186 replies to this topic

[CorgiMatt]

GvilleSC, on 17 April 2012 - 07:07 PM, said:

I thought you were against sprawl, Corgi?

I am, but what I think about sprawl doesn't change the way the census bureau determines what's part of an MSA and what's not.  I'm against sprawling design.  I'm not against large areas functioning as metropolitan statistical areas.

[Spartan]

I wonder how much the recession combined with gas prices impacted commuting from outlying counties? If it's significant it will work against Newberry being added to Columbia's MSA.

I'm more curious to see if Greenville and Spartanburg will be recombined.

[westsider28]

Spartan, on 27 April 2012 - 12:13 PM, said:

I'm more curious to see if Greenville and Spartanburg will be recombined.

Yeah, that's an interesting question.  Any advantages/disadvantages to being combined vs. separate?  In a similar situation in NC, Raleigh-Cary MSA is separate from Durham-Chapel Hill MSA, and many think those should be recombined as well.  The Census Bureau doesn't always seem to follow logic, however.

[krazeeboi]

^ I don't think it's necessarily illogical given the fact that MSAs and CSAs are county-based agglomerations, which, while not perfect, is pretty convenient. When you look at things on a county level, you can see why the split occurred. Before the establishment/take off of the large employment center in the Upstate (BMW) and the Triangle (RTP), the smaller county, and thus the smaller principle city, had more of a reliance on the larger county/principle city. But with those big singular jobs centers being established and really taking off in the smaller county in which they are located, the smaller county gets more regional influx and thus becomes an employment center in its own right, although it's obvious that those large employment centers are truly regional in nature. That's why there's more justification for the Upstate and Triangle being recombined and less for the Triad, which lacks that sort of dynamic.

[westsider28]

That makes sense.  Thanks for the explanation.

[CorgiMatt]

The attached article is about the Charlotte area's population growth during the recession.  I think it serves as an example of what is happening in most metro areas that are growing: people from disadvantaged rural counties are moving to where more jobs are, even if they don't have a job lined up before moving.  

http://www.charlotte...ation-grew.html

Edited by CorgiMatt, 03 May 2012 - 06:14 AM.

[Spartan]

It always surprises me that people move here without a job. I had never really thought of Charlotte as being one of those cities until I found out people are doing just that. IMO, Charleston is probably a good example of that in SC. People are just drawn to that city.