Most of the nation's rapid population growth, and an even larger share of its economic expansion, is expected to occur in 10 or more emerging megaregions: large networks of metropolitan regions, each megaregion covering thousands of square miles and located in every part of the country.  

The emerging megaregions of the United States are defined by layers of relationships that together define a common interest; this common interest, in turn, forms the basis for policy decisions. The five major categories of relationships that define megaregions are:

•    Environmental systems and topography
•    Infrastructure systems
•    Economic linkages
•    Settlement patterns and land use
•    Shared culture and history

While every megaregion may not share every one of these characteristics, the possession of several indicates a stronger and more cohesive megaregion. For instance, the Northeast Megalopolis, identified as early as 1961 by geographer Jean Gottman, is defined by relationships in each of these categories and, accordingly, is one of the strongest and most easily recognizable megaregions.


Challenges Span Regional Boundaries
Across the nation, community leaders, businesses, and policymakers are confronted by challenges that affect their cities and neighborhoods but which cannot be solved by actions taken solely at the city or metropolitan scale. Protecting public watersheds that span multiple state and regional boundaries is one example of a challenge that requires coordination at the megaregional scale. Another is the challenge of moving goods efficiently from coastal ports through congested metropolitan areas to reach inland destinations; or providing new jobs in the face of major economic restructuring to a post-industrial economy.

The recognition of emerging megaregions enables cooperation across jurisdictional borders to address specific challenges experienced at this scale. One way megaregions can prepare for future population pressures is by marshaling resources to make bold investments in high-speed rail and other mobility infrastructure. But there are others, just as crucial: protecting environmental resources, coordinating economic development strategies, and making land use decisions that comprehend all of these.

Global Integration Zones Are the New Competitive Unit
Our competitors in Asia and Europe are creating Global Integration Zones by linking specialized economic functions across vast geographic areas and national boundaries with high-speed rail and separated goods movement systems. The increased mobility of workers, business travelers, information, and goods between the networked cities of these megaregions enables greater collaboration, flexibility, and innovation. Efficient mobility is also a competitive advantage in the global playing field, where value is created by time savings.

In the United States, the coupling and chaining of industrial activity to take advantage of "just in time" production and delivery is increasingly critical to the success of our economy. The limited capacity to move goods quickly and "on demand" is a serious obstacle that firms face in congested regions. Efficiently providing these services in a constrained and congested transportation system is among the greatest challenges for businesses trying to compete in the global economy. This challenge can be met with coordinated new investments in infrastructure development at the megaregional scale.

A New Framework for Federal Investments and Policies
The recognition of the megaregion as an emerging geographical unit also presents an opportunity to reshape large federal systems of infrastructure and funding, such as future surface transportation bills, the reorganization of Amtrak, housing and urban development authorizations, and farm policy. Just as the Interstate Highway System enabled the growth of metropolitan regions during the second half of the 20th century, emerging megaregions will require new transportation modes that work for places 200-500 miles across. The key new links in this mobility system are likely to be High-Speed Rail (HSR) lines, which are uniquely suited to trips of this length.

To function effectively, HSR systems must be fully integrated with modernized commuter rail, highway systems, and airports, providing seamless connections between all these modes.  The metropolitan legs of the Interstate Highway System will continue to play an important role but must be better managed through smart highway tolling and information systems designed to reduce congestion and increase reliability, speed, and capacity.

In addition, new freight systems will be needed to meet growing goods movement needs, including Truck-Only Toll (TOT) lanes on key interstate highway corridors, linked to improved rail freight systems and airports and seaports.  These improvements will create new capacity, making the nation's goods movement system more efficient and reliable as it becomes increasingly integrated with global markets. This, in turn, will pave the way for a dramatic expansion of the nation's logistics sector, providing new jobs to make up for losses in the ailing U.S. manufacturing sector.