The future of Columbus (Cleveland, Cincinnati: 2013, university, live)

[jbcmh81]

Originally Posted by pontiac51

In 20 years Columbus will be the 2nd largest CSA (after Cleveland) and the largest MSA in the state. With that being said, Columbus will still be overshadowed by Cleveland and Cincinnati because many people believe that Columbus is a college town and a cowtown, while the other two are perceived to have more to offer.

This seems like a lot of wishful thinking, not to mention projection of your own opinion. It feels like this conversation is taking place in 1992, when you may very well have been right. Times change and so do cities, even Columbus.

[jbcmh81]

To those that say 20 years is not enough time for a city to change significantly...

1992
-Population was nearly 200,000 people less in the city, almost 450,000 fewer in the metro.
-10 buildings were missing from its skyline.
-Arena District was parking lots, abandoned warehouses and a crumbling prison.
-No Brewery District beyond unused factories.
-The Short North was far more known for drugs and prostitution than art galleries and restaurants.
-Franklinton didn't have its floodwall, so a federal mandate did not allow new construction or renovation.
-City Center Mall had already destroyed countless retail establishments Downtown and was itself already well on its way to irrelevance.
-Downtown population was hovering just over 1,000 people, the lowest in its history. And it was unsafe.
-There were no Blue Jackets or Crew.
Etc., etc.

20 years is plenty of time.

[pontiac51]

Originally Posted by jbcmh81

This seems like a lot of wishful thinking, not to mention projection of your own opinion. It feels like this conversation is taking place in 1992, when you may very well have been right. Times change and so do cities, even Columbus.

It seems like you project your own opinion every 5 minutes!!! And usually you are wrong!! The bottom line is that Columbus will always be overshadowed by Cleveland and Cincinnati. Why? Because whether it's fair or not, Columbus has the reputation of being a Cowtown and the other two don't. Because of Ohio State, Columbus also is thought of as a college town. What is Columbus' big tourist attraction that is known throughout the Midwest and the rest of the country? Other than Ohio State, there isn't one. So even though Columbus will probably continue to grow significantly faster than the other 2C's, and may overtake at least one of them in CSA/MSA population, it will always take a back seat to the other two.

[TomJones123]

Something that can't be ignored, and had been one of the main catalysts for Columbus growth in the past 20 years is annexation. I don't think Columbus has that much more to annex, though Cleveland and Cincinnati should take notes from Columbus in that regard.

[Elwerence]

Almost everything in Columbus is new. Not to mention it lacks the museums and culture. Ohio State has that but everywhere else - no. It has a long way to go and has no where near the opportunities that Cleveland or Cincinnati does. Too suburban or too gritty.

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by jbcmh81

Yes, they're still bigger, but I thought this thread was about 20 years from now. And you seemed to be agreeing with the other poster who was definitely suggesting that Columbus would not change significantly in any way over the next two decades.

And I just don't see your point here. Austin would be a better comparison I think. It's a much newer city and doesn't have even a tenth of the history of Cleveland, yet it's constantly in the news now. I see Columbus as a slower growing version, where attention will also take longer, but will inevitably come as well. In the end, a city does not need a bunch of old buildings and history to make a name for itself.
I'm really not sure what you're arguing about. Cleveland's reputation really has nothing to do with Columbus' and has zero bearing on how Columbus develops over the next 20 years. Are you just afraid of Columbus gaining any significant reputation that you must attempt to argue that it never will have one?

And come on, even here in Mexico people know where Ohio State is.

Compare whatever you want, it just seemed like you were equating city size (not metro) with how well known a city is. I was just disagreeing. Sure, you can compare Austin too. I'm just living in Boston now, so it's the first city that came to mind.

But I'm not kidding about the Ohio State thing. You'd be surprised! I do agree it's ignorant though. But come to think of it, I don't know where a lot of state schools are from other parts of the country.

[Dayton Sux]

Austin, huh?

I've never been in Austin, yet have travelled to Texas and the Mountain West on business and lived in California..

...Columbus DOES seem like a sunbelt boomtown to me. People say Cleveland is 'eastern' and Cincy is 'southern' (whatever that means). To me Columbus seems "western"...almost expect to see a big mountain range on the horizon or sagebrush or something. It's got that kind of freshness and energy to it. And a bit of offhand quirkyness as well, which is an appeal. "Cowtown" but in a sort of ironic hipster way.

I know historically Cols was really a lot like Dayton or Indy or other mid-sized midwestern cities, an industrial center, a bit 'rustbelt' in a way (but with the college and state government). However, the booming population and sucessful transition to a white-collar /service economy has given it a new character that is sort of "out-of-character" from elsewhere in Ohio.

Coming into Cols from Dayton during the late afternoon on I-70, the place, the skyline looks like the Emerald City catching the evening sun...driving from Kansas (or Ohio) to Oz.

[jbcmh81]

Originally Posted by pontiac51

It seems like you project your own opinion every 5 minutes!!! And usually you are wrong!! The bottom line is that Columbus will always be overshadowed by Cleveland and Cincinnati. Why? Because whether it's fair or not, Columbus has the reputation of being a Cowtown and the other two don't. Because of Ohio State, Columbus also is thought of as a college town. What is Columbus' big tourist attraction that is known throughout the Midwest and the rest of the country? Other than Ohio State, there isn't one. So even though Columbus will probably continue to grow significantly faster than the other 2C's, and may overtake at least one of them in CSA/MSA population, it will always take a back seat to the other two.

The more people like yourself keep claiming this stuff, the more it just seems like a "doth protest too much" kind of thing. I'm just not sure why Columbus' success should threaten people the way it does. Whether or not Columbus gains in national reputation will not change how people see your respective locations. It doesn't change whether or not your location is a great city or not. I'm just not sure why people have to so clearly root for it to fail, or for it to wallow in stagnation. And for Ohio, wouldn't it be to its advantage to have 3 well-known, nationally recognized cities?

In any case, whether or not you want to believe it, whether or not you want it to happen, Columbus is doing fine and will continue to be fine. The same things you're saying now have been said about it for most of its history, and it has right on continued to grow and prosper and gain attention for more than just Ohio State. Columbus seems to thrive as the underdog.

[jbcmh81]

Originally Posted by TomJones123

Something that can't be ignored, and had been one of the main catalysts for Columbus growth in the past 20 years is annexation. I don't think Columbus has that much more to annex, though Cleveland and Cincinnati should take notes from Columbus in that regard.

Disagree. Columbus grew by fewer square miles the last 30 years than it did just in the 1960s, and the rate has been falling since then as well. The last 10 years, it added less than 7 square miles, almost all of it either lighty populated fringe or taken from townships already surrounded by the city. The vast majority of growth in recent years has been in-migration and a steadily increasing natural growth rate (births vs deaths).

[motorman]

Originally Posted by Dayton Sux

...Coming into Cols from Dayton during the late afternoon on I-70, the place, the skyline looks like the Emerald City catching the evening sun...driving from Kansas (or Ohio) to Oz.

Agreed. Whereas Cincinnati's skyline explodes upon you once you descend into it from one of the surrounding hills, Columbus' skyline does the opposite--from miles and miles away it beckons, charms, and seduces you, and the experience of driving closer and closer to it is mesmerizing and magical.