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Megalopolis: The Urbanized Northeast Regional Landscapes of the United States and Canada  U.S. region stretching from Southern New England to MEGALOPOLIS: the Middle Atlantic states made up of counties exhibit- The Urbanized Northeast ing urban characteristics. . From the Maine-NH border north of Prof. Anthony Grande Boston to the Virginia counties south

©AFG 2015 of Washington, DC.  Referred to as the “Northeast Corridor” because it is linked See Textbook by Interstate 95 and Amtrak. Chapters 5 and 14

Tall buildings MEGALOPOLIS Congestion MEGALOPOLIS Many, many people When you think about this region, Shopping Ethnic neighborh’ds MEGALO = very large POLIS = city what images come into your mind? “Unnatural” areas Urban problems Philadelphia Road traffic Activity 24/7  Term created in the 1930s and used to describe any Manufacturing large urban area created by the growth toward each Cultural institutions other and eventual merging of two or more cities. (Lower-case “m”)

 The French geographer Jean Gottman adopted the term in 1961 for the title of his book, “Megalopolis: The Urbanized Northeastern Seaboard of the United States.” (Upper-case “M”)

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Landscapes within Megalopolis Megalopolis at Night

Includes large cities, small towns and rural areas Stretches 500+ miles where most of the people along the coast. reside in an urban place. Some people have it extend- Portland, ME ing from Portland, Maine to Richmond and Norfolk in Boston Virginia or nearly 700 miles. Hartford, CT New York City Philadelphia Baltimore Washington Richmond, VA

Norfolk, VA 6

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Filling of Creation of Megalopolis Megalopolis CONURBATION: Urban areas grow toward each other, filling the non-urban gaps between them yet remaining independent of each other politically.  Urbanization spreads along lines of transportation.  The faster and more reliable the transportation, the greater the distance can be covered in the same period of time.  This allows for expansion and the creation of Rural gaps are quickly being filled a mega-city as conurbations merge. by suburbanization and exurbanization.

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Megalopolis as a Region Megalopolis the Region: Today

Does the region called Megalopolis have • Urban landscape is the •Has17% of the total U.S. the characteristics of an urbanized area? dominant with urbaniza- population but only 1.5% of tion expanding into the total land area Has unique site characteristics that support its surrounding farmland. •A fifth of all U.S. export trade creation. • Rural areas persist but moves through its six major Pull factors (“functions” and reasons to concentrate people). are getting smaller. ports. Site/situation advantages (reasons for location). • 10 major metropolitan • It is a region of international Spatial organization (intense and complex) areas of over 1 million significance and influence. Economic advantages associated with concentra- people exist plus many • Employment has shifted tion, accessibility, and movement (as both a collection smaller cities with large away from the factory to the and distribution point). populations. office, service and technology Has evolved over time. fields.

Landscape Development New England Town Plans within Megalopolis Today’s area is the northern portion of the 13 Original Colonies. • All began with settlement • Growth of coastal towns of New England colonies. necessitated movement • American landscape took on inland for new farmland to a new appearance: English supply food: they were con- land-settlement scheme nected to coastal towns by road – Consisted of a town inhabited • New England towns were by farmers and artisans. the first manufacturing – Common pasture and forest areas of America: Yankee land administrated by local ingenuity/inventions governing board. • Mill towns grew where – Cultivated land surrounding there was waterpower. Plimouth the village village reproduction

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Landscape Pattern within Megalopolis Landscape Development resulting from the within Megalopolis Metes and Bounds Land Survey System Landscape composed of parcels • The location and associ- • East coast cities took on that vary in shape and size. ated landscapes of its a European flavor and colonial cities are appearance (culture). evident: place names, system of land division and road • Technological develop- networks. ments changed their appearance (moderization), • Cities grew as people including inventions, public This demarcation method focused on areas that were health measures, building can be seen in the shape economically sound, had construction methods, of plots of land throughout links to the outside and landscaped parks, paved Megalopolis including the were culturally inviting streets, sewers, forms of shape of lots and the (pull factors). mass transit, etc. alignment of streets. 13

Landscape Development Estates in Megalopolis within Megalopolis

• Manufacturing grew in • Urban subdivision cities: sources of labor, occurred: manufacturing and money and ancillary services. warehousing districts; workers’ • Cities’ need for workers housing areas; ethnic neighbor- hoods; upscale sections for the lured people: local farmers, wealthy and powerful; amuse- laborers from other regions, ment parks; later zoning. and immigrants from abroad. • Mountain and seaside • Early transportation Houses of the rich and famous on resorts grew near cities: land purchased outside of the city. routes focused on the catered to both the wealthy and cities: need to move people, the worker; leisure time. raw materials and finished products to market (ship/road/ • Estates were established rail). in areas around the cities.

Landscape Development RECAP: Urban Landscape within Megalopolis Development Sequence • When the inner city aged, • Abandonment takes The development of an urbanized area takes became crowded, dirty and away jobs; tax base suffers. on a life cycle. unsafe (a new type of landscape; • Housing areas (neighbor- push factor), there was a hoods) begin to decay as 1. Creation movement away by those workers move away and who could. poverty levels rise. 2. Growth • Manufacturing areas begin • Gentrification: land is 3.Stagnation to decay as facilities, bought by outsiders; takes 4. Demise structures and methodolog- on different usage (the ies become outdated: character of the landscape 5. Resurgence industry abandons the city. changes). Resurgence leads to the creation of a new identity.

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Northeast Coast: Beneficial Site Characteristics The Fall Line  Coastal location: allowed for regional trade and interaction with the world, esp. Europe.  Marks the border between  Numerous estuaries and bays: good harbors. the Piedmont and the  Moderate climate: cold winters, yet ice free harbors, Atlantic Coastal Plain. – Rapids and waterfalls are and ample precipitation for a fresh water supply. present. Rivers flow from  Variable soils: provided enough food for residents the Piedmont’s (hard rock) higher elevation onto the but tended to be less productive than agricultural soft rock coastal plain. FALL LINE regions. (Better soils in the area south of Philadelphia).  These were the sites for  Mixed forest: Variety of tree species provided wood the first water mills that for many uses. were the catalyst for  Flat to gently rolling terrain: easy to use. urban development.  Straddles two physiographic regions: includes the Fall Line.

Boston Boston Original site on a peninsula on a sheltered bay.

New York City New York City

Original site at the narrow tip of an island on twin sheltered bays. 23

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Philadelphia Philadelphia

Original site on high ground on a peninsula between two rivers.

Baltimore Baltimore

Original site at the mouth of a river at the head of a sheltered bay.

Washington, DC Plan of Washington, DC

The street plan of Washington was created to mimic the Original site on donated marshland near the design of the monumental head of navigation on a river. capitals of Europe.

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SITUATION Access to the Interior (Hinterland) of Megalopolis Of all east coast cities, only New York City had direct Good location for trade and access to the interior of North America. By coincidence immigration relative to Europe. it also had the largest and best harbor. Accessible. The Hudson-Mohawk Corridor provided . Along the natural trade an easy and fast route from the Atlantic The Erie Canal enhanced routes to Europe, Caribbean, S. Ocean to the Great Lakes. this route by providing an all America (wind/ocean currents). water route. It led to the rapid . Good harbors: deep, growth of NYC and NYS. protected and ice free . Routes to the interior: natural and man-made, especially Hudson-Mohawk corridor and the Erie Canal . Convenient service point for ships sailing the North Atlantic routes.

Urban Landscape: THE SUBURBS Industrialization Suburbanization began in Nassau County, NY, in  Industrialization had a very important role in the the 1950s. People wanted a better quality of life while still development of Megalopolis. working in NYC. – American Industrial Revolution began in the 1870s. 60 yrs later all suburbs have problems: – Waves of skilled immigrant labor arriving from Europe supported this growth. • Aging infrastructure.  Manufacturing needed to be near water for • Political fragmentation/service power, processing and transportation. fragmentation. • Enhanced distribution system (roads/railroads/canals) • Sprawl. to ship product and receive raw materials to/from • Need for more commuter and the hinterland was focused on the cities. mass transit connections. • Concentration of industries within cities for • Need for municipal and social mutual convenience. services.

BEFORE AFTER Redistribution of Gentrification Megalopolis’ Population . Growth of suburbs (1950s). The process of change that . Out-migration of urbanites/suburbanites to occurs when wealthier people small, distant towns between cities (1980s). (the “gentry”) buy and move into . Clusters of high-rise office and residential housing property in urban buildings in the “CBD”- central business districts areas where the existing (1990s). population is less prosperous. . Slowing of movement out of city centers. Includes the conversion of . Movement back to cities: “gentrification” (2000s). properties (as warehouses and • Attraction of jobs/amenities to higher-income workers. factories) into upscale uses. • Displacement of low-income residents. Characteristics of • Ethnic neighborhoods change. neighborhoods change.

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PROBLEMS NEXT facing Megalopolis and its cities Can urban problems be visualized? Can a “problem” urban landscape be recognized?  Congestion: large numbers of people, local transport- ation, housing Canada’s  Health Issues: food, water supply, waste management, controlling disease, dealing with dying and dead people. National  Quality of Life Issues: crowding, crime, poverty, health care, pollution Core  Pollution: air, water, land, noise  Hazards: storms, earthquakes, flooding, fire, terrorism

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