The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

https://earthengine.google.com/timelapse/#v=36.15252,-95.87801,9.467,latLng&t=1.73

I readily admit to being a nerd.  But I found this awesome.  From 1984 to 2016, time lapse of Tulsa.  

There is a lot going on, so focus on one section at a time.  Watch the Creek Turnpike pop into being.  The area of Bass Pro and south.  Tulsa Hills. Jenks goes from small town to a collection of subdivisions. Strips of Highway 11 pop up ever couple of years. South Tulsa basically fills in. I-44 gets widened. Industry booms at the Port of Catoosa. Owasso sprawls.

Other cities are interesting too, Vegas grows like a tumor!
https://earthengine.google.com/timelapse/#v=36.16994,-115.13983,10,latLng&t=0.81

See also

http://historicaerials.com/map/

I couldn’t figure out why the Arkansas River was flowing funny through Tulsa until I realized your link opened over Des Moines!

Interesting to note though that it appears they also had a eastern major road develop there as well.  It’s a trip looking at Tulsa and in 1990, there’s nothing there, suddenly the scar from the Creek Turnpike is there in 1991.

That was always so weird for me because the ex and I moved to Houston in mid 1991 and we came back to visit that Christmas and BAM...that thing was done all the way to 44.

And for years 169 dead-ended at 51st.  I remembered thinking how they’d probably never finish that project.

In 1901, it seems all roads* led to 21st & Harvard**

* The phrase "all roads" is hyperbole***

** "to 21st & Harvard" doesn't literally mean "to 21st & Harvard"

*** ...just in case that anyone or everyone**** thinks that "all roads" isn't hyperbole...

**** ..."everyone" is hyperbole, also...
 

I remember that too...and then when the ex and I moved into an apartment at 93rd and Memorial, I was glad they extended it to 71st.  I look at the stretch of 71st west from 169 to Memorial and remember when it was 2 lanes from Mingo to 169 and the only thing out there was the Maytag shop.

Fixed the link to Tulsa!
https://earthengine.google.com/timelapse/#v=36.15252,-95.87801,9.467,latLng&t=1.73

The original article I read linked to Des Moines for some reason, I didn't realize changing what City you were looking at didn't change the URL. 

We would go to the south end of that for years - going 'off road' on top of some of the mounds of dirt waiting for road.   Great place to watch fireworks all over town. 

And that is supposed to be progress.... tumor is the right description for both Vegas and Tulsa area.  Growth for growth's sake with no real idea of how/what/why/when applied.  Especially why, since we have proven conclusively that the associated problems related to inability to keep up with infrastructure doesn't really help overall.

I think it also shows how badly the City of Tulsa needs work to develop the area more symmetrically.  East Tulsa has stalled out.  West Tulsa and North Tulsa have lagged behind for decades.  The NW section is an obvious growth area that needs to happen.  Everything gets growing south.  That pattern clearly hurts Tulsa retail, as well as patronage for entertainment options (downtown!).

However, it casts doubt ont he "highways for development" model.  As Hwy 11 progressed and as the Tisdale connected to it - the areas did not see significant new development.  The same can be said for the Creek Turnpike.  Development continues in the same pattern it was before the loop was there -  with the possible exception of Jenks booming. It certainly did nothing for East Tulsa.

Also - agree that much of it has been growth for growth's sake. I'm hard pressed to show one of the huge sections that have been filled in that strike me as something special.  But, then again, such a map would really only show that phenomenon.  New dense infill developments wouldn't really show up.  Hopefully, we keep moving in that direction too...