KimberlySayWhat Posted May 25, 2005 Share Posted May 25, 2005 And the city is growing. Now at 500 square miles and a population of nearly 4 million, Phoenix is expected to top six million inhabitants by 2020. And it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted May 25, 2005 Share Posted May 25, 2005 Yes, but we'll still have water, and they will not. A lot can happen by 2020. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westguy Posted May 25, 2005 Share Posted May 25, 2005 Houston doesn't have enough water to sustain its growth.Hot Spots: Potential Water Supply Crisis by 2025Houston is in the red zone - "Conflict Potential-- Highly Likely" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest danax Posted May 25, 2005 Share Posted May 25, 2005 Houston doesn't have enough water to sustain its growth.Hot Spots: Potential Water Supply Crisis by 2025Houston is in the red zone - "Conflict Potential-- Highly Likely"<{POST_SNAPBACK}> We have more of a water crisis potential than Phoenix? That's very surprising. We certainly have the rainfall. Not enough reservoirs?The Minutemen might put a damper in Phoenix's growth though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted May 25, 2005 Share Posted May 25, 2005 Not accoring to the Mayor last week.Did you hear his speech? Texas wants to tax Houston to support other Texas cities water programs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted May 25, 2005 Share Posted May 25, 2005 That's what I get for listening to NPR.But I don't buy that map. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GovernorAggie Posted May 25, 2005 Share Posted May 25, 2005 Good article, but I think that Houston is still forecasted to have about a million more people than Phoenix in 2020 with at least 7 million to Phoenix's 6 million.I think that map is looking more at the water sources that may be 'fought' over in the future for different reasons. It says water for people, farming, and the environment. I have no idea why the Texas coast is a part of that, other than the rivers that end at the Gulf may become important sources for drinking water or important for enviromental reasons. Looking at other areas, metro areas such as Portland and LA are in the same water availability category; while Houston is in the same category as Corpus Christi, Denver, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Reno, and California's Central Valley.I think it just means that there will be more questions about rights to water sources in those areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted May 25, 2005 Share Posted May 25, 2005 You also have to realize that Phoenix on some level is like Houston with little impediment to its growth. It has some mountains, but not completely around it. The city has a lot more room to grow.Houston still has more. It just depends on how local and state policies in the two states fuel growth in businesses to produce jobs to attract new residents.Houston does not have a water crisis like Phoenix. Houston does have some water problems. The region is currently implementing plans to switch the region from ground water to surface water. It'll take a while to happen (like about 30 years to complete), but it'll be worth it. The region is planning to gradually take more and more MUDs off of the ground water plants they operate to be on region plant systems that source surface water. I wish there were other areas of the county that had some topo to make another lake like Lake Houston. That lake's existence is purely based on the need for water for the city. And so is Lake Conroe. It has a great recreational benefit too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GovernorAggie Posted May 25, 2005 Share Posted May 25, 2005 Yeah, it would be nice to have all those lakes from the original Grand Parkway plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted May 25, 2005 Share Posted May 25, 2005 It's virtually impossible to predict these kind of things. During the 1990s the Phoenix metro area grew by about 45%, compared to about 25% for Houston. If these growth rates somehow were to remain the same, the Phoenix area population would pass that of Houston sometime before 2020. Of course, you can't expect growth rates to remain the same. Each area has its problems (water, pollution), but continued population growth pretty much depends on the ability of each region to continue growing its economy and attracting new residents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonsemipro Posted May 25, 2005 Share Posted May 25, 2005 Remember, while Phoenix growing, Houston growing too. So, Phoenix have light years to catch up with us. The only way I see Phoenix catching up to Houston, if Houston goes into a depression era, other wise, no. But, I wish them well.It's like Houston trying to catch up to Chicago, and we all know Chicago is still growing too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted May 25, 2005 Share Posted May 25, 2005 Census estimates that Chicago shrank by 27,000 from 2000 to 2003. Houston grew by 56,000. At this rate, we'll pass them by 2034.Third City on the Third Coast, anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brijonmang Posted May 25, 2005 Share Posted May 25, 2005 I was just in Chicago a week ago...and I dont see that happening for many MANY years...but we are headed in the right direction Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted May 25, 2005 Share Posted May 25, 2005 I find it hard to believe myself...unless you consider Houston has twice the land area Mexico 350 miles away. Chicago is locked in and has Canada. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonsemipro Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 Yeah, you right RedScare. Chicago has lost pop. Brijonmang, the reason why you don't see it happening in many many years, cause first off, Chicago already has alot of pop., and when you visited Chi-Town you seen all those people walking up and down the city. Here you don't see that, cause Houston is more of a spaced-out type of city.But, Houston has grown rapidly over the years. It seem hard to beleive Houston surpassing Chi-Town? Ummmm, you be surprised in the years to come in Houston, Texas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brijonmang Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 Good points...I would love to see Houston teeming with people downtown like you see on michigan avenue...hopefully in the years to come we will clean up and build up to an even better city Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BayouCityGirl Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 we shouldn't just compare cities either:I mean really: Chicago is midwest, Houston is Southeast Texas-Southwest U.S. and Phoenix is Southwest desert. Different regions for different people for different prefrences. I also think Phoenix is growing because of illegal immigration maybe (and its closer to Vegas to those who don't want to live in Vegas but close enough) but what is there to really do out there? They got problems as well. Dry Heat (VERY hot out there)Deadly ScorpionsWater (no body of water to play in like a beach)Illegal Aliens/border crossingI have been through Phoenix and well I can tell ya I would go because of the Native American culture and that's it. Nothing else there impresses me. (Aside from the mountains) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 If you watch the crowd shots of the NBA's Phoenix-San Antonio series, you'll see a very large component of Phoenix's growth - old people. Retirees, and the businesses that cater to them, drive a significant portion of the growth out there.Immigration is also a major component, as it is in Houston and San Diego and LA (and for that matter, Dallas).Cheap labor is also a driver for Southern cities.Interestingly, with the population aging, weather is a Houston advantage. It's bitterly cold in Chicago in January. Houston's heat is not near the problem that ice and cold are to the elderly. My mom won't even consider moving back to North Carolina, because she says it is too cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 it will take some time for any of this to happen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonsemipro Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 Yes, light years to come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 Yes, light years to come. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Light-years are a measure of distance. Not time... Are you ok? I've notice your recent posts seem a little "off".... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 About Chicago's population decrease:Chicago is small in land area and is very dense, but it suburbs are vast just like Houston and they continue to grow. Overall, I thnk it balance out.Houston has lately seen an influx into the city and the suburbs. Some people are moving in from the burbs, but a lot are moving in from out of the Metro Area.Many northerners that move down here and don't have kids are moving in the loop because its closer to the life they came from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptAWACS Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 THat article is a bit misleading in that it does not discuss differences in city proper versus population. Having lived in both Phoenix and Houston I can say with much certainty central city Houston "feels" much bigger than Phoenix. Phoenix cannot sustain its sprawl for another 20 years, it will flat line, IMO, within the next 12-15 years if not sooner.Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,Capt-AWACS, Life is not a Parker Posey movie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heights2Bastrop Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 What I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 I feel a little the same way. I still want Houston to grow and get bigger, but pitty one city against another is pointless. It's not even much fun. If we are discussing the realities of the city growth and how they are different, that's a whole other story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 Our city boosters push it all day long, so the tendency is to do it yourself. The reality is that rampant growth is not all good. But still, human nature is to compete, so we compare and contrast, and in the end, our neighborhood, city, state and country always ends up being best, doesn't it?One thing's for sure. I don't know why anyone would live on Mars. It's cold as hell up there. Much too far from the sun. I'll take Earth any day. And we're 6.3 billion bigger than them, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Hizzy! Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 One thing's for sure. I don't know why anyone would live on Mars. It's cold as hell up there Yeah, but the summer are hot as hell. Talk about massive temperature swings. Reminds me of Denver from May to June. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 Where is the sense of competition?It's healthy!Do you think Paris vs. London for the Olympics was a love fest?Chircac even made fun of British food in the process.Be agressive, folks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TreaderCRC Posted August 8, 2005 Share Posted August 8, 2005 You know that when they say that Phoenix grew by 45% versus an 25% growth in Houston, that still means we grew faster or at the same rate because we have more people and in raw numbers one is not neccessarily beating the other---I think we are growing in line with each other. In fact, percentages put aside, southern and western cities are growing at pretty comparable rates.Also, in terms of competition between size and growth of cities---I think it is important that we care because the bigger and more impressive our population and population growth, the more that developers, advertisers, companies, etc will pay attention to us. Can you imagine a Houston fashion week? A "im pei style" tower in downtown that would be the tallest in the world? a true shot at the Olympics? A United Nations center for Latin and North American affairs? All these things are possible only if we make a splash on the radar--namely through size, because it is tied with economic and social growth.So I say, lets be competitive and applaud our qucik growth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arche_757 Posted August 9, 2005 Share Posted August 9, 2005 Actually I.M. Pei designed our tallest tower!...........In downtown Houston..........but I understand what your saying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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