Oklahoma City, the most sprawling city in the country?? (Norman: apartments, condos)

[Dianne_07]

It has to be, look at maps of the city, it is in 2 counties and the city itself takes up almost all of central Oklahoma. I'm not complaining, I guess this is a good thing but OKC should be getting the urban sprawl award not LA.

[Nameless]

Actually, portions of OKC limits are in 3 counties. OKC is very spread out but the urbanized area of the metro is not near the size of the urban area of the L.A. Basin.

Thousand Oaks to San Clemente is 90 miles and almost all of that is urban. And from the coast to the San Gabriel's is about 30 miles. You do the math.

OKC's "urban area" are is maybe 30 miles east and west (Yukon - Choctaw) and 40 north and south (Edmond and Norman.)

[Synopsis]

True, the city limits of OkC go way out there (I think it's the third largest city in the US according to size), but if you actually look at the urban part of the city, it is developing more in the core areas. There are many new developments going on in and around the core of the city, so it's much the way Nameless has outlined so very well.

[stiffnecked]

The areas in the "core" of OKC are being redeveloped. All the new developments are still going on in the outlying areas. Just from my hilltop view here in Piedmont I can see 2 developments in OKC that will bring 800 new housing units to the area of HWY 3 & 4 aka
NW Highway and Piedmont Rd.

I've been following the exploits of our neighbor, Greg Banta, in his efforts to revitalize the area around St. Anthonys Hospital.

Here in Piedmont, which is in the OKC Metro area we have at least 1500 new housing units platted and slated for development. I hope the sprawl continues. Everyone deserves a little privacy!!!!!!!!!

[colleeng47]

Originally Posted by stiffnecked

The areas in the "core" of OKC are being redeveloped. All the new developments are still going on in the outlying areas. Just from my hilltop view here in Piedmont I can see 2 developments in OKC that will bring 800 new housing units to the area of HWY 3 & 4 aka
NW Highway and Piedmont Rd.

I've been following the exploits of our neighbor, Greg Banta, in his efforts to revitalize the area around St. Anthonys Hospital.

Here in Piedmont, which is in the OKC Metro area we have at least 1500 new housing units platted and slated for development. I hope the sprawl continues. Everyone deserves a little privacy!!!!!!!!!

But those housing developments don't allow for privacy. If you look at the satellite views of those places on the internet, those houses are all boxed in side by side. Row after row after row of houses. I think it's depressing, actually. IMO

[peggydavis]

I think he just means privacy of having your own house and yard, compared to living in an apartment or high rise. At least you have some space between walls.

I like to have a lot of privacy, so I live in a really rural area. That is not for everyone though. Some people think it is very scary to be alone with no neighbors, traffic noise, lights.

I just hate to see places I remember as farm land getting covered by housing developments. It's sad to see the old holdouts finally selling out. In Edmond, we always enjoyed looking at a sheep farm owned by two old people. Then, no more sheep, just big-roofed houses being built.

If things work out with MAPS for kids, we might see a real improvement in OKC public schools. That would allow many more people to live in the core, with walkable neighborhoods with character. I would love to see that happen.

[Synopsis]

OkC is on the move, and at a very fast pace. I'm proud of our capital city and what she has done over the last ten years. The urban development that is going on there is encouraging more and more development downtown. I'm not into the sprawl thing at all, but that happens (and has happened) in practically every city in this country with very few exceptions. Arcadia sounds nice Colleen; I wish you the best of luck that everything works out on that house (that it is as nice as it looks, well-maintained, etc). I really, really am pulling for you guys to find your perfect place in and around OkC.

[colleeng47]

Originally Posted by Synopsis

OkC is on the move, and at a very fast pace. I'm proud of our capital city and what she has done over the last ten years. The urban development that is going on there is encouraging more and more development downtown. I'm not into the sprawl thing at all, but that happens (and has happened) in practically every city in this country with very few exceptions. Arcadia sounds nice Colleen; I wish you the best of luck that everything works out on that house (that it is as nice as it looks, well-maintained, etc). I really, really am pulling for you guys to find your perfect place in and around OkC.

Thanks, Synopsis, I appreciate that. Like Peggy, I think I prefer a rural type area myself. Outside of a town. I don't like the subdivision anchored by the mega mall thing. I like a rural area with a small town not too far away. That house will be the first one we look at, providing it's still available. In all honesty, DH is a little concerned about the age of the house, but as you say, if it's been maintained it should be okay. My daughter, of course, is already planning on purchasing her horse to go in the back yard.

[happytown]

Many cities have greater sprawl than OKC. So to answer the question...No it isnt "the most sprawling" city in the country. I also do not see this as a negative integrity issue like the original thread obviously implies.

There are a lot of new developments that are being built in the Downtown area of OKC (just look at all the new construction) and many are planned for the future but OKC will always sprawl.

Redevelopment can be seen as development in Midtown/Uptown OKC because all of those buildings by Banta are completely EMPTY and will become housing, condos, apartments, hotels ect. Redevelopment typically means that an existing structure is currently being used and will be restored or added on to.

Banta is basically DEVELOPING because no one lives or uses the buildings he bought and the buildings are dilapitated old structures that no one has touched/used for 30-40 more years.

Many cities can only dream about what Banta is doing because typically those beautiful old structures would be destroyed for new buildings which would be considered as new development.There are many other developers that are doing the same thing, so Banta definitely isnt alone on the idea. The same is happening in the other "more" urban parts of OKC in highrises and homes that were once vacant. Examples would be the 360 (founders tower) and The Classen (Citizens Tower) and some of the highrises in downtown OKC. These ACTUAL redevelopments were being used for office space which doesnt help with pop density. Now they are living options for people which give a greater pop density in the urban parts of the city.

Here are some intersting links about the biggest sprawling cities and how they relate to people being overweight. Also you can vote for the most sprawling cities on city data!

http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070120/bob9.asp (broken link)
http://www.sierraclub.org/sprawl/report98/cities.asp
The ten most Sprawling U.S. cities

[Nameless]

I love how OKC got 6 votes on that City-Data poll. These people obviously are ignorant towards us.