That’s true, but a realistic metro area builds upon the leading core city’s cred and brand. This happens with Miami, Dallas, Minneapolis, and other multicore metros. Durham liked when it was split because they realized that they’d always play second fiddle in the old model. However, what the split actually did was emphasize how Raleigh and its burbs in Wake were really driving the vast majority of the Triangle’s growth.
2 Likes
I still personally prefer the ‘City Within a Park’ brand for Raleigh…Many visitors still comment ‘ this place is soooo green’ when they visit. Couple that with a growing greenway system and the many parks / green spaces that ring our neighborhoods plus lump in Umstead and Dix to that mix and you can really see an overall amenity landscape with appeal. (**Now, imagine that coupled with the Artery / Gondola vision around the downtown, and….well, y’kmow 
).
Tack on the research / academic / economic diversity and what was comparatively ‘affordable’ and you see why the lists keep bringing the transplants.
Your query of ‘be careful what you wish for’ is reasonable considering the infrastructure stress / housing affordability squeeze. ‘Make California think we’re Boring’ might be a good mission statement.
12 Likes
thing is… Atlanta already kind of has that branding. “City in a forest” is more along the lines of what Atlanta is known for (ironically, I might add, as they do have plenty of trees but also an abysmal amount of highway and surface parking that plagues every urban area that make up the skyline) - but I’d argue we need to go a little more unique than “City in a Park” when ATL, an already much bigger and world famous city, kind of has that locked in. Just Google “city in a forest” and you will see that Atlanta has claimed the moniker.
Let’s start with your city with a park in it / parks and greenways. I totally get that. However, what does that really say? What’s the higher vision? I’d suggest that it’s about being outdoorsy, fit, active, etc. There has to be an energy/vibe play about it: a story to be told about what it means to be in Raleigh. How does that affect Raleigh’s identity? How do we build that into Raleigh’s identity? How do we paint a picture of the typical Raleigh resident experience around that identity?
I’d suggest that downtown needs to go through the same sort of exercise.
OK sure - how about ‘City With Shade 
Where You Can Go Places Without Being In Traffic 2 Hrs’ ?
2 Likes
How about “It’s pronounced RAWLEE, we’re low-key High Kwality’
1 Like
I think of 2 things only: Hotlanta and sprawl. There’s a reason I’ve only visited once in my 17 years down here. If Atlanta wants to be a city in a forest, good for them, but I’ve never heard that from anyone. I do hear how green it is here, which is true, though I guess I have gotten used to that. 
2 Likes
It’s pronounced RAH-lee, which does I guess sort of rhyme with KWAH-lih-tee
1 Like
I still think the hilliness of the region is the angle to take. “The gateway to NC’s hill country”
Just add observation towers on some of them and have a backpacking trail that crosses the range.
1 Like
I think Dix could be a large part of this. It just needs that one anchor attraction (trolls, Gibson, gondola??). Really lean into the idea of “day in the park”. Instead of playing up the idea that we’re the next big city, embrace that we’re a big town. There’s not a bunch of hustle and bustle. Things move more slowly.
We have a bunch of great parks already with more coming up. Dix is the catalyst. Smoky Hollow will provide something on the north end of downtown. Bring back Caswell Square. Connect it all with a greenway. Create a culture of meeting up at the park instead of at someone’s apartment.
All that being said, I don’t know how marketable that is. Nobody really goes to New York for Central Park. 
3 Likes
i was born in raleigh in late 60s and lived in charlotte in the early double Oughts for two years…i didnt like my stint there. raleigh always seemed more comfortable to me at the time. the providences and tryons always seemed more unpleasnt than raleighs equivalents. fingers crosed on MLB.
1 Like
Central Park and the Battery are about the only reasons I want to go to NYC!!! 
3 Likes
There’s also the food…
1 Like
Again, we see the forest because of our sign/billboard regulations from 35 years back, (I 85 & I 95 predated these refs), Easy, laid back, city in a park. Our area reminds me of greater San Jose, Silicon Valley region; or the foothills north and south of Salt Lake City. Regions with many population nodes. Pretty cool company, whatever it is called.
4 Likes
FWIW before moving here from California in 2005 I knew of RTP as a technology and intellectual/university center. So not only had I heard of this area, it had a pretty positive image in my mind.
10 Likes