Columbus Urban? Suburban? Xurban? Rural...

Columbus Urban? Suburban? Rural? - by Maureen McCabe* 

That Xurban thing confuses me...

The Xurbs are outside the suburbs?

I noticed this quote on Missy Caulk's (Ann Arbor MI ) blog post...  Don't tell me it can't be done.

"When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe."  Thomas Jefferson

Bear with me Columbus while I digress

Jefferson's quote was among a bunch of other Jefferson quotes on Missy's blog.... Missy's post has a political message...  you know it's kinda that whole arming bears thing. 

Political Science? History?

Maybe Missy's post is more complex than arming bears.  If you live in a rural area armed bears would certainly be disconcerting...  we don't have bears in Ohio do we?  Or if we did they would certainly be way out further than the cornfields surrounding Columbus wouldn't they?  Bears live in woods? Or at least that is where bears take care of business *(Urban Dictionary link... is there a rural dictionary?) ....  and we don't  have woods near Columbus really...

Anyway Missy's post is political which is not my cup of tea ....  so it sent me scurrying away but  not before I stole the one Thomas Jefferson quote from it.

Columbus Urban? Suburban? Rural? 

Columbus is the 15th largest US city?  Or is Columbus the 16th largest city in the US, losing ground to Austin Texas because Columbus is not growing as fast as Austin?   A lot of Columbus size is  growth in the outlying areas, urban sprawl if you will.... so most of our Columbus neighborhoods are hardly "piled upon one another."

Is Jefferson's quote applicable today?

Are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Dallas, Seattle or even today's European cities more corrupt than Columbus because they are larger cities?

Or is it not size but density that corrupts cities?  at least in Thomas Jefferson's perspective in the 18th century?  Is it that "piled upon one another in large cities" that breeds corruption?

Is life out in the 'burbs less corrupted than urban living in Central Ohio?

*My Real Living profile says I work urban, suburban and rural areas... I don't believe Xurban is even a choice. 

My profile also says:

"Locations Served:

Clintonville, Columbus, Dublin, Grandview, Hilliard, Lewis Center, Powell, Upper Arlington, Westerville, Worthington"

I think at least two of those Central Ohio communities may be in the Xurbs....  parts of others may be Xurban.

Columbus Dispatch can Ohio's cities be saved?

Does Columbus have bedroom communities?

Central Ohio neighborhoods who lives there?

photo credits:

The bears? The three bears are Sun Bears (helarctosmalayanus smallest members of the 'Ursidae' family ) which are native to South East Asia. These bears are living in Columbus? Powell?  Shawnee Hills? The photographer used Shawnee Hills as a tag. The Columbus Zoo is where?   The Sun Bear photos are from the Flickr stream of poplinre.  Sun Bears