The Future of Cities

[Uncle Rico]

Matthew 19:24.    It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.



#Jesuswaswoke

Jesus needs to get a job, imo.  Been told fast food places need bodies.  Flip those burgers, hippie

[tower912]

Best customer service employee ever.  Always loving his neighbor as himself.

[Hards Alumni]

Best customer service employee ever.  Always loving his neighbor as himself.

I ordered water from the guy and walked out with a buzz!

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Jesus needs to get a job, imo.  Been told fast food places need bodies.  Flip those burgers, hippie

He fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fishes. For free.

[Uncle Rico]

He fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fishes. For free.

Yeah, that’s no bueno.  Handouts are never free.

[The Lens]

Yeah, that’s no bueno.  Handouts are never free.

If Jesus walked into an Evangelical Christian today gathering he'd be crucified for his beliefs.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

He fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fishes. For free.

I know a guy that runs a fast food restaurant.  He got crushed that day.  Laid off all his employees.  #ThanksJesus 

[tower912]

If Jesus walked into an Evangelical Christian today gathering he'd be crucified for his beliefs.

All that for a guy who rarely had a cross word for anyone until the very end.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

You guys are thinking of New Testament Jesus.

New New Testament Jesus is anti-immigrant, pro-gun, anti-socialism, pro-capitalist, anti-poor, anti-conservation.

[Uncle Rico]

You guys are thinking of New Testament Jesus.

New New Testament Jesus is anti-immigrant, pro-gun, anti-socialism, pro-capitalist, anti-poor, anti-conservation.

That’s the good Jesus

[Warriors4ever]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ2L-R8NgrA

Never actually realized that GOP Jesus looks so much like Ted Cruz…

[dgies9156]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ2L-R8NgrA

Never actually realized that GOP Jesus looks so much like Ted Cruz…

Naah, GOP Jesus looks like Donald Trump without the weight. Otherwise, he'd be too heavy to hang on a cross.

Only problem is the real Jesus would never be caught dead with red hair and a comb-over!

[Skatastrophy]

Interesting bit on climate change and how it is having an unexpected impact in large cities.

Underground Climate Change Is Weakening Buildings in Slow Motion

Hotspots beneath cities deform the ground, causing important infrastructure to crack under stress

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/underground-climate-change-is-weakening-buildings-in-slow-motion1/

[MU82]

Here's a chart from a University of Toronto study about how North American cities' downtowns have (or haven't) recovered from the pandemic:

https://downtownrecovery.com/charts/rankings

There are many expected results: San Francisco ranked dead last of 63 downtowns, with only 32% of its pre-pandemic activity having returned. Portland, Seattle and Minneapolis also sit at well under 50%, while Salt Lake City actually has significantly more DT activity now than before the pandemic

But I was a little surprised by a few of the findings, such as:

++ Two California cities -- Bakersfield and Fresno -- also have significantly more activity in their downtowns than before the pandemic. San Diego, Sacramento and San Jose also are faring much better than the North American norm.

++ Only 1 Texas downtown (El Paso) has recovered even as much as 70% of its pre-pandemic activity.

++ Raleigh, which has been considered a fast-growing city, has had a worse downtown recovery than Chicago, Seattle, Philadelphia and Oakland.

++ Baltimore (87%) and Milwaukee (78%) are well ahead of the likes of Phoenix, San Antonio, Fort Worth and Denver.

++ By and large, Canada's major downtowns are also struggling.

I make no conclusions, and I have no idea if the methodology is good or bad because I'm no expert in this field. Just found it pretty interesting.

[Skatastrophy]

Here's a chart from a University of Toronto study about how North American cities' downtowns have (or haven't) recovered from the pandemic:

https://downtownrecovery.com/charts/rankings

There are many expected results: San Francisco ranked dead last of 63 downtowns, with only 32% of its pre-pandemic activity having returned. Portland, Seattle and Minneapolis also sit at well under 50%, while Salt Lake City actually has significantly more DT activity now than before the pandemic

But I was a little surprised by a few of the findings, such as:

++ Two California cities -- Bakersfield and Fresno -- also have significantly more activity in their downtowns than before the pandemic. San Diego, Sacramento and San Jose also are faring much better than the North American norm.

++ Only 1 Texas downtown (El Paso) has recovered even as much as 70% of its pre-pandemic activity.

++ Raleigh, which has been considered a fast-growing city, has had a worse downtown recovery than Chicago, Seattle, Philadelphia and Oakland.

++ Baltimore (87%) and Milwaukee (78%) are well ahead of the likes of Phoenix, San Antonio, Fort Worth and Denver.

++ By and large, Canada's major downtowns are also struggling.

I make no conclusions, and I have no idea if the methodology is good or bad because I'm no expert in this field. Just found it pretty interesting.

"Downtown" is defined as the highest employment area at a zip-code level. Interesting data to keep an eye on.

For Chicago that's the loop. Chicago needs that commercial tax base to remain in tact, otherwise it's going to put significant pressure on the taxes generated from commercial/residential outside of the sky scraper district.

Here's the outline from a link on their Methodology page.

[MU82]

Thanks, Ska. Agree that the Loop is vital to the city's recovery.

[SoCalEagle]

Magnificent Mile / Rush Street is not in Chicago's downtown? Not part of "highest employment area?"

Surprising to me. 

[Skatastrophy]

Magnificent Mile / Rush Street is not in Chicago's downtown? Not part of "highest employment area?"

Surprising to me. 

Mag Mile is an outdoor mall, and Rush is the viagra triangle so mostly old restaurants catering to an older crowd. Neither are really neighborhoods. The neighborrhods are Streeterville on the East and River North on the West.

Northwestern Medical employs a lot of people in Streeterville, farther West in River North there are a lot of companies in the Merch Mart and surrounding areas, but nowhere close to the number of companies housed in the loop. Streeterville and River North have a ton of residential compared to the Loop. Same with the South Loop and West Loop, tons of residential towers.

[SoCalEagle]

All these years I thought Bob Newhart worked in downtown Chicago. Oh well, you learn something new every day. 

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Housing market shortage is so acute and the office glut is so big that Boston will offer 75% tax breaks on office-to-residential conversions
BYALENA BOTROS
July 13, 2023 at 1:15 PM EDT
https://fortune.com/2023/07/13/boston-housing-market-shortage-commerical-real-office-glut-pilot-program/

[Uncle Rico]

Housing market shortage is so acute and the office glut is so big that Boston will offer 75% tax breaks on office-to-residential conversions
BYALENA BOTROS
July 13, 2023 at 1:15 PM EDT
https://fortune.com/2023/07/13/boston-housing-market-shortage-commerical-real-office-glut-pilot-program/

Where one sees doom, one sees opportunity.  Interesting dichotomy

[JWags85]

I think it really depends on the city.  Some of the buildings in Midtown Manhattan that are empty could make sense as residences, especially if they are pied a terre type apartments.  But I'd HATE to live in a converted building in the Loop that is a ghost town on the weekend or after 6 PM.  So cities that have blended areas like River North make sense, but more business centric districts don't.

[warriorchick]

I think it really depends on the city.  Some of the buildings in Midtown Manhattan that are empty could make sense as residences, especially if they are pied a terre type apartments.  But I'd HATE to live in a converted building in the Loop that is a ghost town on the weekend or after 6 PM.  So cities that have blended areas like River North make sense, but more business centric districts don't.

If more people lived in the Loop, it wouldn't be a ghost town anymore.  And you can walk or take a quick Uber to plenty of entertainment choices from the Loop.

[warriorchick]

If more people lived in the Loop, it wouldn't be a ghost town anymore.  And you can walk or take a quick Uber to plenty of entertainment choices from the Loop, including the Theater District, which is actually within the Loop.

[Not A Serious Person]

Where one sees doom, one sees opportunity.  Interesting dichotomy

You investing?