MEGALOPOLIS(CHAPTER 4: PART 1)

Your MentalImage?

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

MEGALOPOLIS A term initially coined by French

Geographer, Jean Gottmann in 1961 The large population agglomeration

which extended from Boston to Washington

Now, any agglomeration of large coalescing super cities

MEGALOPOLIS

URBAN LAND-USE CHANGE IN MEGALOPOLIS

MEGALOPOLIS TODAY

The region is outlined on the map on page 63. Urbanness - the dominant theme Comprised of 10 major metropolitan areas of

over one million people and numerous smaller cities.

17.5% of the total U.S. population 1.5% of the total land area 17% of all U.S. export trade passes through

its six major ports. A region of international significance

SITE CHARACTERISTICS

The internal attributes of a place The features of the immediate environment or

setting coastal location numerous estuaries soils are variable (3 distinct categories)

Baltimore to the Philadelphia area New York City's surrounding area Boston vicinity

relatively flat or gently rolling terrain fall line provided early water power

SITUATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS

The external attributes of a place Aspects of the region's location relative to other

places a good location relative to Europe in terms of trade

and immigration good routes into the interior fortuitous location along the Europe-Caribbean and

South American trade route good accessibility resources

good harbors routes into the interior (natural & man-made) a great stop off/service point for others

conducting trade

KEY TERMS(REGIONAL SIGNIFICANCE)

Fall Line Cities… Cities situated along the physiographic boarder

between the Piedmont and the Atlantic coastal plain region

The location where the river rapids and falls occur as water flows from the hard rocks of the higher Piedmont onto the softer rocks of the coastal plain

Examples… Trenton Philadelphia Wilmington Baltimore Richmond

FALL LINE CITIES

KEY TERMS(REGIONAL SIGNIFICANCE)

Metropolitan Coalescence Merging of urbanized areas of separate

metropolitan centers A process of canalized growth

Conurbation An extensive urban area Formed when two or more cities coalesce to

form a continuous metropolitan area The product of metropolitan coalescence

KEY TERMS(METROPOLITAN SIGNIFICANCE)

Central Business District (CBD) The traditional hub of the city's commercial and

industrial activity Urban Sprawl

The gradual growth of activities and facilities in the outlying areas of a city

The additional area becomes incorporated and the urban area increases in size.

Gentrification The upgrading of older or rundown urban

residential areas by new higher-income settlers ADVANTAGES? DISADVANTAGES?

URBAN LANDSCAPES

Major Components 1. Spatial Interaction 2. Functional Complexity 3. Public Services 4. Accessibility 5. Intensity of Change

MAJOR COMPONENTS(CONTINUED)

Spatial Interaction-refers to the movement that occurs between places. people, via sidewalks, parking lots, subways information, via communication lines, wires,

terminals utilities, including sewage, water, electricity, and

gas

Functional Complexity - refers to the land use variations and conflict residential industrial commercial recreational

MAJOR COMPONENTS(CONTINUED)

Public Services provide water, sewage, garbage pick-up, etc. also include: police protection, fire protection,

public schools, road works, and health care

Accessibility is created and maintained as a public service to

insure access to the core from the periphery and among places along the periphery.

is accomplished via bypasses, beltloops, parkways, and limited access expressways.

MAJOR COMPONENTS(CONTINUED)

Intensity of Change Refers to the dynamic nature of the urban

landscape. “Nothing seems permanent.”

Economic ventures Shifts in transportation networks Developments and declines in residential areas

MEGALOPOLIS(CHAPTER 4: PART 1)