what do you think georgia will be like in 50 years?

[cocateho]

i just wanted to know what some of yall think georgia might be like in 50 years, where the majority of the population will be (minus atl) and where the big booms will be and where the deserted places will be.

[mitchella81]

i just wanted to know what some of yall think georgia might be like in 50 years, where the majority of the population will be (minus atl) and where the big booms will be and where the deserted places will be.

[socaguy]

Atlanta will be close to or well over 10 million in metro by then. North Georgia will be basically a giant suburb or group of suburbs with satellite cities like Athens, Gainesville, Rome, Dalton and Commerce heavy in population as well. The 3 fall line cities of Augusta, Macon and Columbus will all have grown a great deal as well. Macon, perhaps growing the fastest possibly even catching up with Augusta. Mostly due to proximity to Atlanta, (It will become one of the Southern Metros satellite cities). Both of those metro areas will be close to or slightly over 1 million each. Columbus growing slower with around 600k people.

The main area of growth in Georgia outside of Atlanta will be coastal Georgia. The Savannah metro area will combine with Hilton Head/Beaufort SC...which it needs to now, and will exceed 1.5 million people. The entire coast, in fact, is just an extension of Florida now. A continous strip of people from Miami to the Outer banks of NC. Brunswick/St. Marys will see a huge influx of residents as well and will form a metro of close to 500K people.

Southern Georgia will still be mainly rural but the cities will still see growth. Valdosta will be the main hub of South Georgia with close to 300K in its metro while Albany grows a little slower. The biggest difference we will see is the shift in what farmers will be growing in coastal/Southern Georgia. Bananas, Citrus, and Sod could replace alot of the existing crops due mainly to slightly warmer temperatures (Global Warming is here guys) OR development of hardier forms of these mostly Tropical crops, (They are being tested already on the coast).

Georgia should have a few more interstates by then, and a lot more widened ones, but the main difference we should see will be in commuter rail which will connect Atlanta to all of the major cities and them to each other. A second (Atlanta area) international Airport will open in Rome and another will open in the Augusta area but not in Georgia. Most likely in between Columbia SC and Augusta which will have a combined metro area (but not joined officially yet) of over 3 million people.