Megalopolis: The Incredible City

Lindsey G. Bonds

July 26, 2000

Sociology 101 Minipaperette #2

The term megalopolis comes from the Greek and means "great city or very large city". A group of Ancient Greeks planned to build a huge city on the Peloponnese Peninsula, but their plan failed and there is the small city of Megalopolis where the larger one was supposed to stand (Dateline1). The term is used to describe a group of densely populated metropolitan areas that combine to form an urban complex (The Columbia Encyclopedia1). French geographer Jean Gottman used it first in the 1950s to describe the large urban area that stretches along the eastern seaboard of the United States from Washington, DC, North to Boston. Gottman spent 20 years researching and studying this area and wrote a book on it, entitled appropriately, Megalopolis (Outline of American Geography 1). Today (comma)this word is used widely to describe the large urban areas that seem to be popping up all over the world. I will explore why these large urban areas, particularly the American Northeastern Megalopolis, are developing and what impact they have on today’s society.

The area described by Gottman, (BosWash as it’s sometimes called by the locals) is the most famous Megalopolis (The Megalopolis here should have the last name of the author instead of title of book). This area is mentioned in Chapter 13 of our book. According to Gottman(Year book written), the area he called "Megalopolis" resulted from changes in work and social habits (Dateline 1). The megalopolis is characterized by a large network of inter-linked relationships between a variety of culturally and political urban areas. This aspect greatly affects how the inhabitants live and work with each other. BosWash is a very large urban area that "provides the whole of America with so many essential services, of the sort a community used to obtain in its 'downtown' section, that it may well deserve the nickname of 'Main Street of the nation.'" (Dateline 1). The Megalopolis of BosWash is a commercial and governmental center that is home to banks, media centers, and academic centers. All of these services and businesses are in one central area and allow people to travel form one to the other easily.

Megalopolis has been developing for many years. It was initially colonial settlements from the 1400s and then grew into villages, then cities, then large urban areas. The need for communication and travel between Boston and Washington was extensive and greater accessibility was needed. Gottman researched the megalopolis by using the results from the 1950 U.S. Census. In 1950, Megalopolis had a population of 32 million today this area has more than 44 million people (Dateline 1). Also, ten of the country's 46 metropolitan areas exceeding 1 million people in 1990 were located in Megalopolis. The region holds 17 percent of the total U.S. population--in only 1.5 percent of the area of the country. The average per capita income is high, and a higher than average proportion of its residents work in white-collar and professional occupations. Transportation and communication activities are also important partly because of the region's coastal position[awkard syntax]. Almost 40 percent of all commercial international air-passenger departures have Megalopolitan centers as their origin. And almost 30 percent of American export trade passes through its six main ports (Outline of American Geography 1).

Gottman was optimistic about the megalopolis’ future. He believed that it could exist not only as a large urban area all together, but also as individual cities. He recommended that: triple space

We must abandon the idea of the city as a tightly settled and

organized unit in which people, activities, and riches are

crowded into a very small area clearly separated from its

non-urban surroundings. Every city in this region spreads out

far and wide around its original nucleus; it grows amidst an

irregularly colloidal mixture of rural and suburban landscapes;

it melts on broad fronts with other mixtures, of somewhat

similar though different texture, belonging to the suburban

neighborhoods of other cities. (Dateline 1).

In his book, Megalopolis(you do not really need this here, begin with the author’s name) Gottman(year) also(leave this our) introduces two more megalopoli in the United States, from Chicago and the Great Lakes to Pittsburgh and the Ohio River and the California coast from San Francisco Bay are to San Diego (Dateline 1).

Why has Megalopolis developed like it has? This may have to do with location. Megalopolis is perfectly positioned on the Eastern seaboard with peninsulas that jut into the ocean, islands that sustain large communities, a maze of rivers, canals and harbors. All of these aspects combine to make this the perfect area for Megalopolis (Outline of American Geography1). One of the most important islands in Megalopolis is Long Island. Long Island has enhanced the quality of New York's harbor in two main ways. First, the length of coastline available for port facilities has increased considerably. Second, when an urban area grows around a large, fully developed harbor, the growth creates a demand for more space. Good land to accommodate the New York area's urban growth was restricted to the west of the Hudson River in New Jersey by tidal marshes and the erosion-resistant ridge of the Palisades. To the east of the Hudson lies only a narrow finger of land, Manhattan Island, which is too small for expansion. But beyond the East River is Long Island, a flat to slightly rolling land without the barrier marshes of New Jersey. New York's boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens developed early at the western tip of Long Island, and the island offered a great deal of room for further urban expansion toward the east (Outline of American Geography2). Also important to Megalopolis’ growth was the location of inner cities in relation to the country’s interior(meaning?). Access routes to the major interior cities were constructed early and helped support the growth of the trading functions of the port cities (Outline of American Geography 2).

The environment of Megalopolis is very urban. There are hundreds of tall buildings that line the streets and tower over the busy streets. There is also crowded housing, and industrial plants that accompany a variety of cultural opportunities including: theaters, symphony orchestras, art museums, and large libraries. These, however, are also accompanied by deterioration including dilapidated structures, traffic congestion, and air pollution. All of this and more is present in the metropolitan areas of Megalopolis (Outline of American Geography 3). Population densities in Megalopolis are also high, averaging about 305 persons per square kilometer in 1987. At the same time some counties on the outskirts have populations that are only 10 to 20 percent of the region's overall average density (Outline of American Geography 3). The implications of all these factors for a city landscapes should be clear. There are many different kinds of activities in a relatively small area in Megalopolis. Some functions tend to cluster together, while others are scattered across the urban region. Since a variety of activities are carried on in a city, interaction is stimulated between functions or within zones of the same function. When the land is used to the greatest advantage, it can result in a variety of activities (Outline of American Geography 4).

All of these features combine to form quite an interesting area of the United States with little known aspects and attractions. This area is a huge attraction to people of all backgrounds and interests. They flock here for housing, careers, schooling, industrial jobs, cultural events, and some to just retire. This area has something to offer to almost everyone and that’s why it’s become what it is today. It is a mecca for people who want something different for both themselves and their careers. With a variety of cultures and job opportunities, Megalopolis has it all. These aspects all combine to form a sociological spectacle that amazes sociologists( Meaning???). Megalopolis combines a myriad of people and allows them to live together and also to work together. This has made me want to visit and maybe live in this cultural and historical area.

Bibliography

The Columbia Encyclopedia: Sixth Edition. 2000.

http://www.bartleby.com/65/me/megalopo.html. July 21, 2000.

Dateline: 02-15-99.

An Outline of American Geography. http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/GEO/geog04.htm. July 23,

2000.

The Megalopolis. http://www.geocities.com/~atlas/urb/megalopolis.html. July 21, 2000.