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Regional Landscape Studies NORTHLANDS <<
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MEGALOPOLIS Visualizing Megalopolis: Night View MEGALO = very large POLIS = city Stretches over 500 miles along the mid-Atlantic coast from Boston, MA Term created in the 1930s and used to describe any to Washington, DC. large urban area created by the growth toward each Some argue that it now extends 700 miles other and eventual merging of two or more cities. from Portland, Maine to Norfolk, Virginia. Portland, ME (Lower-case “m”) Boston The French geographer Jean Gottman adopted the Hartford, CT term in 1961 for the title of his book, “Megalopolis: The New York City Urbanized Northeastern Seaboard of the United States.” Philadelphia (Upper-case “M”) Baltimore Washington Richmond, VA
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Tall buildings Congestion Megalopolis: USA’s MEGALOPOLIS Many, many people When you think about this region, Shopping Urbanized Northeast what images come into your mind? Ethnic n’borhoods “Unnatural” areas See Textbook This region is defined Urban problems Ch. 5 and 14 by population density Philadelphia Road traffic and urban land use. Activity 24/7 Made up of 117 contiguous Manufacturing counties in 12 states + DC Cultural institutions that exhibit some urban characteristics. Referred to as the “Northeast Corridor” because it is linked by Interstate 95 and Amtrak.
This region has changed shape (gotten longer and wider) as new means of transportation allow people to travel from distant areas to its cities daily. New York City 5
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Urban places are Megalopolis’s linked by networks Identifying that allow people, goods, services and Landscape Landscapes ideas to move easily. Includes large cities, small towns and rural areas Change where most of the people Gottman’s studies in the 1950s reside in an urban place. noted an evolving densely popu- lated landscape along the north- east coast of the U.S. The five core cities (Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Urban places have Washington) were growing toward sub-landscapes. each other to form one large urban conglomeration nearly 500 From Jean Gottman, “Megalopolis: The Urbanized Northeastern Seaboard of the United States,” 1961 miles long. This area has densities approach- ing 1,000 people/sq. mi. compared to the population density for the entire US of c.75 people/sq. mi.
Creation of Megalopolis Growth of CONURBATION: Smaller urban areas grow toward Megalopolis each other, filling the non-urban gaps between them. 1900-2050 • They remain independent of each other politically and services-wise. Urbanization will spread along transportation lines. 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 a mega-city as conurbations merge and people move easily within the area. 9
From Urban Heat Island Module, Prof. Paul R. Baumann, Geography Dept., SUNY College at Oneonta, 2009
Filling of Megalopolis UrbanRECAP: Landscape Urban LandscapeDevelopment Development Sequence The development of an urbanized area takes on a life cycle.
1. Creation (reason for being) 2. Growth 3.Stagnation 4. Demise 5. Resurgence Resurgence leads to the creation Rural gaps are quickly being filled by suburbanization of a new identity. and exurbanization processes, mostly at the expense of farmland and other unprotected open space.
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Megalopolis as an Urban Region Beneficial Site Characteristics Coastal location: allowed for regional trade and Does this large region (land area and population) have interaction with the world, esp. Europe. the characteristics of an urbanized place? Numerous estuaries and bays: good harbors. What are the unique circumstances that support its Moderate climate: cold winters, yet ice free harbors, creation? (site characteristics) and ample precipitation for a fresh water supply. Are there situational advantages? (reasons for being) Variable soils: provided enough food for residents but tended to be less productive than agricultural Does it have pull factors? (“functions” and reasons to concentrate people). regions. (Better soils in the area south of Philadelphia). Does it reap the economic advantages associated Mixed forest: Variety of tree species provided wood with concentration, accessibility, and movement for many uses. (acting as both a collection and distribution point). Flat to gently rolling terrain: easy to use. What types of spatial organization are present? Straddles two physiographic regions: includes (needed to deal with an intense and complex situation) the Fall Line (site of water power). Has it evolved? (changes; push factors; new pull factors)
SITUATION The Fall Line of Megalopolis
Marks the border between Good location for trade and the Piedmont and the immigration relative to Europe. Atlantic Coastal Plain. – Rapids and waterfalls are Accessible. present. Rivers flow from . Along the natural “triangle” the Piedmont’s (hard rock) between Europe, higher elevation onto the trade routes soft rock coastal plain. Africa, the Caribbean, South America These were the sites for FALL LINE (wind/ocean currents). the first water mills that .Routes to the interior: natural were the catalyst for and man-made, especially Hudson- urban development. Mohawk corridor and the Erie Canal . Convenient service point for ships sailing the North Atlantic routes.
Access to the Interior (Hinterland) Megalopolis the Region: Today Of all east coast cities, only NYC had direct access to the interior of North America. (Other ports were Europe-focused). • Urban landscape dom- •Has17% of the total US population By coincidence it also had the largest and best harbor. inates with urbanization but only 1.5% of the total land area The Hudson-Mohawk Corridor provided an easy and fast route expanding into surround- • 20% of all U.S. export trade moves from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. ing farmland/rural aeras. through its ports. The Erie Canal enhanced this • Rural areas persist but route by providing an all • It is a region of international water transit. It led to the are getting smaller. significance and influence. rapid growth of NYC and NYS. • 10 major metropolitan • Employment has shifted from areas of over 1 million the factory to the office, service people exist + many and technology fields. smaller cities with large • Has the nation’s richest and populations. poorest people, as well as its most and least influential groups.
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Linkages in Urban places of are linked by a dense transportation grid of road, Landscape Development Megalopolis rail, air and telecommunications. within Megalopolis Water travel was important, too. 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
NYC a new appearance: English supply food: they were con- land-settlement scheme nected to coastal towns by road Phil – Consisted of a town inhabited • New England towns were by farmers and artisans. the first manufacturing – Common pasture and forest areas of America: Yankee New Jersey land administrated by local ingenuity/inventions governing board. Long distance commute animation. • Mill towns grew where http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--oP2C-2PRmI/VqUGqD- Yellow = short distance – Cultivated land surrounding uMII/AAAAAAAAAsY/mlK8roOzJQQ/s1600/boswash50ms.gif there was waterpower. Red = long distance the village
Landscape Pattern within Megalopolis Town Plans resulting from the Metes and Bounds Land Survey System Landscape composed of parcels that vary in shape and size.
This demarcation method can be seen in the shape of plots of land throughout Megalopolis including the shape of lots and the alignment of streets.
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Landscape Development Landscape Development within Megalopolis within Megalopolis
• Sources of the visual • Mid-Atlantic cities took on a • Manufacturing grew in • Subdivision occurred: landscape in colonial European flavor and appear- cities: sources of labor, manufacturing and warehousing cities are evident: place ance because those colonies money and ancillary services. districts; workers’ housing areas; ethnic neighborhoods; upscale names, land division and (NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD) where more • Cities’ need for workers road networks. sections for the wealthy and tolerant of outsiders’ customs, lured people: local farmers, powerful; amusement parks; • Cities grew as people languages and religions. laborers from other regions, later zoning. focused on best areas: • Technological developments and immigrants from abroad. • Mountain and seaside economically sound, had changed their appearance • Transportation routes resorts grew near cities: links to the outside and (modernization): inventions, public focused on the cities: catered to both the wealthy and were culturally inviting health measures, construction need to move people, raw the worker; leisure time. (pull factors). methods, landscaped parks, paved materials and finished pro- • Estates were established streets, sewers, mass transit, etc. ducts to market (ship/road/rail). in areas around the cities (for the rich to get away).
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Estates in Megalopolis Landscape Evolution • As the inner city ages, becomes crowded, dirty and unsafe (a new type of landscape; push factor), there is movement away by those who could • Manufacturing areas begin to decay as facilities, structures and methodologies become outdated: Houses of the rich and famous on industry abandons the city. Gentrification: land land purchased outside of the city. • Abandonment takes away jobs; tax is bought by outsiders base suffers. and takes on different • Housing areas (neighborhoods) begin usage: the character of to decay as workers move away the landscape changes and poverty levels rise. again.
BEFORE AFTER Evolution: Redistribution of Gentrification Megalopolis’ Population . Growth of suburbs (1950s). The process of change that . Out-migration of urbanites/suburbanites to small, occurs when wealthier people distant towns between cities (1980s). (the “gentry”) buy and move into . Clusters of high-rise buildings (office and residential) housing property in urban in the CBD/central business district (1990s). areas where the existing . Slowing of movement out of city centers. population is less prosperous. . Movement back to cities: “gentrification” (2000s). Includes the conversion of properties (as warehouses and • Attraction of jobs/amenities to higher-income workers. factories) into upscale uses. • Displacement of low-income residents. Characteristics of neighbor- • Ethnic neighborhoods change. hoods change including the • Aging, changing, expensive suburbs (sprawl, min. services) visual landscape.
Human-dominated Landscape PROBLEMS facing Megalopolis and its cities Urbanization has altered the ecology of the region. Can urban problems be visualized? 1. Reduced natural space/wildlife habit/farmland. Can a “problem” urban landscape be recognized? 2. Created a conflict betw. native and introduced species Once recognized, how are they dealt with? 3. Changed the area’s hydrology (stream diversion, wetlands Congestion: large numbers of people and vehicles: need drainage, pumping groundwater, paving, slope alteration). for adequate transportation systems, housing and services 4. Altered shorelines (land fill; hardening; groins/jetties). Health Issues: food, water supply, waste management, 5. Created of microclimates (reduced open space; concrete controlling disease, dealing with dying and dead people. and asphalt surfaces). Quality of Life Issues: crowding, crime, poverty, health 6. Polluted its area (air, water, land, noise). care, pollution 7. Has increased the dangers from natural processes, Pollution: air, water, land, noise now deemed hazards Hazards: storms, earthquakes, flooding, fire, terrorism
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BOSTON Components of Boston Original site on a peninsula on a Megalopolis: sheltered bay. Comparing Anchor City Metro Areas (all at same scale)
NEW YORK PHILADELPHIA BALTIMORE
WASHINGTON
Boston New York City Original site at the narrow tip of an island on twin sheltered bays.
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New York City Original site on high ground on Philadelphia a peninsula between two rivers.
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Philadelphia Baltimore Original site at the mouth of a river at the head of a sheltered bay.
Baltimore Washington, DC
Original site on donated marshland near the head of navigation on a river.
The street plan of Washington Plan of was created to mimic the design of the monumental Washington, DC capitals of Europe. Canada’s National Core
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