Subdude Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 Ever wonder what Houston will be like in 20 years? The metro population by one estimate will be about 8 million depending on immigation, closer to 6 million on the low end. The city will be 50% Hispanic. My guess is that by then we will start to see at least one downtown highrise office built, and that another runway and Termianal F would be operational at IAH. Most of the Grand Parkway will be complete, and developers will be busy trying to pitch yet loop still further out around Brookshire-Sealy. Make your predictions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 The Santa Anna's Revenge Tollway will be built. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 Shoot, the link I posted on the Atlanta population thread yesterday suggested Houston metro will be at 6 million by 2010! With average growth rates similar to the last 5 years, the metro will be 50% larger than it is today. With the new found fascination with in-town living, certainly the inner loop will fill in and grow more expensive. But, the influx of immigrants, as well as the working poor, some parts of town will go downhill. My prediction is the inner ring between the loops, as well as out to FM 1960 will become the new ghetto. It will stretch from possibly 290 around to Baytown/Laporte, and have pockets across the south and southwest.I believe fingers of development will reach out I-45 toward Huntsville, 290 toward Hempstead, and between 59 and I-10 westward. If Houston resumes annexing, the city population will exceed 4 million...otherwise, it will exceed 3 million. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 (edited) http://www.norcalmovies.com/TheMatrixReloa...d-freeway27.jpg there you go. Edited December 17, 2005 by TJones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Hizzy! Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 (edited) I predict that the largest nudie bar will be located on Bellaire and Kirkwood.I predict that Westheimer (outside the Loop) will be designated as an offical NASCAR raceway.I predict that the near North Side will see an explosion of new apartments and townhomes.The warehouse district will have a population density of about 3,000 per square mile.Downtown will see at least three new condo towers.Midtown will have the most obnoxious faux-yuppie nightclub and it will win some goofy neo-culture award in Parade or MTV or something of its ilk.I predict the Texans will finally break .500.I predict that the I-45 North Freeway will be expanded and at least a third of the unsightliness of bill boards, signage and empty structures will be bulldozed "in the name of progress". I also predict they'll rename it the I-45 Matress Mac-North Freeway.I predict that Uptown will see impressive densification, even to a degree that its most staunch critics will commend.I predict that Pearland will have a population over 100,000.I predict that Sugar Land will have a population over 100,000.I predict that we'll view Fulshear the same way we viewed Katy in 1995.I predict that Houston will have three commuter rail lines and approximately 25 miles of light rail.I predict that the number of clubs and bars downtown will decrease slightly but the number of casual restaurants and stores will triple.I predict downtown's population will be between 13K and 17K. Edited December 14, 2005 by The Great Hizzy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted December 15, 2005 Share Posted December 15, 2005 I predict the Texans will finally break .500.Dreamer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbaNerd Posted December 15, 2005 Share Posted December 15, 2005 We might need 2 or 3 loops outside of the Grand Parkway....The Houston metro area will merge with the Austin/San Antonio Metro area... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest danax Posted December 15, 2005 Share Posted December 15, 2005 First thought is traffic will be at L.A levels, meaning crawling day & night, despite the new freeways/toll roads/light rail.I agree with Redscare's ghettoland predictions. It's already happening. The immigrants from the south will continue to pour in and mass up wherever it's cheapest and will likely find areas where owner-financed homes are available, namely, neighborhoods where 30 yr mortgages have been paid off, ie; homes built before 1990.The inner-loop areas where the townhome trend is currently in full swing will evolve into more mid-high rise condos, as land becomes more precious, and the townhomes will be filling up in the East End, Near North, as well as outside the loop in the Spring Branch/290 corridor areas along with McMansions in the same areas. Formerly pig-sty/criminal havens like Lower 5th Ward and Acres Homes (no offense to the good people who live there) will see mass demolition along with the building of the requisite affordable housing projects/ large apartment complexes as put forth as part of the 25 year master plan by Mayor White and co.LinkThe refineries will start to slow down production as hybrid vehicles and purely alterative fuel vehicles are commonplace. The change will be gradual enough for our economy to not suffer much. This will begin the slow elimination of our massive petro/chemical complex along the Bay/Ship Channel which will eventually allow it to be restored, piece by piece, and developed as prime residential and parklands.Googie architecture/50s lifestyle will be the latest revivalist trend/mania with new retail often including minature bowling alleys and Starbucks will add lunch counters, table top jukeboxrs and middle-aged waitresses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Hizzy! Posted December 15, 2005 Share Posted December 15, 2005 Formerly pig-sty/criminal havens like Lower 5th Ward and Acres Homes (no offense to the good people who live there) will see mass demolition along with the building of the requisite affordable housing projects/ large apartment complexes as put forth as part of the 25 year master plan by Mayor White and co.I think this is already starting to happen in the western reaches of Acres Homes (TC Jester area), as people are buying lots and building homes in the area, particularly along and then just west of TC Jester blvd. As with almost all high-crime areas in Houston, the crime in Acres Homes continues to be magnified in the apartment complexes scattered throughout the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted December 15, 2005 Share Posted December 15, 2005 The refineries will start to slow down production as hybrid vehicles and purely alterative fuel vehicles are commonplace And Houston's economy will go into the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N Judah Posted December 17, 2005 Share Posted December 17, 2005 I think this is already starting to happen in the western reaches of Acres Homes (TC Jester area), as people are buying lots and building homes in the area, particularly along and then just west of TC Jester blvd. As with almost all high-crime areas in Houston, the crime in Acres Homes continues to be magnified in the apartment complexes scattered throughout the area.I always liked Acres Homes. All the trees there, plus proximity to I-45...I can definitely see it getting nicer and nicer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted December 17, 2005 Share Posted December 17, 2005 Those wonderful hybrids won't be soooo commonplace once people have to start shelling out $4000 for new batteries, in 3 to 4 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted December 17, 2005 Share Posted December 17, 2005 25 years? We'll expierence a bust like 82 and 84. In a decade, our growth will reach that of the late 70's peak. Houston's High-rise count will reach 1,000. Massive Projects will be annouced, resulting in our busts, with even more parking lots, and a Downtown the size of San Franciso's city limits. The Houston city limits will reach the Louisiana/Texas State Border, and will be against Dallas' metro, SA, and Austins. The port will grow to the size of Rhode Island, and Life will go on as we know it. Oh, and the street signs will be in 3 languages... Spanish ontop, then Chinese, and then us, the minority, English. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eelimon Posted December 18, 2005 Share Posted December 18, 2005 25 years? We'll expierence a bust like 82 and 84. In a decade, our growth will reach that of the late 70's peak. Houston's High-rise count will reach 1,000. Massive Projects will be annouced, resulting in our busts, with even more parking lots, and a Downtown the size of San Franciso's city limits. The Houston city limits will reach the Louisiana/Texas State Border, and will be against Dallas' metro, SA, and Austins. The port will grow to the size of Rhode Island, and Life will go on as we know it. Oh, and the street signs will be in 3 languages... Spanish ontop, then Chinese, and then us, the minority, English. Why would they spend the money to print the signs in English if by that time white people are the monirity? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted December 18, 2005 Share Posted December 18, 2005 Why would they spend the money to print the signs in English if by that time white people are the monirity? WHAT ? Did our Black brothers and sisters learn a new language over night ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dominax Posted December 18, 2005 Share Posted December 18, 2005 We might need 2 or 3 loops outside of the Grand Parkway....The Grand Parkway may become the final Parkway to Houston's Metro. Even though it will still continue to grow some outside 2 lane U.S Routes may just contained to just become Freeways instead like example of Atlanta. The Houston metro area will merge with the Austin/San Antonio Metro area... Well as you can compare the merge as you see how long you travel to get from houston to SA or Austin that Austin and San Antonio will compare metros within 40 years later But Houston is still quite too far to still reach in those time. It may share with Beaumont and Port Author Maybe but not Austin and SA. You have to see that this whole state is larger than some countries in Europe and to say that Houston would streach that far to share its district to Austin and SA. Maybe in the mid 22nd-Centry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted December 18, 2005 Share Posted December 18, 2005 Houston may dodge another bust, if it plays its cards right.Remember, Houston is the "Energy Capital" not the "Oil Capital." That means it can change with the times. Coal is becoming big again, and there's no reason we can't bring some coal headquarters to town from Pennsylvania and Ohio and West Virginia. Also, some people see a lot of promise in solar and wind. If Houston keeps being an energy administration center through trading floors and corporate headquarters, research facilities, and other methods we can keep the title, keep the clean white-collar jobs, and keep the money. It's ours to lose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted December 18, 2005 Author Share Posted December 18, 2005 Houston should remain the "Energy Capital", but what I would like to see in 25 years is for us to be acknowledged as the "Medical Research Capital". We have a good base for that in the Med Center, and it will be continued growth area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Hizzy! Posted December 18, 2005 Share Posted December 18, 2005 I agree with Subdude. The Med Center is starting to take on a life of its own and I hope city leaders don't take it with a grain of salt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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