, Valero in Wilmington, Phillips 66 in Wilmington, Chevron in El Segundo, PBF Energy in Torrance, and Alon in Paramount.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Crawford

Say what? Vancouver is more prominent than Montreal in New England?

Nonsense. Montreal is much more prominent than even Toronto in New England.

In my fairly extensive experience a lot of low(er) information New Englanders seem to think Canada as a whole is a predominantly French-speaking country.

[Innsertnamehere]

A surprising number of Americans (and non Canadians in general) think that you need to know French to get by in Canada across the country, even if they are aware that the whole country doesn’t always speak it.

You see posts on Reddit all the time asking questions like “I’m going to school in London, ON, do I need to know French?”… which is just hilarious from a Canadian perspective.