As metropolitan regions continued to expand throughout the second half of the 20th century their boundaries began to blur, creating a new scale of geography now known as the megaregion. Interlocking economic systems, shared natural resources and ecosystems, and common transportation systems link these population centers together. As continued population growth and low density settlement patterns place increasing pressure on these systems, there is greater impetus to coordinate policy at this expanded scale.
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.