What has your city/metro gotten RIGHT?

[krazeeboi]

We often criticize things our city/metro area has done or are doing wrong, but here's a chance to talk about what it's gotten RIGHT down through the years.

[teshadoh]

Good topic - I would say the best thing that has occured in Atlanta, really since the mid 1990's has been a significant reinvestment in the urban core. Not only residential investment but I view it as even more important, retail investment - indicating the economic strength & numbers of people moving back into the city.

Another note would be the number of quality new urbanist projects that have been built in proper locations - meaning within the urban framework & not isolated in suburbia. In particular Glenwood Park, but others which - have some negatives, but are great improvements - Inman Park Village, Edgewood retail district & of course Atlantic Station.

This is reflected in a steady population growth, despite a declining Black population & a lower household / family ratio indicating primarily young couples are living in the city.

... so this should eventually become a great suck up thread I guess?

[dimebag1980]

We often criticize things our city/metro area has done or are doing wrong, but here's a chance to talk about what it's gotten RIGHT down through the years.

A few years back, Shreveport began a study to determine the feasibility of a new convention center/arena complex. After hundreds of thousands of dollars and many, many months worth of studies, the twin city of Bossier City decided they would jump up and build an arena themselves. When it opened, both of Shreveport's sports teams, a minor-league hockey franchise and an Arena Football2 team, both jumped ship and moved across the river to Bossier City.

Well, after realizing their loss on the arena, Shreveport stepped it up and decided to put a convention center tax to a vote. It passed, and the rest is history. Now we have a nice arena in Bossier that's only a few years old and a brand-new convention center in Shreveport.

The riverfont park in downtown Shreveport is also something the city did right. While it was scaled back considerably from the original plans, it's very nice. Originally it was to stretch 5 miles down the river, but in the end it wound up being just downtown. But let me tell you, it's a very nice park and it ties the downtown area and the river in very well. It's in the perfect location where it's accessible to the city's Festival Plaza, the casinos, the CBD, the river, the nightclubs, restaurants, and the IMAX.

Opening a new interchange off I-49 in south Shreveport to a road that will one day become a new outer loop. This has taken a strain off one major road that goes from industrial north Shreveport to the south Shreveport suburbs.

Extending the Inner Loop Expressway... finally. While I believe it should have been extended all the way to the riverport, I do applaud the city for extending it at least as far as they are, and 5-laning the intersecting road.

[NcSc74]

Downtown, Hay street and Bragg Blvd. cleanup. A sort of urban renewal that started in the late 80's early 90's. That is all I can say because Fayetetteville has not focused on checking sprawl and limiting endless amounts of strip malls.

[CapeFearRiver10]

Plus Fayetteville finally realize the economic boom of having the biggest river in the state running through it. Plus the latest spawl is becoming a infill for the city (apartments lots of them). Now the only thing they have to do is start investing into the surrounding universities. FAY-town. Plus are population will soon be 215,000 by begining of 2007, then in 2012 it be atleast 235,000 just because of Fort Bragg. Oh yeah I almost forgot the largest Mega indoor skate site is being built downtown. (Investors are ESPN, & some skate board owner). I love my town I can't to see it 2020 with the condos soon to be built east of the river.

You Gotta love NC.

[CapeFearRiver10]

Dang I forgot the city said "OK" to the midtown proposal for fayetteville, NC.

Come ride down here. To the Carolinas Baby!!!

[NcSc74]

I know I have been gone a while but what condos on the river?? If this is true then finally someone read my mind. Although it is about 10 years ago I thought of some kind of development along the riverfront. I thought a riverfront open air arena or pavillion would be cool also. One thing East Fayetteville is home to quite a few undesirables so I hope the city can clean up without driving everyone out. One more question? Is that barge still sitting on the banks of the river. You know the one you can see from the Breece bridge right before you cross eastern blvd(green 95)...

[goodbye]

Downtown! Where else can you find such an enchanting mixture of shops, restaurants, galleries, theatres, bars, sporting and entertainment venues, a vast array of parks, and the highest quality of living imagineable? -- No joke! Come experience Greenville, SC for yourself!

[CapeFearRiver10]

yeah man the money the going to get from Fort Bragg when they tie into the city water supply. Some of the money which is alot I think is close to 1 billion a year will be going into attracting people to the rural eastside. Plus they started funding for the housing project just east of the historic downtown area. I think in the next 15 years fayetteville is going to have a nice size eastside with about 70,000 residents. Plus just south the city near Grays creek region a planner got approval for 700 unit neighborhood east of the river which is a house & apartments complex. The city has plans to use land north east of fayetteville for development for the news BRAC residents. I feel this plan would finally connect Fayetteville around Fort Bragg to Spring Lake. Oh yeah Spring lake is growing too. By 2010 they will reach about 22,000 or close to it.

The next thing I think fayetteville just work on is developing the Utah plaza area on bragg blvd., & Last the Methodist College soccer field has got investments by nike & the city for a major Soccer training site. I can go on forever but Fayetteville State University is getting good feedback on a study of making Mozarik park in the West Fayetteville State Univ. Campus. That area will class nurses, foriegn laugange, & etc.