Modern Spatial and Demographic Patterns Metropolitan clusters create uneven settlement landscapes Megalopolis: largest settlement agglomeration in the U.S. Population growth has increased in North America –Projected to increase to 375 million by 21 st century

Population density of the United States: 2000

North Americans on the Move Westward-Moving Populations Most persistent regional migration trend has been movement westward –Currently fastest-growing states are in the West –High-tech industries and services and scenery

Note population growth of the Western and Southern states

Note growth in Las Vegas and Phoenix/Scottsdale (why here?) But also note Idaho and Wyoming (why here?)

North Americans on the Move Black Exodus from the South African American population was traditionally concentrated in the South In early 20 th century, decreasing demand for labor in the South and increasing demand for labor in the North Two migration waves: 1910 to 1920, and 1940 to 1960 Most blacks migrated to northern cities –Regional migration streams

North Americans on the Move Growth of the Sun Belt South After 1970, rapid growth in southern states Regional appeals: economic opportunities, low living costs, recreation, air conditioning The Counterurbanization Trend Counterurbanization: process in which people leave large cities and move to smaller towns and rural areas Retirees and lifestyle migrants

Rural to Urban Migration 200 years ago: 5% of North Americans were urban Today: 75% are urban Most of 20 th century urban growth took place in cities of less than 1 million people

Settlement Geographies: The Decentralized Metropolis (we’ll talk about this more in Chapter 9 ) Urban decentralization: metro areas sprawl in all directions and suburbs take on the characteristics of downtown Historical Evolution of the City in the United States Changing transportation technology shaped the evolution of the U.S. city –Concentric zone model –Urban realms model The Consequences of Sprawl As suburbanization increased, inner city population decreased –Increased crime and social disruption Gentrification

Again, we’ll look more closely at the changes in urban development in Chap. 9 - for now, think about this diagram resembles Los Angeles

Peopling North America North America’s cultural diversity expressed two ways geographically: –Similar people congregate –Culture marks the visible scene Persisting Cultural Homelands Cultural homeland – culturally distinctive nucleus of settlement whose ethnicity has survived over time, affecting cultural landscape –French-Canadian Quebec; Hispanic Borderlands; Black Belt; Acadiana; Native Americans (we’ll talk more about culture regions in Chap. 13)

A Mosaic of Ethnic Neighborhoods Smaller scale ethnic signatures can shape both rural and urban landscapes Can have political impacts –For example, the regional concentration of American Catholics

Population changes affects political power at regional level

There is a distinct spatialization of the population along ethnic lines

What groups do the colors represent?

Let’s look at one key area of the United States and follow it’s settlement over time: The East Coast, referred to as the Megalopolis Compare this area to the maps of the various ethnicities in the previous slides and try to understand the dynamics involved in the move to the West