The American Megalopolis: A Polycentric Urban Chain

Extract

[...] This diversity is reflected on the spatial level by the formation of ethnic neighborhoods such as the Chinese neighborhood of Manhattan. Question 3. The megacity is experiencing recent demographic dynamics and mobilities. From a demographic point of view, densities are stronger on the coast and become weaker towards the interior. However, cities are experiencing increasing urban sprawl: some residents leave the centers for the periphery ("shrinking" cities) which favors mobility between home and work around the large cities (New York, Boston, Philadelphia). Mobilities are also leisure movements towards the natural spaces of the megacity (fishing areas, forest walks, ski resorts). [...]

[...] Question 2 Each city in the American megapolitan area has its own particular metropolitan activities. Industrial activities are present, forming a corridor between the cities of the megapolitan area. Tertiary activities are also very present: public services, health, residential economy or education, as shown by the implantation of universities. The fact that the cities are well connected to each other allows them to be complementary and create synergies: a situation in which several sectors of activity interact with each other, that is, work together, which increases their economic efficiency. [...]

[...] The cities of the megapolitan area are strongly connected to each other. In fact, the major communication axes structure the space: for example, the high-speed line ACELA Express connects Boston to Washington. II. What functions maintain the megapolitan area at the top of the world rankings?" Question 1 : These functions are political (Washington is the capital of the United States) or diplomatic (New York is the seat of the UN). In addition, the activities of the megapolitan area also concern the financial domain (New York is the world's first stock exchange) and the economic domain (headquarters of FTN). [...]

[...] On what synergies does the American Megalopolis rest? Question 1. A megacity is an urban ensemble whose cities are well connected to each other. The American megacity called Megalopolis (Jean Gottmann) is the result of a long process: from the 19th century, increasingly strong densities (and the strongest in the United States) come from the international opening of the megacity made possible by the presence of ports on the coast. Some of them, such as New York, have an international dimension. [...]

[...] The Northeast Megalopolis of the United States is a powerful metropolitan system. In fact, the cities have very important different functions. These are both political (the capital of the United States is Washington), economic (headquarters of FTN), financial (New York Stock Exchange). In addition, they have prestigious universities (Harvard, MIT, Princeton This urban system is polycentric because each city has its own activities, both industrial and tertiary (public services, health, residential economy or education). We can say that these activities work in synergy because the cities are well connected to each other by efficient communication axes. [...]