How Can A Downtown's Resurgence Be Promoted If We Can't Define It?

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Caught this interesting discussion/article on another forum.

The Problem With Defining 'Downtown'

Oct 07, 2013

By Emily Badger



Read More: http://www.theatlanticcities.com/jobs-and-economy/2013/10/problem-defining-downtown/7144/

Defining Downtowns PDF Report: http://definingdowntown.org/wp-content/uploads/docs/Defining_DowntownReport.pdf

Website: http://www.definingdowntown.org/

Last year, the U.S. Census Bureau released a report on population trends in American downtowns, a helpful step toward quantifying the claims made by many cities that residents (and jobs) are moving there in droves. The Census' blunt definition of "downtown," though, inevitably produced some grousing about over-and under-counts of local populations. It measured “downtown,” for lack of a better universal definition, as everything within a 2-mile radius of the local city hall.

- It's a little hard to blame the Census. There actually is no single definition of what "downtown" means across the country. Nowhere do the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis or the Bureau of Labor Statistics actually count or keep tabs on the number of jobs in American "downtowns." All of which complicates the efforts of business improvement districts and city officials to back up what's supposed to be one of the great urban success stories of the 21st century, the migration of employers and residents back downtown, redefining these places from dead zones where you one wouldn't want to be caught at night to full-service, 24-hour neighborhoods.

- With this perennial problem in mind, the Center City Philadelphia business improvement district is releasing a report today prepared for the International Downtown Association that tries to offer a new way of counting jobs downtown, measuring where the people who hold them live, and enabling comparisons across cities. The authors, Paul R. Levy and Lauren M. Gilchrist, rely on a relatively new Local Employment Dynamics dataset jointly produced by the Census Bureau and state labor market information agencies. With that tool, it's possible to create heat maps of job density, and then outline the irregularly shaped districts around them. The data also includes information on the home and work locations of employees, making it possible to determine which downtowns actually have people in them at night.

- With this method, Levy and Gilchrist counted 231 major employment centers in America's 150 largest cities, collectively containing 14.4 percent of all of the country's jobs. Because it's now possible to compare them along various metrics, 28 of those jobs centers have more than 100 jobs per acre (the national average is 0.05 jobs per acre). Impressively, 52.3 percent of workers who live in Chicago's downtown actually work there (in Midtown Manhattan, it's 48.2 percent). The accompanying database also counts workers living within a half mile or a mile of these jobs. If you're feeling really wonky, you can dig into all of the data and maps on these 150 U.S. cities here. Surely some people will come up finer revisions of this definition

In Baltimore (at left) and New York City (at right), here is what the resulting 2 mile radius circles look like where there's  an awful lot of water, not to mention some largely neglected neighborhoods in Baltimore. And as anyone in New York will quickly point out, this definition of "downtown" in Manhattan awkwardly includes a slice of New Jersey.:







Alternatively the heat maps make clear that many cities don't actually have a single downtown employment center. Seattle is an example of a city that largely does:







Cleveland has a downtown and a separate node around the "anchor institutions" near the Cleveland Clinic:







Atlanta (left) has multiple roughly equal jobs centers, while Jacksonville (at right) is decentralized with no single jobs center to speak of:






To take this data one step further, here is Baltimore's employment density, alongside a zoomed-in map of the resulting "downtown" employment node, with a one-mile walking radius drawn around it:

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The maps for various cities and how they define downtowns can be found here:

http://definingdowntown.org/maps/

They don't have Jacksonville yet, but they have a lot of cities.

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I took the data from their report and compiled it because I found it interesting and potentially useful.  Using the data, I created my own primary downtown "ranking" of size, 60% weighted by number of jobs, 20% weighted by # of residents, and 20% weighted by job density, which in my opinion is a major factor in downtowns.  You can have tons of jobs, but if the job density isn't there then the typical downtown features that make downtowns unique and useful can't exist.

Downtown DC is an example of a MASSIVE downtown (excluding Georgetown and VA Medical Center area, Downtown DC is the 4th largest by # employees, but it suffers from low density - and it's high # of residents is merely a factor of how sprawled downtown DC is, not a factor of actual residential density/true downtown living).

My ranking is below (data from the PDF report with link above):

Rank :: Employment Node :: # Jobs in Commercial DT + 1-mi Radius :: % Workers Living <1-mi from DT who work DT

1   Midtown Manhattan   -   1,441,281   -   586,652   -   920   -   Extremely High Job Density   -   55.9%   -   Extremely High Quotient
2   Downtown Manhattan   -   527,118   -   173,179   -   327   -   Extremely High Job Density   -   23.6%   -   High Quotient
3   Downtown Chicago   -   609,902   -   144,051   -   294   -   Extremely High Job Density   -   51.8%   -   Extremely High Quotient
4   Downtown LA   -   372,337   -   174,975   -   285   -   Extremely High Job Density   -   19.4%   -   Emerging Live-Work Area
5   Downtown San Francisco   -   299,659   -   134,312   -   217   -   Extremely High Job Density   -   37.9%   -   Extremely High Quotient
6   Center City Philadelphia   -   288,227   -   170,467   -   203   -   Extremely High Job Density   -   40.7%   -   Extremely High Quotient
7   Downtown Seattle   -   294,369   -   119,590   -   150   -   Extremely High Job Density   -   41.0%   -   Extremely High Quotient
8   Downtown DC   -   468,907   -   173,672   -   97   -   Very High Job Density   -   50.5%   -   Extremely High Quotient
9   Downtown Denver   -   180,863   -   80,369   -   133   -   Extremely High Job Density   -   30.9%   -   Extremely High Quotient
10   Downtown Austin   -   214,865   -   64,843   -   135   -   Extremely High Job Density   -   35.9%   -   Extremely High Quotient
11   Downtown Minneapolis   -   232,458   -   132,403   -   85   -   Very High Job Density   -   34.9%   -   Extremely High Quotient
12   Downtown Baltimore   -   149,432   -   108,725   -   119   -   Extremely High Job Density   -   26.6%   -   High Quotient
13   Downtown Houston   -   200,383   -   58,459   -   166   -   Extremely High Job Density   -   18.0%   -   Emerging Live-Work Area
14   Downtown Pittsburgh   -   153,224   -   69,534   -   134   -   Extremely High Job Density   -   31.3%   -   Extremely High Quotient
15   Downtown Milwaukee   -   136,277   -   74,619   -   112   -   Extremely High Job Density   -   30.9%   -   Extremely High Quotient
16   Downtown Atlanta   -   142,759   -   63,560   -   88   -   Very High Job Density   -   21.0%   -   High Quotient
17   Downtown Hartford   -   120,797   -   94,968   -   80   -   Very High Job Density   -   31.5%   -   Extremely High Quotient
18   Downtown Portland   -   180,173   -   101,416   -   61   -   High Job Density   -   43.5%   -   Extremely High Quotient
19   Downtown Oakland   -   113,550   -   111,587   -   72   -   High Job Density   -   17.7%   -   Emerging Live-Work Area
20   Downtown Honolulu   -   129,357   -   85,323   -   72   -   High Job Density   -   44.5%   -   Extremely High Quotient
21   Downtown Dallas   -   167,514   -   36,884   -   175   -   Extremely High Job Density   -   21.3%   -   High Quotient
22   Downtown Miami   -   188,003   -   140,889   -   52   -   High Job Density   -   23.9%   -   High Quotient
23   Downtown San Diego   -   100,905   -   58,287   -   100   -   Extremely High Job Density   -   19.0%   -   Emerging Live-Work Area
24   Downtown Sacramento   -   151,828   -   73,225   -   53   -   High Job Density   -   27.2%   -   High Quotient
25   Downtown Raleigh   -   122,005   -   34,359   -   120   -   Extremely High Job Density   -   15.4%   -   Emerging Live-Work Area
26   Downtown St. Paul, MN   -   85,753   -   42,910   -   103   -   Extremely High Job Density   -   17.3%   -   Emerging Live-Work Area
27   Downtown Rochester   -   68,449   -   63,722   -   83   -   Very High Job Density   -   21.2%   -   High Quotient
28   Downtown Providence   -   77,885   -   70,508   -   72   -   High Job Density   -   36.4%   -   Extremely High Quotient
29   Downtown Indianapolis   -   136,417   -   50,349   -   57   -   High Job Density   -   26.3%   -   High Quotient
30   Downtown Columbus   -   121,455   -   53,110   -   58   -   High Job Density   -   21.4%   -   High Quotient
31   Downtown New Orleans   -   84,566   -   70,525   -   59   -   High Job Density   -   37.2%   -   Extremely High Quotient
32   Downtown Phoenix   -   107,859   -   33,554   -   89   -   Very High Job Density   -   15.3%   -   Emerging Live-Work Area
33   Downtown Grand Rapids   -   67,277   -   43,347   -   111   -   Extremely High Job Density   -   23.5%   -   High Quotient
34   Downtown Norfolk   -   67,774   -   57,120   -   74   -   High Job Density   -   30.1%   -   Extremely High Quotient
35   Downtown Buffalo   -   72,902   -   40,332   -   86   -   Very High Job Density   -   30.9%   -   Extremely High Quotient
36   Downtown Richmond   -   80,313   -   49,702   -   65   -   High Job Density   -      -   Limited Live-Work Characteristics
37   Downtown Salt Lake City   -   88,812   -   80,015   -   38   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   22.9%   -   High Quotient
38   Downtown San Antonio   -   96,643   -   39,826   -   59   -   High Job Density   -   17.3%   -   Emerging Live-Work Area
39   Downtown Tampa   -   87,134   -   32,477   -   87   -   Very High Job Density   -   16.3%   -   Emerging Live-Work Area
40   Downtown Cleveland   -   124,086   -   41,236   -   44   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   27.8%   -   High Quotient
41   Downtown Louisville   -   95,581   -   59,789   -   39   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   29.0%   -   High Quotient
42   Downtown Cincinnati   -   90,271   -   27,488   -   98   -   Very High Job Density   -   23.7%   -   High Quotient
43   Downtown Orlando   -   104,290   -   33,228   -   63   -   High Job Density   -   24.4%   -   High Quotient
44   Downtown Fort Lauderdale   -   58,216   -   56,906   -   55   -   High Job Density   -   19.2%   -   Emerging Live-Work Area
45   Downtown San Jose   -   70,762   -   94,838   -   35   -   Moderately High Job Density   -      -   Limited Live-Work Characteristics
46   Downtown Albany   -   55,936   -   32,227   -   114   -   Extremely High Job Density   -   24.5%   -   High Quotient
47   Downtown St. Louis   -   97,167   -   28,534   -   64   -   High Job Density   -   22.7%   -   High Quotient
48   Downtown Charlotte   -   89,588   -   33,140   -   60   -   High Job Density   -   31.2%   -   Extremely High Quotient
49   Downtown Columbia, SC   -   85,142   -   44,536   -   41   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   25.7%   -   High Quotient
50   Downtown Nashville   -   86,615   -   25,922   -   63   -   High Job Density   -   16.7%   -   Emerging Live-Work Area
51   Downtown Las Vegas   -   62,054   -   53,236   -   36   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   14.8%   -   Limited Live-Work Characteristics
52   Downtown Des Moines   -   81,339   -   36,518   -   42   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   33.6%   -   Extremely High Quotient
53   Downtown Tucson   -   47,678   -   25,316   -   127   -   Extremely High Job Density   -   21.6%   -   High Quotient
54   Downtown Kansas City   -   69,482   -   22,122   -   75   -   Very High Job Density   -   25.2%   -   High Quotient
55   Downtown Rochester, MN   -   46,704   -   19,918   -   155   -   Extremely High Job Density   -   50.2%   -   Extremely High Quotient
56   Downtown Spokane, WA   -   53,621   -   33,411   -   58   -   High Job Density   -   32.0%   -   Extremely High Quotient
57   Downtown Tacoma - Seattle   -   46,994   -   26,318   -   80   -   Very High Job Density   -   19.0%   -   Emerging Live-Work Area
58   Downtown Syracuse   -   39,656   -   29,346   -   76   -   Very High Job Density   -   17.6%   -   Emerging Live-Work Area
59   Downtown Detroit   -   78,144   -   17,438   -   67   -   High Job Density   -   21.1%   -   High Quotient
60   Downtown Wichita   -   55,571   -   39,274   -   38   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   27.2%   -   High Quotient
61   Downtown Lexington, KY   -   65,206   -   45,508   -   24   -   Moderate Job Density   -   34.6%   -   Extremely High Quotient
62   Downtown Boise   -   53,368   -   40,820   -   37   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   34.0%   -   Extremely High Quotient
63   Downtown Akron - Cleveland   -   47,394   -   54,271   -   25   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   19.3%   -   Emerging Live-Work Area
64   Downtown Madison - Madison   -   32,170   -   38,451   -   53   -   High Job Density   -   20.1%   -   High Quotient
65   Downtown Greensboro   -   49,045   -   37,604   -   36   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   18.7%   -   Emerging Live-Work Area
66   Downtown Toledo   -   31,474   -   37,840   -   54   -   High Job Density   -   17.8%   -   Emerging Live-Work Area
67   Downtown Albuquerque   -   43,560   -   21,458   -   69   -   High Job Density   -   19.4%   -   Emerging Live-Work Area
68   Downtown Lincoln, NE   -   34,840   -   37,219   -   45   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   23.1%   -   High Quotient
69   Downtown Bakersfield   -   39,243   -   48,927   -   27   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   17.0%   -   Emerging Live-Work Area
70   Downtown Omaha   -   51,579   -   33,619   -   34   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   21.0%   -   High Quotient
71   Downtown Jacksonville   -   56,302   -   24,743   -   44   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   10.6%   -   Limited Live-Work Characteristics
72   Downtown Fort Worth   -   80,068   -   13,550   -   49   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   17.8%   -   Emerging Live-Work Area
73   Downtown Little Rock   -   56,524   -   18,392   -   51   -   High Job Density   -   32.4%   -   Extremely High Quotient
74   Downtown Tulsa   -   55,728   -   26,073   -   37   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   25.6%   -   High Quotient
75   Downtown Stockton, CA   -   32,771   -   39,830   -   35   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   13.5%   -   Limited Live-Work Characteristics
76   Downtown Tallahassee   -   54,658   -   28,954   -   29   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   35.5%   -   Extremely High Quotient
77   Downtown Colorado Springs   -   41,715   -   34,628   -   26   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   25.3%   -   High Quotient
78   Downtown Oklahoma City   -   58,833   -   27,868   -   25   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   18.0%   -   Emerging Live-Work Area
79   Lubbock, TX   -   35,121   -   48,175   -   12   -   Lower Job Density   -   10.6%   -   Limited Live-Work Characteristics
80   Downtown Memphis   -   46,587   -   33,418   -   23   -   Moderate Job Density   -   20.2%   -   High Quotient
81   Downtown El Paso   -   36,623   -   25,663   -   42   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   21.5%   -   High Quotient
82   Downtown Knoxville, TN   -   32,038   -   15,509   -   69   -   High Job Density   -   18.1%   -   Emerging Live-Work Area
83   Downtown Savannah, GA   -   30,949   -   27,834   -   48   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   27.9%      High Quotient
84   Downtown Chattanooga   -   41,397   -   16,300   -   50   -   High Job Density   -   36.0%   -   Extremely High Quotient
85   Downtown Birmingham   -   54,450   -   20,786   -   33   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   19.3%   -   Emerging Live-Work Area
86   Downtown Fort Wayne, IN   -   28,585   -   33,270   -   29   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   12.9%      Limited Live-Work Characteristics
87   Downtown Sioux Falls, SD   -   34,248   -   30,242   -   22   -   Moderate Job Density   -   26.3%   -   High Quotient
88   Downtown Baton Rouge   -   34,916   -   31,803   -   17   -   Moderate Job Density   -   14.7%   -   Limited Live-Work Characteristics
89   Downtown Winston Salem   -   27,556   -   19,557   -   53   -   High Job Density   -   21.0%      High Quotient
90   Downtown Shreveport   -   36,183   -   28,097   -   11   -   Lower Job Density   -   19.8%   -   Emerging Live-Work Area
91   Downtown Greenville, SC   -   29,976   -   19,687   -   44   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   22.4%      High Quotient
92   Downtown Anchorage   -   28,987   -   14,013   -   53   -   High Job Density   -   26.7%      High Quotient
93   Downtown Amarillo, TX   -   33,019   -   27,980   -   12   -   Lower Job Density   -   28.9%   -   High Quotient
94   Downtown Augusta, GA   -   30,780   -   22,466   -   31   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   31.4%      Extremely High Quotient
95   Downtown Jackson, MS   -   41,952   -   20,869   -   9   -   Lower Job Density   -   18.7%   -   Emerging Live-Work Area
96   Downtown Huntsville   -   33,787   -   22,442   -   19   -   Moderate Job Density   -   24.4%   -   High Quotient
97   Downtown Cedar Rapids, IA   -   27,557   -   26,066   -   20   -   Moderate Job Density   -   19.9%      Emerging Live-Work Area
98   Downtown Montgomery, AL   -   32,110   -   15,680   -   26   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   21.1%   -   High Quotient
99   Downtown Charleston   -   29,351   -   23,070   -   17   -   Moderate Job Density   -   22.7%      High Quotient
100   Downtown Mobile   -   23,234   -   16,237   -   28   -   Moderately High Job Density   -   19.8%      Emerging Live-Work Area
101   Downtown Corpus Cristi   -   31,640   -   14,722   -   21   -   Moderate Job Density   -   25.6%   -   High Quotient

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Rank simply by # of employed in a downtown.

1   Midtown Manhattan   -   1,441,281
2   Downtown Chicago   -   609,902
3   Downtown Manhattan   -   527,118
4   Downtown DC   -   468,907
5   Downtown LA   -   372,337
6   Downtown San Francisco   -   299,659
7   Downtown Seattle   -   294,369
8   Center City Philadelphia   -   288,227
9   Downtown Minneapolis   -   232,458
10   Downtown Austin   -   214,865
11   Downtown Houston   -   200,383
12   Downtown Miami   -   188,003
13   Downtown Denver   -   180,863
14   Downtown Portland   -   180,173
15   Downtown Dallas   -   167,514
16   Downtown Pittsburgh   -   153,224
17   Downtown Sacramento   -   151,828
18   Downtown Baltimore   -   149,432
19   Downtown Atlanta   -   142,759
20   Downtown Indianapolis   -   136,417
21   Downtown Milwaukee   -   136,277
22   Downtown Honolulu   -   129,357
23   Downtown Cleveland   -   124,086
24   Downtown Raleigh   -   122,005
25   Downtown Columbus   -   121,455
26   Downtown Hartford   -   120,797
27   Downtown Oakland   -   113,550
28   Downtown Phoenix   -   107,859
29   Downtown Orlando   -   104,290
30   Downtown San Diego   -   100,905
31   Downtown St. Louis   -   97,167
32   Downtown San Antonio   -   96,643
33   Downtown Louisville   -   95,581
34   Downtown Cincinnati   -   90,271
35   Downtown Charlotte   -   89,588
36   Downtown Salt Lake City   -   88,812
37   Downtown Tampa   -   87,134
38   Downtown Nashville   -   86,615
39   Downtown St. Paul, MN   -   85,753
40   Downtown Columbia, SC   -   85,142
41   Downtown New Orleans   -   84,566
42   Downtown Des Moines   -   81,339
43   Downtown Richmond   -   80,313
44   Downtown Fort Worth   -   80,068
45   Downtown Detroit   -   78,144
46   Downtown Providence   -   77,885
47   Downtown Buffalo   -   72,902
48   Downtown San Jose   -   70,762
49   Downtown Kansas City   -   69,482
50   Downtown Rochester   -   68,449
51   Downtown Norfolk   -   67,774
52   Downtown Grand Rapids   -   67,277
53   Downtown Lexington, KY   -   65,206
54   Downtown Las Vegas   -   62,054
55   Downtown Oklahoma City   -   58,833
56   Downtown Fort Lauderdale   -   58,216
57   Downtown Little Rock   -   56,524
58   Downtown Jacksonville   -   56,302
59   Downtown Albany   -   55,936
60   Downtown Tulsa   -   55,728
61   Downtown Wichita   -   55,571
62   Downtown Tallahassee   -   54,658
63   Downtown Birmingham   -   54,450
64   Downtown Spokane, WA   -   53,621
65   Downtown Boise   -   53,368
66   Downtown Omaha   -   51,579
67   Downtown Greensboro   -   49,045
68   Downtown Tucson   -   47,678
69   Downtown Akron - Cleveland   -   47,394
70   Downtown Tacoma - Seattle   -   46,994
71   Downtown Rochester, MN   -   46,704
72   Downtown Memphis   -   46,587
73   Downtown Albuquerque   -   43,560
74   Downtown Jackson, MS   -   41,952
75   Downtown Colorado Springs   -   41,715
76   Downtown Chattanooga   -   41,397
77   Downtown Syracuse   -   39,656
78   Downtown Bakersfield   -   39,243
79   Downtown El Paso   -   36,623
80   Downtown Shreveport   -   36,183
81   Lubbock, TX   -   35,121
82   Downtown Baton Rouge   -   34,916
83   Downtown Lincoln, NE   -   34,840
84   Downtown Sioux Falls, SD   -   34,248
85   Downtown Huntsville   -   33,787
86   Downtown Amarillo, TX   -   33,019
87   Downtown Stockton, CA   -   32,771
88   Downtown Madison - Madison   -   32,170
89   Downtown Montgomery, AL   -   32,110
90   Downtown Knoxville, TN   -   32,038
91   Downtown Corpus Cristi   -   31,640
92   Downtown Toledo   -   31,474
93   Downtown Savannah, GA   -   30,949
94   Downtown Augusta, GA   -   30,780
95   Downtown Greenville, SC   -   29,976
96   Downtown Charleston   -   29,351
97   Downtown Anchorage   -   28,987
98   Downtown Fort Wayne, IN   -   28,585
99   Downtown Cedar Rapids, IA   -   27,557
100   Downtown Winston Salem   -   27,556
101   Downtown Mobile   -   23,234

[simms3]

Rank by residents in/around a downtown.

Rank   Employment Node      Population in DT + One-Mile Area
1   Midtown Manhattan   -   586,652
2   Downtown LA   -   174,975
3   Downtown DC   -   173,672
4   Downtown Manhattan   -   173,179
5   Center City Philadelphia   -   170,467
6   Downtown Chicago   -   144,051
7   Downtown Miami   -   140,889
8   Downtown San Francisco   -   134,312
9   Downtown Minneapolis   -   132,403
10   Downtown Seattle   -   119,590
11   Downtown Oakland   -   111,587
12   Downtown Baltimore   -   108,725
13   Downtown Portland   -   101,416
14   Downtown Hartford   -   94,968
15   Downtown San Jose   -   94,838
16   Downtown Honolulu   -   85,323
17   Downtown Denver   -   80,369
18   Downtown Salt Lake City   -   80,015
19   Downtown Milwaukee   -   74,619
20   Downtown Sacramento   -   73,225
21   Downtown New Orleans   -   70,525
22   Downtown Providence   -   70,508
23   Downtown Pittsburgh   -   69,534
24   Downtown Austin   -   64,843
25   Downtown Rochester   -   63,722
26   Downtown Atlanta   -   63,560
27   Downtown Louisville   -   59,789
28   Downtown Houston   -   58,459
29   Downtown San Diego   -   58,287
30   Downtown Norfolk   -   57,120
31   Downtown Fort Lauderdale   -   56,906
32   Downtown Akron - Cleveland   -   54,271
33   Downtown Las Vegas   -   53,236
34   Downtown Columbus   -   53,110
35   Downtown Indianapolis   -   50,349
36   Downtown Richmond   -   49,702
37   Downtown Bakersfield   -   48,927
38   Lubbock, TX   -   48,175
39   Downtown Lexington, KY   -   45,508
40   Downtown Columbia, SC   -   44,536
41   Downtown Grand Rapids   -   43,347
42   Downtown St. Paul, MN   -   42,910
43   Downtown Cleveland   -   41,236
44   Downtown Boise   -   40,820
45   Downtown Buffalo   -   40,332
46   Downtown Stockton, CA   -   39,830
47   Downtown San Antonio   -   39,826
48   Downtown Wichita   -   39,274
49   Downtown Madison - Madison   -   38,451
50   Downtown Toledo   -   37,840
51   Downtown Greensboro   -   37,604
52   Downtown Lincoln, NE   -   37,219
53   Downtown Dallas   -   36,884
54   Downtown Des Moines   -   36,518
55   Downtown Colorado Springs   -   34,628
56   Downtown Raleigh   -   34,359
57   Downtown Omaha   -   33,619
58   Downtown Phoenix   -   33,554
59   Downtown Memphis   -   33,418
60   Downtown Spokane, WA   -   33,411
61   Downtown Fort Wayne, IN   -   33,270
62   Downtown Orlando   -   33,228
63   Downtown Charlotte   -   33,140
64   Downtown Tampa   -   32,477
65   Downtown Albany   -   32,227
66   Downtown Baton Rouge   -   31,803
67   Downtown Sioux Falls, SD   -   30,242
68   Downtown Syracuse   -   29,346
69   Downtown Tallahassee   -   28,954
70   Downtown St. Louis   -   28,534
71   Downtown Shreveport   -   28,097
72   Downtown Amarillo, TX   -   27,980
73   Downtown Oklahoma City   -   27,868
74   Downtown Savannah, GA   -   27,834
75   Downtown Cincinnati   -   27,488
76   Downtown Tacoma - Seattle   -   26,318
77   Downtown Tulsa   -   26,073
78   Downtown Cedar Rapids, IA   -   26,066
79   Downtown Nashville   -   25,922
80   Downtown El Paso   -   25,663
81   Downtown Tucson   -   25,316
82   Downtown Jacksonville   -   24,743
83   Downtown Charleston   -   23,070
84   Downtown Augusta, GA   -   22,466
85   Downtown Huntsville   -   22,442
86   Downtown Kansas City   -   22,122
87   Downtown Albuquerque   -   21,458
88   Downtown Jackson, MS   -   20,869
89   Downtown Birmingham   -   20,786
90   Downtown Rochester, MN   -   19,918
91   Downtown Greenville, SC   -   19,687
92   Downtown Winston Salem   -   19,557
93   Downtown Little Rock   -   18,392
94   Downtown Detroit   -   17,438
95   Downtown Chattanooga   -   16,300
96   Downtown Mobile   -   16,237
97   Downtown Montgomery, AL   -   15,680
98   Downtown Knoxville, TN   -   15,509
99   Downtown Corpus Cristi   -   14,722
100   Downtown Anchorage   -   14,013
101   Downtown Fort Worth   -   13,550


Note that Koreatown/Wilshire in LA is the 2nd highest overall at 223,000 residents, but being a secondary submarket was excluded.  Note also that Civic Center in SF has 194,000 residents (4th highest overall behind Brooklyn, NY, which was also excluded) and is only 1 mile from downtown, but was excluded from report due to secondary submarket status.

[simms3]

Densest primary downtowns by jobs/acre - I think this is an important feature that indicates the geographical size of a downtown, can indicate if it's a high-rise downtown, and also indicates important downtown features like "hustle and bustle" and general activity and amenities that come with the territory of having a dense downtown.  I think the biggest misleading figure is DTLA, being 4th densest ahead of SF and Philadelphia - simply a factor of tall buildings with large floorplates and structured parking.  No "downtown" vibe there, certainly not compared to SF or Philly.

1   Midtown Manhattan   -   920
2   Downtown Manhattan   -   327
3   Downtown Chicago   -   294
4   Downtown LA   -   285
5   Downtown San Francisco   -   217
6   Center City Philadelphia   -   203
7   Downtown Dallas   -   175
8   Downtown Houston   -   166
9   Downtown Rochester, MN   -   155
10   Downtown Seattle   -   150
11   Downtown Austin   -   135
12   Downtown Pittsburgh   -   134
13   Downtown Denver   -   133
14   Downtown Tucson   -   127
15   Downtown Raleigh   -   120
16   Downtown Baltimore   -   119
17   Downtown Albany   -   114
18   Downtown Milwaukee   -   112
19   Downtown Grand Rapids   -   111
20   Downtown St. Paul, MN   -   103
21   Downtown San Diego   -   100
22   Downtown Cincinnati   -   98
23   Downtown DC   -   97
24   Downtown Phoenix   -   89
25   Downtown Atlanta   -   88
26   Downtown Tampa   -   87
27   Downtown Buffalo   -   86
28   Downtown Minneapolis   -   85
29   Downtown Rochester   -   83
30   Downtown Hartford   -   80
31   Downtown Tacoma - Seattle   -   80
32   Downtown Syracuse   -   76
33   Downtown Kansas City   -   75
34   Downtown Norfolk   -   74
35   Downtown Oakland   -   72
36   Downtown Honolulu   -   72
37   Downtown Providence   -   72
38   Downtown Albuquerque   -   69
39   Downtown Knoxville, TN   -   69
40   Downtown Detroit   -   67
41   Downtown Richmond   -   65
42   Downtown St. Louis   -   64
43   Downtown Orlando   -   63
44   Downtown Nashville   -   63
45   Downtown Portland   -   61
46   Downtown Charlotte   -   60
47   Downtown New Orleans   -   59
48   Downtown San Antonio   -   59
49   Downtown Columbus   -   58
50   Downtown Spokane, WA   -   58
51   Downtown Indianapolis   -   57
52   Downtown Fort Lauderdale   -   55
53   Downtown Toledo   -   54
54   Downtown Sacramento   -   53
55   Downtown Madison - Madison   -   53
56   Downtown Winston Salem   -   53
57   Downtown Anchorage   -   53
58   Downtown Miami   -   52
59   Downtown Little Rock   -   51
60   Downtown Chattanooga   -   50
61   Downtown Fort Worth   -   49
62   Downtown Savannah, GA   -   48
63   Downtown Lincoln, NE   -   45
64   Downtown Cleveland   -   44
65   Downtown Jacksonville   -   44
66   Downtown Greenville, SC   -   44
67   Downtown Des Moines   -   42
68   Downtown El Paso   -   42
69   Downtown Columbia, SC   -   41
70   Downtown Louisville   -   39
71   Downtown Salt Lake City   -   38
72   Downtown Wichita   -   38
73   Downtown Boise   -   37
74   Downtown Tulsa   -   37
75   Downtown Las Vegas   -   36
76   Downtown Greensboro   -   36
77   Downtown San Jose   -   35
78   Downtown Stockton, CA   -   35
79   Downtown Omaha   -   34
80   Downtown Birmingham   -   33
81   Downtown Augusta, GA   -   31
82   Downtown Fort Wayne, IN   -   29
83   Downtown Tallahassee   -   29
84   Downtown Mobile   -   28
85   Downtown Bakersfield   -   27
86   Downtown Colorado Springs   -   26
87   Downtown Montgomery, AL   -   26
88   Downtown Akron - Cleveland   -   25
89   Downtown Oklahoma City   -   25
90   Downtown Lexington, KY   -   24
91   Downtown Memphis   -   23
92   Downtown Sioux Falls, SD   -   22
93   Downtown Corpus Cristi   -   21
94   Downtown Cedar Rapids, IA   -   20
95   Downtown Huntsville   -   19
96   Downtown Baton Rouge   -   17
97   Downtown Charleston   -   17
98   Lubbock, TX   -   12
99   Downtown Amarillo, TX   -   12
100   Downtown Shreveport   -   11
101   Downtown Jackson, MS   -   9

[simms3]

NOTES

1) I doctored Jacksonville because the report also had a "Jacksonville Medical Center" secondary market, and I realized that it was probably "Southbank".  I included its figures for jobs and job density because they were higher and I didn't want to turn heads.  Their "downtown Jacksonville" actually only has 37,916 jobs (I report 56,302) and job density only at 26 (I report 44 which seems more realistic).

2) Boston is completely missing due to lack of data in MA.

3) Austin, Sacramento, and Raleigh are probably skewed upward unfairly by either their status as state capital and/or university in downtown.  I excluded Springfield, IL, Salem, WA and other capitals for this reason as the report indicated they were larger than Jax.

4) Brooklyn, NY is not featured, though was skewed for other similar reasons and noted as such in the report.

5)

Civic Center was excluded from SF despite being adjacent to downtown.

153,098 workers, 174,402 residents, 149 jobs/acre, 19.5% live-work quotient
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
University City was excluded from Philadelphia despite being only 1 mile from downtown.

79,368 workers, 116,609 residents, 85 jobs/acre, 16.2% live-work quotient
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UAB Medical Center was excluded from downtown Birmingham despite being next door.

41,712 workers, 18,139 residents, 44 jobs/acre, 25.5% live-work quotient

[simms3]

Job Centers by Metro (I have not filled in all of the data, so there are some gaps and plenty of smaller job centers completely missing, and a few large/notable job centers missing).

Atlanta

Downtown Atlanta   -   142,759   -   63,560   -   88   -   21.0%
Midtown Atlanta   -   103,767   -   77,535   -   33   -   17.7%
Central Perimeter - Atlanta   -   89,968   -   60,788   -      -   14.8%
Medical Center Sandy Springs - Atlanta   -   35,100   -   19,068   -      -   

Bay Area

Downtown San Francisco   -   299,659   -   134,312   -   217   -   37.9%
Civic Center - San Francisco   -   153,098   -   174,402   -   149   -   19.5%
Cisco Campus - San Jose   -   141,155   -   54,146   -      -   20.9%
Downtown Oakland   -   113,550   -   111,587   -   72   -   17.7%
South Office Parks - Santa Clara, CA   -   72,233   -   55,211   -      -   
Downtown San Jose   -   70,762   -   94,838   -   35   -   
East Palo Alto, CA - San Francisco   -   55,144   -   45,747   -      -   
UCSF Medical Center - San Francisco   -   44,704   -   102,296   -   277   -   
Downtown Palo Alto - San Francisco   -   44,690   -   56,680   -      -   
North Office Parks - Santa Clara   -   31,354   -   32,737   -      -   

Charlotte

Downtown Charlotte      -   89,588   -   33,140   -   60   -   31.2%
South End - Charlotte   -   30,077   -   45,200   -      -   

Cleveland

Downtown Cleveland   -   124,086   -   41,236   -   44   -   27.8%
University Circle - Cleveland   -   63,192   -   60,676   -      -   
Downtown Akron - Cleveland   -   47,394   -   54,271   -   25   -   19.3%

Dallas-Fort Worth

UT Medical Center - Dallas   -   190,285   -   98,502   -      -   17.9%
Downtown Dallas   -   167,514   -   36,884   -   175   -   21.3%
Office Park - Irving, TX   -   93,250   -   26,978   -      -   9.7%
Downtown Fort Worth   -   80,068   -   13,550   -   49   -   17.8%
Downtown Arlington, TX - Dallas   -   57,589   -   49,459   -      -   
Downtown Plano, TX - Dallas   -   52,587   -   56,019   -      -   
Medical Center - Fort Worth   -   48,302   -   45,024   -      -   
Richardson, TX - Dallas   -   41,473   -   40,337   -      -   
Las Collinas - Dallas   -   39,547   -   15,094   -      -   
North Office Park - Dallas   -   38,629   -   21,214   -      -   

Detroit

Downtown Detroit   -   78,144   -   17,438   -   67   -   21.1%
Midtown - Detroit   -   72,911   -   36,237   -      -   
West Troy Mall Area - Detroit   -   63,884   -   37,054   -      -   
Northwest Southfield - Detroit   -   50,300   -   28,227   -      -   
East Office Park Troy, MI - Detroit   -   45,443   -   43,912   -      -   
Southeast Southfield, MI - Detroit   -   32,758   -   42,594   -      -   

Houston

Downtown Houston   -   200,383   -   58,459   -   166   -   18.0%
Uptown Houston   -   129,929   -   51,380   -   95   -   17.5%
TX Medical Center - Houston   -   127,330   -   65,940   -   80   -   25.5%
Greenway Plaza - Houston   -   103,963   -   51,496   -   98   -   11.2%

Los Angeles

Downtown LA   -   372,337   -   174,975   -   285   -   19.4%
Office Park - Irvine, CA   -   234,246   -   160,250   -   22   -   19.6%
Westwood/UCLA - Los Angeles   -   140,986   -   81,305   -   132   -   16.8%
Downtown Pasadena, CA   -   89,093   -   122,338   -      -   15.7%
Hollywood - Los Angeles   -   76,118   -   138,193   -      -   
Southern Office Park - San Bernardino, CA   -   71,232   -   50,796   -      -   
Wilshire/Koreatown - Los Angeles   -   71,229   -   223,487   -   79   -   
Downtown Burbank   -   60,850   -   71,596   -   118   -   
Medical Center - Irvine, CA   -   60,432   -   36,805   -      -   
Downtown Santa Ana, CA   -   59,360   -   123,664   -   79   -   
Northeast Office Parks - Ontario, CA   -   59,149   -   37,054   -      -   
Downtown Long Beach   -   45,845   -   112,113   -      -   
Downtown Torrance, CA - Los Angeles   -   35,757   -   55,843   -      -   
Downtown Riverside - Los Angeles   -   35,336   -   30,505   -      -   
Torrance Office Park - Los Angeles   -   34,020   -   61,683   -      -   
Central Office Parks Ontario - Los Angeles   -   33,978   -   51,177   -      -   

Nashville

Downtown Nashville   -   86,615   -   25,922   -   63   -   16.7%
West End - Nashville   -   80,751   -   45,218   -      -   33.0%

New York

Midtown Manhattan   -   1,441,281   -   586,652   -   920   -   55.9%
Downtown Manhattan   -   527,118   -   173,179   -   327   -   23.6%
Brooklyn   -   350,124   -   202,093   -   404   -   12.7%
Downtown Newark   -   109,274   -   174,818   -   90   -   19.2%
Downtown Jersey City   -   93,171   -   160,186   -      -   12.6%

Hampton Roads

Downtown Norfolk   -   67,774   -   57,120   -   74   -   30.1%
Downtown Chesapeake City, VA - Norfolk   -   52,576   -   54,846   -      -   
Newport News   -   31,430   -   30,724   -      -   

Philadelphia

Center City Philadelphia   -   288,227   -   170,467   -   203   -   40.7%
University City - Philadelphia   -   79,368   -   116,609   -   85   -   

Phoenix

Downtown Phoenix   -   107,859   -   33,554   -   89   -   15.3%
North Downtown - Phoenix   -   79,551   -   44,590   -      -   
Downtown Tempe, AZ   -   76,936   -   58,146   -      -   
Downtown Scottsdale - Phoenix   -   48,016   -   58,490   -      -   
Downtown Mesa, AZ   -   30,675   -   59,925   -      -   

The Triad

Downtown Greensboro   -   49,045   -   37,604   -   36   -   18.7%
Downtown Winston Salem   -   27,556   -   19,557   -   53   -   21.0%

Pittsburgh

Downtown Pittsburgh   -   153,224   -   69,534   -   134   -   31.3%
Oakland - Pittsburgh   -   79,896   -   55,591   -   134   -   

San Antonio

Downtown San Antonio   -   96,643   -   39,826   -   59   -   17.3%
UT Medical Center - San Antonio   -   84,512   -   53,208   -      -   

San Diego

Downtown San Diego   -   100,905   -   58,287   -   100   -   19.0%
UCSD Medical Center San Diego   -   80,294   -   55,074   -      -   

Seattle

Downtown Seattle   -   294,369   -   119,590   -   150   -   41.0%
Redmond, WA - Seattle   -   62,715   -   30,208   -      -   
Everett, WA - Seattle   -   55,992   -   77,789   -      -   
Outer Bellevue, WA - Seattle   -   54,069   -   36,911   -      -   
Downtown Tacoma - Seattle   -   46,994   -   26,318   -   80   -   19.0%
UW - Seattle   -   45,197   -   70,358   -      -   
Downtown Bellevue - Seattle   -   41,270   -   14,759   -   94   -   
Downtown Redmond, WA - Seattle   -   35,065   -   47,599   -      -   

South Florida

Downtown Miami   -   188,003   -   140,889   -   52   -   23.9%
Downtown Fort Lauderdale   -   58,216   -   56,906   -   55   -   19.2%
Boca Raton - South Florida   -   41,773   -   31,803   -      -   

Tampa Bay

Downtown Tampa   -   87,134   -   32,477   -   87   -   16.3%
Downtown St. Petersburg   -   31,294   -   38,674   -      -   

Twin Cities

Downtown Minneapolis   -   232,458   -   132,403   -   85   -   34.9%
Downtown St. Paul, MN   -   85,753   -   42,910   -   103   -   17.3%

Washington DC

Downtown DC   -   468,907   -   173,672   -   97   -   50.5%
Tysons Corner   -   117,817   -   79,717   -      -   18.1%
Georgetown - Washington DC   -   54,598   -   63,644   -      -   
Downtown Alexandria, VA - Washington DC   -   47,306   -   46,694   -   78   -   
VA Medical Center - Washington DC   -   46,962   -   98,841   -      -   
Ballston-Arlington - Washington, DC   -   41,121   -   48,718   -   82   -   
Rosslyn-Arlington - Washington DC   -   31,555   -   17,876   -      -   

[thelakelander]

These maps are very revealing when it comes to the transportation discussion

Cleveland has a downtown and a separate node around the "anchor institutions" near the Cleveland Clinic:

Cleveland's 6.8-mile Health Line BRT runs between the downtown (124k employees) and University Circle (63k employees) nodes.  University Circle is a larger employment center than downtown Jax (56k employees). With the Health Line, you have a situation where there are viable activity centers of urban context on each end, plus you benefit from continued expansion of anchor institutions like Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland State University, etc.  BRT advocates label this TOD but in reality it's all about the land use, context and implementing transit to support what's already there.  The dangerous thing for cities like Jax is getting caught up on the hype, believing the Health Line BRT is the reason for anchor institution expansions and that this experience can be easily repeated here. 

It can, we'll just need UNF, JU, Mayo Clinic and UF Health Jacksonville to all decide to move to Philips Highway, between JTB and downtown. Good luck with that one.

Atlanta (left) has multiple roughly equal jobs centers, while Jacksonville (at right) is decentralized with no single jobs center to speak of:

Looks can be deceiving. The Jax and Atlanta maps don't appear to be the same scale.  Upon second look, this stuff isn't even apples to apples.  The employment number ranges for each category are different in every single map.

If the Atlanta map were shown at the same scale and included job centers surrounding the actual city limits, it would look more like Jax's.  In fact, most cities in this country would. For this to be more credible, the data being presented should be at the same scale for all cities. 

Anyway, even the Jax map in its current state is eye opening when it comes to incrementally improving the local transit network.  It shows that the city's largest concentration of jobs is within the urban core from Riverside to Brentwood/New Springfield.  The densest collection of jobs appears to be in the Southbank.

If anything, this makes a case for getting all levels/modes of transit in the urban core working right and incrementally expanding out from there.  Right now, we have a sick urban core (that's much more than just downtown).  Correctly, re-connecting this compact area together and modifying policies to make sure infrastructure investment and land use policies support one another, will naturally do wonders for downtown and several neighborhoods surrounding it.

You also get more bang for your buck from an operations standpoint.  Politically, it will be a challenge since many of the neighborhoods that need better service are areas of little political influence and not popular with people who consider themselves choice riders.  It would be interesting to see the employment center data presented in this study, combined with the mapping of JTA transit lines, color coded by ridership levels.