Favored Quarters

[kwabbit]

You can see here the relative common-ness of Western favored quarters, which has been oft-discussed due to Western areas being upwind of industry. 17 of the top 50 cities have their favored quarters to the west in some way (unless I miscounted).

Interestingly, as discussed in the other threads, Northern favored quarters are very common, without an obvious explanation, with 18 of the cities included (double counting NW favored quarters). There doesn't seem to be an obvious explanation for this, and I'm curious if it's just a coincidence or the result of some other factor.

Midwestern theory might be summer vacation retreat?

My guess is that winds in those areas usually blow from north to south, resulting in better air quality to the north of the city and worse to the south of the city. When suburbanization/White flight occurred post WWII, most of the White urban professionals moved to the north where the air quality was more pleasant.

[kwabbit]

You can see here the relative common-ness of Western favored quarters, which has been oft-discussed due to Western areas being upwind of industry. 17 of the top 50 cities have their favored quarters to the west in some way (unless I miscounted).

Interestingly, as discussed in the other threads, Northern favored quarters are very common, without an obvious explanation, with 18 of the cities included (double counting NW favored quarters). There doesn't seem to be an obvious explanation for this, and I'm curious if it's just a coincidence or the result of some other factor.

Midwestern theory might be summer vacation retreat?

My guess is that winds in those areas usually blow from north to south, resulting in better air quality to the north of the city and worse to the south of the city. When suburbanization/White flight occurred post WWII, most of the White urban professionals moved to the north where the air quality was more pleasant.

White suburbanization did occur mostly post World War 2, however these favored quarters are from the 19th century as these were the early Rich groups.

How early in the 19th century? 1875 then air pollution might've been an issue still. 1825 then I have no idea.

[kwabbit]

Multi-centric urban areas and water features kind of mess this up.  I can't really think of any logic for the location of the "preferred" suburbs on the MS Gulf Coast, for example.  Tampa Bay is another weird area. 

Tampa makes sense. A lot of Southern cities have two favored quarters. An inner, urban favored quarter and then a sprawling outer suburban favored quarter. In Tampa this is South Tampa and Davis/Harbour Islands. Northwest Hillsborough is the sprawling favored quarter. The water is not a significant factor in this, probably because it's on the bay and without nice beaches. Atlanta with Buckhead and the NE sprawl also fits this pattern, as does the Houston Arrow and the semicircle of affluent Western suburbs, as does Dallas with University/Highland Park and the Collin County Sprawl, as does San Antonio with the Alamo Heights area and the Northern Sprawl.

St. Pete is a little different, as the wealth is north of downtown and on the beaches, and the sprawl is not affluent. If you consider the Pasco Coast as part of the area, that is the among the poorest exurbs in the country, but Northern Pinellas is wealthier.