Urban Growth Over Time

[exploited]

[Spider]

Shenzen in particular...nuts.

[NAB]

[eynon81]

wanna know something kinda cool/very interesting? North-America broke a 1000 year trend during the last census as more people moved from urban to rural (well semi-rural) than from rural to urban.

[Stratego]

[eynon81]

[Professor]

This is why I love where I live. I live in a little incorporated town smack in the middle of the New Orleans metro area. Less than 7 miles to the Central Business District where I work (also, 7 miles to the Superdome, Arena, French Quarter, Riverfront, etc.). Less than 2 miles to a large shopping area with both big-box stores (Best Buy, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, etc.) and boutique stores. 15 miles to some of the best fishing in the country (can you really beat redfish for both the initial hit, the fight and the taste when cooked right? I submit that you cannot!). And 5 miles to an international airport.

Yet, my little town has no major thoroughfares running through it, so no major traffic. My neighborhood is a gated community, where 2 cars broken into within a month constitutes a "crime wave" where the police go on stakeout to catch the criminals. Everyone knows where everyone else lives, most people grew up in the area, and you can let your kids walk 5 blocks to the rec center without worrying about them.

Most of the comforts of a small town, while not having to give up the convenience of a big city.

[spacemonkey]

Just speaking for myself here. Large urban areas are ok to visit and do things. But its nice to see them in the rear view mirror when done.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_so ... on_density

[Spider]

Well, recently I moved from the 50,000 population town I was living in back to the downtown-ish Portland urban-scape I was in previously...and I've found that my initial happiness at being back in my preferred habitat has seriously waned. Especially since I've been working in the Gorge in a town of about 8000 all summer, I think its become apparent that as I get older the perks of living in an urban mode no longer outweigh the irritations.

I used to have property to lounge around on and grow a garden, with fruit trees, and a garage I could tinker with my two wheeled conveyances in. Now I'm back to a condo. At first I was happy to trade yard work and the annoyance of having to drive to get anywhere for the convenience of having all the best shopping, dining, and brews within walking distance. But it occurs to me that I'm now old, married, and more likely to be perfectly happy sitting on my ass with a beer...so those things don't matter so much.

So to hell with urban living. I should find a way to move to the Gorge and chillax.

[Stratego]

As you get older you need an environment with more and more dirt... until you get old enough that you're covered with dirt.