Ron Blatman
Today’s guest columnist is Ron Blatman.
I know cities.
I write about cities.
I produce documented series about making cities better places.
I’ve always been fascinated with Birmingham, Alabama and… Continue reading What a fragmented Birmingham can learn from the most fragmented city in the U.S. →
Jefferson County license plates begin with the number 1.
By David Sher
I’m going to talk about Alabama’s license plate codes to belly-ache about our Birmingham regions lack of growth.
When I was a child traveling out of state and I saw an Alabama license plate beginning with the number 1, I would proudly proclaim to my family that the folks in that car were from Birmingham, and I would think to myself: Birmingham, the #1 city in Alabama.
Continue reading Is Jefferson County about to lose #1 license plate? →
Jeffrey Bayer
Today’s guest columnist is Jeffrey Bayer.
Last week, after a successful annexation vote, Mayor Sandy Stimson of Mobile proudly proclaimed , “We’re bigger than Birmingham!”
Up until recently Birmingham was concerned about falling behind Huntsville.
Now we’ve fallen behind, not only Huntsville, but also Montgomery and Mobile. Continue reading Birmingham doesn’t need Mtn. Brook, Vestavia, or Hoover to grow →
Dick Pizitz
Today’s guest columnist is Dick Pizitz.
In 1969, a future mayor of Birmingham, David Vann, recruited a few people to initiate a quiet campaign to consolidate all of the municipalities and unincorporated areas of Jefferson County into a single combined metropolitan government. Continue reading How Birmingham came within one vote of becoming a major U.S. city →
Photo of Atlanta graffiti by Stacy Sher
By David Sher
My wife and I just got back from a trip to Atlanta to visit our son and family.
Oh! The traffic.
Just shoot me!
Not even rush hour traffic—this was the weekend. Continue reading Birmingham ready to pounce on Atlanta’s vulnerability →
Marshall Malone
Today’s guest columnist is Marshall Malone.
When people discuss issues in the City of Birmingham, they may mention crime, education, or population loss.
However, there’s one issue most people may not be aware.
Continue reading Another blow for Birmingham residents →
More than 50,000 people attended concert by Garth Brooks on June 4, 2022, at Protective Stadium. (Mary Colurso | mcolurso@AL.com)
By David Sher
I never saw it coming.
According to recently released U.S. Bureau of Census population estimates the City of Birmingham is now the 3rd largest city in Alabama.
Until 2020 Birmingham was the largest city in the state. Continue reading Birmingham suburbs, are you nervous yet? →
Don Erwin
Today’s guest columnist is Don Erwin.
To those of us optimistic about Birmingham (city and metro), the 2020 census numbers were like a bucket of cold water thrown in our faces.
Why weren’t the numbers better? Continue reading Census numbers kick Birmingham in the gut–but… →
Jefferson County
A graph of Jefferson County’s population over the past 50 years looks eerily like the EKG of a dead man.
It’s a straight line that goes neither up nor down. It lays dormant like a dead body.
Unfortunately that flat line now appears to represent the good ‘ole’ days. Continue reading How to turn around a shrinking Jefferson County →
Editor’s note: ComebackTown’s celebrating its 8th anniversary. I thought it might be insightful to republish the very first piece (Jan. 3, 2012). Since publication, the City of Birmingham’s population has stabilized…and our region’s making great progress–all good news! Continue reading Can our suburbs survive if B’ham’s a donut hole? →
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