Category Archives: Urban Studies

Urban planning, buildings & architecture, downtown Huntsville, and how cities grow

Big Spring Canal

Posted on August 25, 2021 by Pgibson

This is the canal that comes from Big Spring, that in turn comes from underneath the Madison County Courthouse. There is a system of caves under the courthouse square. Although I’ve never been in those caves, I hear it was … Continue reading →

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Huntsville is About to Become the Largest City in Alabama

Posted on July 22, 2021 by Pgibson

Update: Looks like a lot of folks were pretty far off on the estimates – Huntsville became the largest city in Alabama sometime back around 2017 or 2018. The official census numbers for 2020 put Huntsville at 215,006. So my … Continue reading →

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The VBC Triangle

Posted on July 15, 2021 by Pgibson

No, this isn’t like the Bermuda Triangle. To my knowledge, no one has ever gone missing here! Here in Huntsville, Alabama we’ve had a few big economic developments in the past few years, to put it mildly. And as is … Continue reading →

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The Filling-in of Downtown Huntsville

Posted on July 1, 2021 by Pgibson

Back in 1950, Huntsville, Alabama was a sleepy little hamlet of maybe 15,000 citizens. Its courthouse square would have fit in quite well as the backdrop for Forrest Gump’s park bench scene in a small Alabama town. You remember: “Life … Continue reading →

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Sidewalk Messages

Posted on June 10, 2021 by Pgibson

I was recently in Crystal City, a section of Arlington, Virginia. While walking to the metro station, I noticed something new to me. It’s a sidewalk message. Not exactly an advertisement, but more like a public service announcement. To me, … Continue reading →

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Some Huntsville Projects Still on Their Way

Posted on May 13, 2021 by Pgibson

Last time in the topic of Urban Planning, I blogged about big projects that never made it in Huntsville. But some projects just take longer to come about. Here are some projects that either we haven’t heard from in a … Continue reading →

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Big Projects That Never Made It in Huntsville

Posted on April 29, 2021 by Pgibson

Every city has them, and Huntsville is no exception. They are kept in the closet and pulled out every once in a while to ask once again why they never came to be. Depending on your perspective, some were even … Continue reading →

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Is Overpass Weaving Legal?

Posted on April 22, 2021 by Pgibson

Admittedly that’s an odd question for most folks, even in the context of urban traffic flow. However, I suspect that many thoughtful drivers in Huntsville, Alabama know exactly what I’m talking about. To explain why, let me give some background … Continue reading →

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Downtown Huntsville: Pre and Post World War II

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Pgibson

I must confess the obvious here: I’ve been fascinated with downtowns and skyscrapers from an early age. I believe it was at the age of ten that my father took my brother and me to watch an Atlanta Braves game, … Continue reading →

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Urban Density in Huntsville

Posted on February 22, 2021 by Pgibson

Last week, I blogged on Huntsville’s ‘Heaviest Corner’; the place in downtown Huntsville, Alabama that had the greatest density concentration. Since then, I’ve had a few additional thoughts, so I’d like to look further into that topic here. Here are … Continue reading →

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