Megaregions? Do you buy it?

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Speaking of Texas, did you notice the color coding around Houston? It's part of two megaregions, the Texas Triangle and the Gulf Coast. I don't think there are any other cities in that position.

it's muddy brown because of the horrid humidity

[luckytxn 2,265]

The south is getting more and more companies moving down and especially down into Georgia and Alabama and the past decade has seen the mobile to Gulfport start to take off and there is still lots of growth potential along there. Of course Houston has the channel and a lot of manufacturing and along with Dallas and Austin and San Antonio is has been growing too much I too fast I think. The south is where I have been seeing the most noticeable growth and probably will for at least a decade or two. Texas will plateau out.

I have read now that the next 50 years is where the movement is going to be going is to the West. There is a lot of land that way at a much cheaper price. Taxes are lower and of course business friendly practices. The one thing I have never heard them say when talking about the west though is for too much movement to come out that way then they need to start figuring out where to snag a lot more water resources.

[^_^ 5,021]

Summaries of each of the megaregions:

Piedmont Atlantic

The low cost of living and high quality of life in the Southeast are two reasons for this megaregion's booming population, which is anchored by Atlanta but stretches east to Raleigh, North Carolina and west to Birmingham, Alabama. The region is facing challenges associated with its growing population, such as increased traffic congestion, runaway land consumption, and inadequate infrastructure, which it hopes to address with sustainable solutions.

Location: Southeast U.S. - From Birmingham in the southwest to Raleigh-Durham in the northeast

Principal Cities: Atlanta, Birmingham, Raleigh-Durham, Charlotte

Population 2000: 14,855,052

Population: 2025: 20,505,381

Projected Growth: 38%

Gulf Coast

Despite its strong cultural traditions, the Gulf Coast as a continuous megaregion lacks the political cohesion of the nearby Texas Triangle. However, the recent devastation from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the resulting displacement of hurricane victims along the I-10 corridor highlighted the environmental, transportation, and economic links of the Gulf Coast. Despite the recent devastation, the region is expected to grow due to the continued in-migration of retirees from the Midwest.

Location: The Gulf Coast - Including parts of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and the Florida Panhandle

Principal Cities: Houston, New Orleans, Baton Rouge

Population 2000: 11,747,587

Population 2025: 15,832,117

Projected Growth: 35%

Texas Triangle

By 2050 about 35 million people, or 70 percent of the population of Texas, will live in the four metropolitan areas that comprise the Texas Triangle. Three of the nation's 10 largest cities are in the Triangle, including Houston, which has a port that handles more foreign tonnage than any other U.S. port. Efforts to create a NAFTA superhighway from Mexico to Canada could create a developed corridor through San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas. Tradition and economics create the potential for economic collaboration between the metro regions, which could also address serious environmental concerns.

Location: Eastern Texas

Principal Cities: Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio

Population 2000: 16,131,347

Population 2025: 23,586,856

Projected Growth: 46%

Arizona Sun Corridor

The Sun Corridor is equivalent to Indiana in size and population but will add another Indiana's worth of residents by 2040. Located in a desert environment, Phoenix and Tucson - the megaregion's biggest metropolitan regions - have instituted water conservation requirements and are promoting the use of desert landscaping. These efforts provide the two metros with enough water for perhaps up to twenty million people, preparing the Sun Corridor for current and future growth.

Location: Arizona - From north of Phoenix south to the border with Mexico

Principal Cities: Phoenix, Tucson

Population 2000: 4.535,049

Population 2025: 7,362,613

Projected Growth: 62%

Cascadia

The vision for Cascadia links Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver, British Columbia with high-speed rail, while protecting the area's unique and pristine environment. Other strategies highlight these cities' shared high-tech competencies, commitment to environmental sustainability, and creative clusters in film, music, and green building.

Location: Along the Pacific Ocean north of California, composed of parts of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia

Principal Cities: Portland, Seattle, Vancouver

Population 2000 (U.S. Portion): 7,400,532

Population 2025: 10,209,826

Projected Growth: 38%

Florida

The Florida Megaregion is one of the fastest growing in the nation and possesses a wealth of diversity, with six of every 10 new residents in the last decade coming from foreign countries. It is both dense and populous, with the major international city of Miami acting as a gateway to Latin America. Regional strategies to protect the Everglades have preserved the natural heritage of the state.

Location: The east and west coast, central and south Florida

Principal Cities: Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville

Population 2000: 14,686,285

Population 2025: 21,358,829

Projected Growth: 45%

Front Range

The Front Range is the smallest but one of the fast growing megaregions in the country.

Location: Runs North-South along the I-25 Corridor, from Albuquerque, NM in the South to Denver / Boulder, CO in the North

Principal Cities: Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Colorado Springs, Denver

Population 2000: 4,733,679

Population 2025: 6,817,462

Projected Growth: 44%

Great Lakes

The Great Lakes megaregion is exploring ways to grow its economy in face of the shrinking role of the manufacturing sector. The region's assets include the environmental resources and amenities of the Great Lakes and a strong research and cultural tradition tied to its leading public universities.

Location: The Midwest - Including parts of Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania

Principal Cities: Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Indianapolis

Population 2000: 53,768,125

Population 2025: 62,894,147

Projected Growth: 17%

Northeast

The Northeast is a powerhouse of density and economic output, producing 20 percent of the nation's Gross Domestic Product with 18 percent of the population and only two percent of the nation's land area. Over the next generation, the Northeast will add 1 million new residents This population growth will demand infrastructure investments and economic growth to accommodate these new residents while preserving quality of life.

Location: The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic seaboard - From Northern Virginia to Southern Maine, bounded by the Appalachian Mountains to the west by the Appalachian Mountains to the west.

Principal Cities: Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C.

Population 2000: 49,563,296

Population 2025: 58,124,740

Projected Growth: 18%

Northern California

The high quality of life, cultural heritage, and environmental assets of the Northern California region make it an attractive - and expensive - place to live. How can sustainable land use strategies be employed while limiting the skyrocketing cost of living?

Location: Northern California, along the Pacific Ocean from Sonoma County to Monterey County, inland to Douglas County, Nevada. Includes the 9-county Bay Area and 17-County Commute Shed.

Principal Cities: Oakland, Reno, Sacramento, San Jose, San Francisco

Population 2000: 12,724,861

Population 2025: 17,290,363

Projected Growth: 36%

Southern California

With some of the largest ports in the nation, the economy of Southern California is closely tied to the logistics and goods movement industry. This region is taking aggressive action to build infrastructure that enhances its role as a global gateway while providing opportunities for its fast growing native-born and immigrant populations.

Location: Southern California / Nevada from the border with Mexico to Santa Barbara and east to Las Vegas

Principal Cities: Los Angeles, San Diego, Anaheim, Long Beach, Las Vegas

Population 2000: 21,858,662

Population 2025: 28,692,923

Projected Growth: 31%

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

He talks about the ports in Los Angeles, but omits the major railroad spurs of the SF Bay Area, or SeaTac? He better find a better reason for LA's existence than that.

[Ban Hammer 13,484]

So? I'm not sure what that has to do with the concept of a megaregion.

i'd guess they expect that area and kc to merge by the time cited.

[^_^ 5,021]

He talks about the ports in Los Angeles, but omits the major railroad spurs of the SF Bay Area, or SeaTac? He better find a better reason for LA's existence than that.

I think you'll like this -> http://www.rpa.org/pdf/temp/America%202050%20Website/Healdsburg_California_pp_7-19.pdf

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I think you'll like this -> "http://www.rpa.org/pdf/temp/America%202050%20Website/Healdsburg_California_pp_7-19.pdf"

Former home of Fairchild Semiconductor. The town is still recovering, but looking healthier these days.

Edited March 5, 2011 by Some Old Guy

[^_^ 5,021]

Former home of Fairchild Semiconductor. The town is still recovering, but looking healthier these days.

Actually, I was pointing you to the contents of the PDF and not to its filename

[HannahP 119]

i'd guess they expect that area and kc to merge by the time cited.

Who the hell wants to live in Topeka? It's almost on par with Wichita and at least Wichita has cool aerospace stuff.

[^_^ 5,021]

I'm reading a Topeka thread on city data. Apparently Topeka is what passes for a 'ghetto' in Kansas.

[HannahP 119]

I'm reading a Topeka thread on city data. Apparently Topeka is what passes for a 'ghetto' in Kansas.

Did you look up Wichita?

[^_^ 5,021]

Did you look up Wichita?

Yeah. Racist, conservative, slow but no ghetto. What a choice!

[luckytxn 2,265]

Yeah. Racist, conservative, slow but no ghetto. What a choice!

By racist you mean that it is white, right?

[Ban Hammer 13,484]

Who the hell wants to live in Topeka? It's almost on par with Wichita and at least Wichita has cool aerospace stuff.

topeka serves a purpose - the highway splits there and goes south.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

America in 2050?

A lot will have to change in less than 40 years. Besides, down here, you have the coastlines where you have concentrated populations and then there's Orlando. Aside from that city, the inland is fairly empty. Lots of gators and swamps but not much more.