Page 62 - The World About Us

HKZMB Bridge
1.1.1
2.2.5

Are we headed for a world of megalopoleis?

Across the globe mega-ci es are The red marker points to the largest city in each megalopolis.
expanding so rapidly that their growth
over large areas of land is not only Cascadia
absorbing nearby villages and towns
but neighbouring cites as well. Mega-
ci es are being turned in megalopoleis. Great Lakes
Northern
A megalopolis, some mes called a California Front
megaregion or a supercity, is clusters of Range
close ci es joined together by Northeast
transporta on corridors; roads,
motorways and rail networks. As with Arizona Sun
the defini on of a city, there is no Corridor Piedmont
agreed upon defini on for a Atlan c
megalopolis, even though the term was Southern
first used over a century ago. California Texas Triangle
However, most urban geographers Florida
would agree that there are some very Gulf Coast
large urban areas which fit most Houston, Texas, is the largest city in both the Texas Traingle and the Gulf Coast.
people's idea of a megalopolis.
fig.169 Megalopoleis become clearer at night as street ligh ng defines their scope. The
One of America's 11 megaregions, satellite image shows the USA and Canada’s megalopoleis.
the Northeast Megaregion, is home to coast of Honshu Island. This The Bohai Economic Rim (China)
58 million people living in 24 ci es. It
stretches along the Atlan c seaboard megalopolis is home to 82 million brings together 14 ci es around the
from Boston through New York to people. capital, Beijing, with a 2016 popula on
of 66 million. The Chinese government
Washington DC. The Pearl River Delta (China) is a
megalopolis of 70 million spread over is planning to integrate transport,
The Pacific Northwest mega-region, schools, hospitals and other services in
some mes called ‘Cascadia’, is a 12 ci es including Hong Kong, a supercity, known as Jing-Jin-Ji,
Guangzhou and Macau. Despite being
transna onal megalopolis which on different sides of the Pearl River's combining Bejing, Tianjin and Hebei.
straddles the border between Canada
MegaManila in the Philippines
and the USA. Centred on the three mouth, Hong Kong and Macau are brings together 8 ci es with a
being connected via the city of Zhuhai
ci es of Portland, Sea le and Toronto, by a 55km bridge and undersea tunnel. popula on of over 40 million.
the whole megaregion contains 12
The HKZMB link was completed in July
major ci es and 27 smaller ones. It’s São Paulo Macrometropolis in
popula on exceeds 8 million. 2017 and is due to open in 2018. Brazil has a popula on in excess of 32
The Yangtse River Delta (China) million. The megalopolis encompasses
The Taiheyo Belt connects 18
joins 19 ci es around Shanghai with a seven ci es including the regional port
Japanese ci es along the south-east
popula on of 88 million. city of Santos.
fig.170 Shanghai, at the centre of a megalopolis that is home to 88 million people. KEY TERMS

Megalopoleis: the plural of megalopolis.
‘The Northwest Megaregion is a
megalopolis, one of the United States
thirteen megalopoleis.’
Megalopolis: several large, relatively close
cities joined together by transport
networks.
Megaregion: term used for megalopolis in
the United States.
Supercity: another term for megalopolis,
sometimes used to define a city with
greater than 40 million inhabitants.

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The majority of the world’s population now live in urban areas.