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Miami Beach? Heavens, no. Density alone does not a city make. It has a lovely beach and not much else
I don't know what you are smoking but Miami Beach is most certainly a city that happens to be very dense. Having lived there for a few years we didn't own a car and everything including schools, restuarants, banks, churches & the beach were all within walking distance. It is probably one of the few cities in the South where one can live without a car.
I fully agree. I don't believe that rural people are any "better than anybody else." But, unlike many of the snobs on this site, I'm logically consistent in that I don't belief that people living in city cores are any better than rural denizens, nor do I think that their lifestyle choices are in any way wiser or objectively superior. The amount of "smugness", arrogance, and disdain for anything not in the model of Manhattan displayed on this site by urban elitists is truly astounding at times.
There isn't the slightest hint of insecurity in my commentary, as unlike many here, I've lived in the full gamut of communities. I've *lived* the life of density, and the suburban life. And you are quite incorrect in your reading of my posts, as I challenge you to find this so-called "rage" towards anything not suburban. i'm never going back ot the lifestyle of dense urbanity, but I never challenge the lifestyle decisions of people living that life.
The entire point of this point was to address those on the other side who never miss a chance to denigrate anything even remotely suburban with a veritable smorgasbord of stereotypes straight from the 1970's. If you're in search of "rage", look at the postings on this site of lifelong Northeasterners as they lambaste the lifestyles in the Sun Belt, despite having never had the willingness or level of personal development and courage to venture beyond the comfort zone of the immediate vicinity of their own home state.
Ok, I see what you're saying. There's going to be smug a-holes on every side of an issue, so sometimes you have to ignore them. Yes, some people do trash suburbs without any real thought as to why they exist and what attracts people to them. To be fair, there are alot of people on this site who trash cities as places filled with criminals, shysters, welfare leeches, etc, etc, etc. So the issue cuts both ways.
I'm equally interested in high density areas - I like having people around. It actually makes places SAFER...more people around, more accountability, and more lively.
Seems like the general ones everyone chooses are New York, New Orleans, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, etc.
I've been researching somewhat affordable as well as density. Providence RI seems VERY overlooked...as does Pittsburgh (although it is kind of recognized a bit).
Anyone feel the same about Providence and Pittsburgh? Portland ME (although quite small) also seemed to have the density feel in a very positive way.
Ok, I see what you're saying. There's going to be smug a-holes on every side of an issue, so sometimes you have to ignore them. Yes, some people do trash suburbs without any real thought as to why they exist and what attracts people to them. To be fair, there are alot of people on this site who trash cities as places filled with criminals, shysters, welfare leeches, etc, etc, etc. So the issue cuts both ways.
But I apprecate your viewpoint.
There are also a-holes that move from a city of 300,000 to a town of 3,000 and wonder why they can't find a job or anything to do, and then they bash the entire state because THEY didn't do their homework. Just go read the Mississippi forum and you will find a prime example.
The percentage of human population that live in urban areas is growing every year, and it continues to increase more rapidly every year as well. Here is an excerpt from the Population Reference Bureau:
Through most of history, the human population has lived a rural lifestyle, dependent on agriculture and hunting for survival. In 1800, only 3 percent of the world's population lived in urban areas. By 1900, almost 14 percent were urbanites, although only 12 cities had 1 million or more inhabitants. In 1950, 30 percent of the world's population resided in urban centers. The number of cities with over 1 million people had grown to 83.
The world has experienced unprecedented urban growth in recent decades. In 2008, for the first time, the world's population was evenly split between urban and rural areas. There were more than 400 cities over 1 million and 19 over 10 million. More developed nations were about 74 percent urban, while 44 percent of residents of less developed countries lived in urban areas. However, urbanization is occurring rapidly in many less developed countries. It is expected that 70 percent of the world population will be urban by 2050, and that most urban growth will occur in less developed countries.
Miami Beach, FL: Density of 12,502 people/square mile
Philadelphia, PA: Density of 10,721 people/square mile
Boston, MA: Density of 12,561 people/square mile
Chicago, IL: Density of 12,649 people/square mile
Pittsburgh, PA: Density of 5,636 people/square mile
Baltimore, MD: Density of 7,889 people/square mile
Minneapolis, MN: Density of 6,722 people/square mile
So, could you please tell me which of the above are "not 'true' cities" due to insufficient density?
When comparing these cities. keep in mind that Miami Beach is a small city that is built on an artificial island in Biscayne Bay. It is realtively small in land area. It is a completely different entity that the City of Miami and all of its other suburbs across the bay. With the possible exception of Boston, the other cities have a much greater divesity of density among their neighborhoods than does MB.
I don't care if some people don't enjoy dense environments. I don't care what makes you happy or doesn't, because your feelings are meaningless to me. This does not change what a city is or isn't. There's a very strict definition of "city".
Scottsdale? Scottsdale? Wow. Well. That was good for a laugh
And last but not least, welcome to reality, sweetheart. There are precious few cities, real cities, in the United States. Whether or not you like what makes them a city and not a sun-baked suburb in Sprawlsville doesn't matter.
You clearly have a lot of anger. I advise you to save your energy by reserving your emotions to someone who regards you as something more than persona non grata.
Perhaps you are speaking ONLY of dense cores in a city and not Urban Area Density.
I don't know what you are smoking but Miami Beach is most certainly a city that happens to be very dense. Having lived there for a few years we didn't own a car and everything including schools, restuarants, banks, churches & the beach were all within walking distance. It is probably one of the few cities in the South where one can live without a car.
Agreed Miami Rob. I live in Miami Beach and I almost never use my car. And, while it may seem like just a playground to some, it's very much a functioning city that's right across the Bay from DT Miami. The city itself has just under 90,000 full time residents but it supports tens of thousands of statistically invisible second home owners and tens of thousands of daily vacationers. So, in effect, the city of Miami Beach is a very active urban strip of land.
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