Orlando 2021

[cameronm]

I'm thinking Orlando will be a lot like Los Angeles. Multicentric. Traffic. Sprawling. Basically more of the same.

Naw more of Atlanta type. Orlando downtown is kind of shaped like it.

[Hisma]

hopefully orlando does not end up like LA

though orlando is sprawling, moreso than Atlanta apparently, downtown LA is NOT a destination. There really is no central destination to the LA metro.

Hopefully, orlando can strive to make downtown THE center of the metro. Not a place just for tourists, but a destination for locals, as well as the business hub. Fortunately orlando is still young enough to possibly reach this goal.

LA is just a lost cause.

[slapdash09]

...hopefully orlando does not end up like LA though orlando is sprawling, moreso than Atlanta apparently, downtown LA is NOT a destination. There really is no central destination to the LA metro...

i agree. the last time i was in la, staying in the hotel proximate to grauman's chinese theater and across from the HOLLYWOOD SIGN, all i found while on foot was a lot of shopping, stars and breakdancers (although the breakdancers were enough to keep me entertained for two hours). i walked a lot and was very disappointed with what i saw.

[sunshine]

ORlando should let Disney develop downtown, so we will have a timesquare by 2021.

[JRS1]

Yeah, East Polk --- Davenport/ Four Corners/ US 27 / Loughman/ Baseball City/ part of Poinciana... all that pretty much connects to Haines City and Lake Marion, which anchor east Polk.

ORL 4-County is over 2M. West Volusia adds another 250K minimum. East Polk adds whatever it adds--- but the point is that East Polk is growing fast and merging with Osceola, Lake, and SW Orange.

Metro ORL should be 2.3M technically speaking right now.

As for Marion, it is scary when you think about it, but if you trace continuous development up 441, 301, US 27, and the TNPK, there almost is continuous development up the 441/US 27 corridor right now as we speak. I've driven it. No breaks like in Volusia and Brevard/E. Orange.

THe only difference with Atlanta is that they have wider roads. Thank Tom Moreland for that. And Carter. But that's changing as we speak.

I don't think MSA stats count parts of counties, though-- only the whole thing.

[mrh3]

Yeah, East Polk --- Davenport/ Four Corners/ US 27 / Loughman/ Baseball City/ part of Poinciana... all that pretty much connects to Haines City and Lake Marion, which anchor east Polk.

ORL 4-County is over 2M. West Volusia adds another 250K minimum. East Polk adds whatever it adds--- but the point is that East Polk is growing fast and merging with Osceola, Lake, and SW Orange.

Metro ORL should be 2.3M technically speaking right now.

As for Marion, it is scary when you think about it, but if you trace continuous development up 441, 301, US 27, and the TNPK, there almost is continuous development up the 441/US 27 corridor right now as we speak. I've driven it. No breaks like in Volusia and Brevard/E. Orange.

THe only difference with Atlanta is that they have wider roads. Thank Tom Moreland for that. And Carter. But that's changing as we speak.

I don't think MSA stats count parts of counties, though-- only the whole thing.

Don't be skeered, JRS1

[orlandonative]

I'll give this subject a shot.

2021:

-55West finally tops out

-I-4/408 flyover opens up

-Tourist tax increase gets approved for increase to pay for a third arena.

-PBL&T finally breaks ground.

Sure there will be a few more highrises, but overall in my opinion it will be just more of the same.

[SMR17]

Lots of hotels on I-Drive need to be torn down and be rebuilt with towers. I just wish there was a way to expand I-Drive from 2 lanes to 3. Oh and some light rail would be a major boost.

I agree-I do think Orlando should start really considering a different type of mass transportation. I'm really surprised Disney hasn't offered to help expand some type of system linking from MCO directly to the parks. Maybe they have??

I've heard that I-drive and Universal Blvd. at one point was talked about becoming a 1 way street - each leading the opposite direction of course..... Why hasn't that happened yet? How obviously easy and smart would that be?

[bic]

I agree-I do think Orlando should start really considering a different type of mass transportation. I'm really surprised Disney hasn't offered to help expand some type of system linking from MCO directly to the parks. Maybe they have??

They have, but it's in the form of buses. There has been a lot of controversy over these buses at MCO since they take so much business away from taxi drivers.

[WeNeed2Progress]

ORlando should let Disney develop downtown, so we will have a timesquare by 2021.

Walt is dead, sorry to break it to you. Have you paid attention to the company's plans over the past several years? C'mon... the latest strategy was "make a failure to get people in, then try and improve."

[Dcfilmknight]

They have, but it's in the form of buses. There has been a lot of controversy over these buses at MCO since they take so much business away from taxi drivers.

Back in the late 80's (early 90's) there was a proposal to run a Maglev train from the airport to Epcot Center. There was some wrangling from Disney over the proposed route (they weren't sure they wanted to allow the train to run on property) and a few proponents on I-Drive ultimately killed the idea. The same train is now running in Shanghai (from the Pudong district to the airport).

With the popularity of Disney's recent Magical Express shuttle and baggage service--this system would have been an economic (and technological) success. Too bad it had to die because of politics!