The growth of downtowns

[ShowMeKC]

Post your downtown figures from 2000 and the estimates for 2004... The figures must be from your official downtown "council" (or whatever it may be called in your city)...

I just am trying to put together information from various cities to show how downtowns are growing and how they are growing compared to Kansas City (to show the forumers on the Kansas City website). Oh and post a photo of your downtown also... Thanks

Downtown Kansas City, MO...

2000: 6,334

2002: abt. 9,000

2004: 15,100

2008 projected: 28,600

2000 Density: 2,111 ppsm

2002 Density: 3,000 ppsm

2004 Density: 5,033 ppsm

2008 Projected Density: 9,533 ppsm

[sleepy]

Since cities define downtowns as they wish, comparisons are meaningless, particularly when those definitions don't even jive with what a city's own residents consider downtown to be.

For Memphis, the Center City Commission claims a downtown population of 22,000. Yet no one in Memphis considers that geographical area to be downtown. The traditional downtown--what people who live in Memphis refer to as downtown--has estimates of 10,000.

[ShowMeKC]

yea, however in KC, locals are split up into several definitions of downtown, some think of the whole urban core as downtown (like Mayor Kay Barnes), some think of from the river to 31st street as downtown (like me and the downtown council), some think the downtown loop and river market are just downtown...

However our downtown council's definitions make alot of sense. It's only 3 square miles and most of the people live in an area of about 2 square miles...

[Cotuit]

The population of Downtown Providence as of the 2000 census was 2,678. I don't think anyone has done any estimates since then, and those estimates would likely be wildly inaccurate. I'm satisfied to wait until the 2010 census to find how much Downtown has (or has not) grown.

In most cities the very definition of downtown is called into question, and it is hard to find reliable sources with accurate methodology to estimate changes over such a short timescale. The census bureau does not track population changes in ill defined areas of individual cities from year to year, and the census bureau is the most reliable source for population figures. Anything else is speculation.

[Allan]

I'm having a heck of a hard time getting decent numbers for detroit. I can find out how many employees there are with no problem, but residents? Forget about it! According to a downtown partnership site I found, greater downtown (which would be Downtown, Midtown, & New Center - 5 square miles) has 30,000 residents. According to the same site, the CBD has 6,141 residents as of 2000.

I can't find any estimates newer than 2000. I need to do some more research....

[ShowMeKC]

Also, I was wondering about this comment:

Since cities define downtowns as they wish, comparisons are meaningless

Should there be some set definition of every downtown in the USA? Like a 1 mile radius around City Hall. Or just include the CBD or what? All city's downtowns are different sizes. If you do just the CBD then the numbers would be low for all city's, but then every city has a different sized CBD too.

[Ron Newman]

A one-mile radius around Boston City Hall would encompass Beacon Hill, the North End, and even parts of Charlestown, the South End, and Back Bay. Most people here would say that all of the above are "near" downtown, not part of downtown.

[superNOVA]

There was a study just completed in Grand Rapids which calls for 350 new units downtown per year for the next five years. Add this to the 1,200 that have been built since 1998 as well as the 2,000 that existed before hand and you get a pretty decent number for a city of its size.

[Twin Cities]

Here's a development of downtown Minneapolis. Note that the Carlyle is listed as Bridge Place and some newer projects such as the 24-story Fifth Avenue Gateway are not listed. Also, I have no idea as to what the current downtown population is. I know that after the 2000 census, some sources listed the population as being roughly 30,000.

[Twin Cities]

Here

[KoRn_Snake]

Here

[BigCityAttitude]

[accatt2204]

Downtown Orlando including the eola, and parramore areas which are downtown to the planning council have it at 20,000. But what general I think of downtown from Colonial Dr. on the north to the East-West expressway on the south, and Magnolia on the east and division ave. the west has a population at 2,500. But by 2006 is predicted well over 4,000.

this image will be outdated by next year, infact it might already be.

[BigCityAttitude]

Holy bejeesums, Orlando's downtown is small. Shame, since it really in the hub of north central Florida.

[BigCityAttitude]

Blasted double posts...

[Brickell]

orlando is sprawled way out.

what they lack in height they make up for in atmosphere though.

they're attracting a lot of residents downtown as well.

It's really more the hub of east central florida.

[BigCityAttitude]

Well whatever... All I said was that it's downtown was small. I'm well aware of the fact that it's sprawled out. I've never really been downtown but from where I've been I'll agree that it does make up for it in atmosphere.

[sunshine]

Downtown Orlando

[ShowMeKC]

I'm loving that first photo...

[accatt2204]

Awesome photos. Where are they from? I like the wy the first photo steps down the buildings from tallest on left to smallest on right. Imagine the skyline with The Vue:420ft condo in middle, 55west condos:430ft on left, and the plaza right behind suntrust. Cant wait!

[sunshine]

I took all of them except the second one.

[BigCityAttitude]

Much better, but it's still smaller than I would have thought...

[KCghettoboi]

it's beutiful!...