Megalopolises

Megalopolis is a term used in urban studies to describe a large, continuous urban region formed when several metropolitan areas grow together into a single, interconnected continuum. The concept emphasizes not just dense population, but the economic and infrastructural integration that links cities, suburbs, corridos, and peri-urban zones into a single urban system.

The term was popularized by geographer Jean Gottmann in 1961 to characterize the densely urbanized corridor from Boston to Washington, D.C. in the northeastern United States. Since then, megacities or megaregions in other parts of the world have been described as megalopolises when they exhibit extensive urbanized fabric, strong regional labor markets, and shared infrastructure networks.

Key characteristics often associated with megalopolises include a continuous or near-continuous urbanized landscape, a very large population, multi-centered economic activity, and highly integrated transportation, utilities, and housing markets. They typically depend on cross-municipal coordination for land use planning, transportation planning, and environmental management, though governance is usually fragmented across multiple local and regional authorities.

Examples frequently cited in planning literature include the BosWash megapolis on the U.S. East Coast; the Tokyo metropolitan region in Japan; and the Pearl River Delta in China. Critics note that the boundaries of a megalopolis are fuzzy and that the term can be used differently across disciplines. Detractors also point to governance challenges, potential social segregation, and environmental strain inherent in such vast urban systems.

In planning discourse, megalopolises are discussed as both opportunities for concentrated economic growth and as test cases for coordinated regional governance and sustainable infrastructure.