Fictional Municipality/County Changes

[Scott5114]

Then Wyandotte and Johnson Counties should merge to City and County of Kansas City-Overland Park.

This would be utterly impossible. The two are so socioeconomically different, there would be no way they could be combined as a single entity. Nor would they want to be–because of the economic differences, Wyandotte and Johnson counties sort of hate each other. Wyandotte views Johnson as an overpriced wasteland of rich, vapid cookie-cutter suburbs; Johnson views Wyandotte as a terrifying, dangerous, crime-ridden hellhole. Neither of these stereotypes are entirely true, but it does mean that a combined entity would, at best, serve the two areas worse, and at worst, be entirely ungovernable.

[Poiponen13]

Many cities should merge with their counties and sometimes also with neighboring counties, creating cities reaching 60 miles (~100 km) out of downtown. Such as Fargo, ND, which would comprise entire Cass County and include many rural areas. Cities should also enclose other cities, towns and villages.

Cass County has a crapload of little cities and towns outside of Fargo and a lot of nothing between them and Fargo. I can't see Grandin or Leonard being too happy about that.

I don't think you quite understand the logistic[size=78%]al nightmares that a lot of your "grand plans" would likely result in.[/size]

Random changes:
- Tulsa County becomes City and County of Tulsa. All other cities, towns and unincorporated areas in Tulsa County are absorbed into Tulsa, except Broken Arrow, which becomes its own City and County of Broken Arrow. Also, a portion of Tulsa that lies in Osage County is transferred to City and County of Tulsa. But a portion of Tulsa that lies in Wagoner County is transferred to a new city of East Tulsa, which lies in Wagoner County and is a newly-built planned community.
- Franklin County, OH becomes City and County of Columbus. All other cities, towns and unincorporated areas in Franklin County are absorbed into Columbus.

[Scott5114]

You can't change the boundaries of Osage County because all of Osage County is the territory of the Osage tribe.

Also, a planned community being successful in Oklahoma is...well, I give it a 3% chance it would work. Oklahomans are not the sort of people who take kindly to dictates from a central authority.

[Poiponen13]

Merged counties could also get other names than a name of one of the merged counties. The following would be good:
Rolf County
Booger Queen County
Otter County
Virginia County
Mezen County

[Poiponen13]

You can't change the boundaries of Osage County because all of Osage County is the territory of the Osage tribe.

Also, a planned community being successful in Oklahoma is...well, I give it a 3% chance it would work. Oklahomans are not the sort of people who take kindly to dictates from a central authority.

Why then there is a suburb inside Indian reservation in Osage County, part of Tulsa?

[DTComposer]

I have some crazy ideas for California

[...]

Yes all are Troll statements. No way they are going to happen in real life.

And you didn't go with a San Bernardino city/county consolidation? You miss 100% of the shots you do not take.

Good point I was also considering the San Jose City consolidation with Santa Clara County.

This idea was actually floated (and quickly rejected) in the 1960s, when San Jose was undergoing its annexation binge.

Here's my quick-and-dirty map of the California changes I have thought about:



Mostly it's about county consolidation, combining low-population, largely rural counties. Not a lot of boundary shifting or splitting of counties, except:
-splitting Solano County between Yolo and Sonoma Counties;
-splitting Placer County, giving the Sacramento suburbs to Sacramento County;
-splitting San Mateo County between San Francisco and Santa Clara Counties;
-moving north Santa Barbara County to San Luis Obispo County;
-splitting Ventura County between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara Counties;
-combining the urban core of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties; and
-re-assigning much of the eastern/southeastern desert portions.

I would have assigned the eastern portions of Fresno and Tulare to Tuolumne or Mono, but good road connections don't really exist to make that feasible.

[Scott5114]

You can't change the boundaries of Osage County because all of Osage County is the territory of the Osage tribe.

Also, a planned community being successful in Oklahoma is...well, I give it a 3% chance it would work. Oklahomans are not the sort of people who take kindly to dictates from a central authority.

Why then there is a suburb inside Indian reservation in Osage County, part of Tulsa?

It's Complicated™. Many very large books have been written on the minute details of how tribal jurisdiction works in Oklahoma. And then what we thought we knew got upended by McGirt v. Oklahoma in 2020. So basically, nobody knows what's going on at this point, least of all the Oklahoma government.

[mgk920]

I can envision a LOT of metro-wide municipal amalgamations happening well after everyone who is alive and aware now is long gone and forgotten, as in the 2080s, 2120s and so forth instead of the 2020s.  Our deep descendants will be seeing these lines on local metro maps that were drawn by the WWII Veterans, 'Boomers', Xers, (etc) and start seriously wondering 'why were they drawn in such illogical and bad ways? They will then start taking action to correct them.

Mike

[Poiponen13]

Jade City would also be a cool city name. As well as Jade County.

[mgk920]

Jade City would also be a cool city name. As well as Jade County.

About 20 years or so ago my hometown City of Appleton, WI made a street improvement that caused a neighborhood street on the city's southeast side to become severed from the rest of the street that it was a part of (S Kensington Dr), so the city's Planning and Public Works guys polled the neighbors for ideas for new names for that discontiguous section of street.  The Neighbors settled on 'S Jade Dr'.

Mike

[jp the roadgeek]

a NYC-Nassau County merger?  Ditto a NYC-Westchester County merger?



Mike

Westchester County might as well annex lower Fairfield County, CT, as I consider that to be part of NY state anyway (Greenwich, Darien, Stamford, New Canaan, Norwalk, Westport, Wilton, Redding, Weston, and Easton).  Or at least split Fairfield County and create Danbury County from the Greater Danbury area, plus a couple of towns in upper New Haven County (Southbury), and lower Litchfield County (New Milford, Roxbury, Bridgewater, Woodbury). 

[Poiponen13]

Similar city names in same area, such as all cities beginning with same letter, city names in alphabetical order or all cities having same suffix would be cool. City names would also use some unusual and exotic prefixes and suffixes, such as -soutten/Soutten- (Souttencourt, Courtsoutten, Alanasoutten) Mezen- (named by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezen_(river))  (Mezencourt, Mezenthorpe,  Mezensoutten, Mezenleaker, Mezenton etc.) and  Hogwarts.

[Poiponen13]

What about a city named Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch?

[bing101]

I have some crazy ideas for California

[...]

Yes all are Troll statements. No way they are going to happen in real life.

And you didn't go with a San Bernardino city/county consolidation? You miss 100% of the shots you do not take.

Good point I was also considering the San Jose City consolidation with Santa Clara County.

This idea was actually floated (and quickly rejected) in the 1960s, when San Jose was undergoing its annexation binge.

Here's my quick-and-dirty map of the California changes I have thought about:



Mostly it's about county consolidation, combining low-population, largely rural counties. Not a lot of boundary shifting or splitting of counties, except:
-splitting Solano County between Yolo and Sonoma Counties;
-splitting Placer County, giving the Sacramento suburbs to Sacramento County;
-splitting San Mateo County between San Francisco and Santa Clara Counties;
-moving north Santa Barbara County to San Luis Obispo County;
-splitting Ventura County between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara Counties;
-combining the urban core of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties; and
-re-assigning much of the eastern/southeastern desert portions.

I would have assigned the eastern portions of Fresno and Tulare to Tuolumne or Mono, but good road connections don't really exist to make that feasible.

This is an interesting one.

[kirbykart]

What about a city named Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch?

Already exists as a village, in NW Wales. I think that name would lose its charm if duplicated.

[Poiponen13]

What about a city named Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch?

Already exists as a village, in NW Wales. I think that name would lose its charm if duplicated.

Or a long 100% English name: Whitelakemountaincitynearhighwaywhichisverygoodandnearforest.

[kirbykart]

^WWWWWHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?

[kphoger]

Jade City would also be a cool city name. As well as Jade County.

Jade St

JADE IS GOOD

What is it with you and jade?

[Poiponen13]

Jade City would also be a cool city name. As well as Jade County.

Jade St

JADE IS GOOD

What is it with you and jade?

I just happen to like this mineral name, without further explanation.

[Scott5114]

Is Jade the new Mary Hannah?

[SD Mapman]

Back on topic kind of, I personally think cities shouldn't cross county lines. This, in SD, would necessitate the re-creation of "South Sioux Falls", which would immediately be the 4th-largest city in the state with a population of ~28,000.

[kphoger]

Is Jade the new Mary Hannah?

Jade Hall, East Carolina University.

[kphoger]

Back on topic kind of, I personally think cities shouldn't cross county lines. This, in SD, would necessitate the re-creation of "South Sioux Falls", which would immediately be the 4th-largest city in the state with a population of ~28,000.

I agree that it's weird when a county line runs through a town.

Wichita is in Sedgwick County.  The town of Sedgwick, however, is mostly in Harvey County, and its downtown is not in Sedgwick County.  Kind of weird that only a small piece of the namesake is in this county.

[SD Mapman]

Back on topic kind of, I personally think cities shouldn't cross county lines. This, in SD, would necessitate the re-creation of "South Sioux Falls", which would immediately be the 4th-largest city in the state with a population of ~28,000.

I agree that it's weird when a county line runs through a town.

I mean, in the Sioux Falls example, if you live on the north side of 57th St, when you need a license plate for your new car you just bought you just have to drive downtown (about 3 miles north). If you live on the south side of 57th and the same scenario applies, you have to travel about 20 miles or so to Canton.

Wichita is in Sedgwick County.  The town of Sedgwick, however, is mostly in Harvey County, and its downtown is not in Sedgwick County.  Kind of weird that only a small piece of the namesake is in this county.

Could be worse; Laramie, WY is not in Laramie County, the Laramie River doesn't flow through Laramie County, and Fort Laramie isn't in Laramie County either!

[Poiponen13]

Back on topic kind of, I personally think cities shouldn't cross county lines. This, in SD, would necessitate the re-creation of "South Sioux Falls", which would immediately be the 4th-largest city in the state with a population of ~28,000.

Or Sioux Falls could be consolidated with Minnehaha County, creating city with many rural areas.