MEGALOPOLIS (CHAPTER 4: PART 1)

Your Mental Image?

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)