Underrated Growth of Central Business Districts of Large Cities?

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Hoboken, NJ is in a state of continual war as big time developers try to break out of the bulk constraints to build residential buildings much taller than the 4 to 5 story structures currently allowed. That is why the one square mile city went from 50,000 to 60,000 in the last 10 years.

Hoboken's population density, for sure, reaches among the highest in America. It's now at twice the population density of Tokyo.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Hoboken, NJ is in a state of continual war as big time developers try to break out of the bulk constraints to build residential buildings much taller than the 4 to 5 story structures currently allowed. That is why the one square mile city went from 50,000 to 60,000 in the last 10 years.

Hoboken's population density, for sure, reaches among the highest in America. It's now at twice the population density of Tokyo.

Neither Hoboken nor Tokyo have anything on this list. The US has 4 neighborhoods in Manhattan and 1 in the Bronx.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_city_districts_by_population_density

Reminds me of this.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Is this a trend that we could continue to see? What's interesting is that these CBDs build up, meaning a plot of land that may traditionally support say 10 single family homes can support an apartment building home to 100s of families. Might we see a new category of "hyper-urban" communities significantly denser than really anything we're currently seeing?

It will remain pretty limited as "gentrification" and the supposed "return to cities" have been simply due to space constraints making this phenomenon applicable to only several hundred thousands or a few million people at most unless it extends to more neighbourhoods outside of the downtown core and perhaps more importantly is able to keep in middle class families not just recent college graduates and single professionals.

A bit off topic, but relevant to density in Los Angeles proper:

Nice video!

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

The Downtown Nashville precinct is noticeably more Republican than anything that surrounds it.  I have to assume it is due to luxury condo buildings there.  It wouldn't surprise me if those sorts of buildings (in TN, at least) are competitive for Republicans.

I didn't know this but it might make sense given Nashville is not only the state capital but the headquarters of organizations such as the Southern Baptist Convention.

It's a pattern observed in other cities too, and not just in the South.  The CBDs of most U.S. cities are more White than other urban neighborhoods (and the White people who tend to live in CBDs are more of the "suits in a glass penthouse"-type rather than the "kombucha-drinking gentrifiers"-type.)  It's a small demographic and is distributed differently in different metroes, but you can find traces of it with a fine-tooth comb when looking at precinct results.  It sticks out more in cities like Nashville or Houston just because of how Republican the White vote is in these places. 

After doing NC in DRA, I can attest to how White the Charlotte CBD is.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

The Downtown Nashville precinct is noticeably more Republican than anything that surrounds it.  I have to assume it is due to luxury condo buildings there.  It wouldn't surprise me if those sorts of buildings (in TN, at least) are competitive for Republicans.

I didn't know this but it might make sense given Nashville is not only the state capital but the headquarters of organizations such as the Southern Baptist Convention.

It's a pattern observed in other cities too, and not just in the South.  The CBDs of most U.S. cities are more White than other urban neighborhoods (and the White people who tend to live in CBDs are more of the "suits in a glass penthouse"-type rather than the "kombucha-drinking gentrifiers"-type.)  It's a small demographic and is distributed differently in different metroes, but you can find traces of it with a fine-tooth comb when looking at precinct results.  It sticks out more in cities like Nashville or Houston just because of how Republican the White vote is in these places.  

After doing NC in DRA, I can attest to how White the Charlotte CBD is.

It is fairly White but Uptown isn't monolithically so--only 56%, and a little under 1/3rd Black.

It's interesting how that is basically opposite from Dallas. The Dallas CBD (which is barely populated, tbf) has significant black minorities (being closer to the heart of the black areas of the city) while Uptown (which is to say, Deep Ellum) is extremely white, with many precincts well over 80% white. (NHW)
In Dallas the farther north you get the whiter it becomes. In Charlotte the farther north you get the blacker it becomes (generally). So in these cases the CBDs and Uptowns reflect transition areas.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

The Downtown Nashville precinct is noticeably more Republican than anything that surrounds it.  I have to assume it is due to luxury condo buildings there.  It wouldn't surprise me if those sorts of buildings (in TN, at least) are competitive for Republicans.

I didn't know this but it might make sense given Nashville is not only the state capital but the headquarters of organizations such as the Southern Baptist Convention.

It's a pattern observed in other cities too, and not just in the South.  The CBDs of most U.S. cities are more White than other urban neighborhoods (and the White people who tend to live in CBDs are more of the "suits in a glass penthouse"-type rather than the "kombucha-drinking gentrifiers"-type.)  It's a small demographic and is distributed differently in different metroes, but you can find traces of it with a fine-tooth comb when looking at precinct results.  It sticks out more in cities like Nashville or Houston just because of how Republican the White vote is in these places. 

After doing NC in DRA, I can attest to how White the Charlotte CBD is.

It is fairly White but Uptown isn't monolithically so--only 56%, and a little under 1/3rd Black.

It's interesting how that is basically opposite from Dallas. The Dallas CBD (which is barely populated, tbf) has significant black minorities (being closer to the heart of the black areas of the city) while Uptown (which is to say, Deep Ellum) is extremely white, with many precincts well over 80% white. (NHW)
In Dallas the farther north you get the whiter it becomes. In Charlotte the farther north you get the blacker it becomes (generally). So in these cases the CBDs and Uptowns reflect transition areas.

I'm not sure if I totally understand your post--I might just be thick--but aren't Dallas's Uptown and Deep Ellum different areas with fairly different racial demographics?

Uptown Charlotte=Charlotte CBD, fwiw.

Interestingly, the Northern/Western portions of Uptown Charlotte are actually whiter than the Southern/Eastern portions, which has the still fairly Black First Ward area. This is the opposite of the typical pattern in Charlotte, since South Charlotte is the rich white favored quarter overall and the neighborhoods to the immediate east of Uptown are fairly white these days due to gentrification (places like NoDa, Plaza-Midwood, etc. seem like the kind of places BRTD would live in in Charlotte).

Your idea is correct, lol. I associated the two together but they are quite distinct geographically.
Uptown Dallas is still heavily white of course, and covers the territory I was thinking about. I didn't actually know Deep Ellum was in *East Dallas*.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Is this a trend that we could continue to see? What's interesting is that these CBDs build up, meaning a plot of land that may traditionally support say 10 single family homes can support an apartment building home to 100s of families. Might we see a new category of "hyper-urban" communities significantly denser than really anything we're currently seeing?

It will remain pretty limited as "gentrification" and the supposed "return to cities" have been simply due to space constraints making this phenomenon applicable to only several hundred thousands or a few million people at most unless it extends to more neighbourhoods outside of the downtown core and perhaps more importantly is able to keep in middle class families not just recent college graduates and single professionals.

A bit off topic, but relevant to density in Los Angeles proper:

Nice video!

Since you're from the Dallas area, here's another one (Beet, PQG, IndyTexas, EElis02, other Houston area members- please don't take this personally!)

Thanks for the video! Will check it out later.