MeGaLoPoLiS

Megalopolis is located in the Northeast portion of the United States and consists of the area from New Hampshire to Washington D.C.  This area was the first region to become urbanized in all of the continental United States.  Metropolitan areas such as New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Baltimore are major cities which are all urban centers on the east coast.  Megalopolis has an apparent urban theme and shares common urban forms such as; dense patterns of streets and buildings, industrial centers, retail clusters, and government complexes.  San Diego, California is not geographically located in Megalopolis but it shares many similar characteristics and qualities...

Map of Megalopolis

Similar Characteristics

• A site characteristic of Megalopolis is it's coastal location and harbors.  San Diego also occupies a coastal location and contains harbors.  The only difference is it is on the west coast rather than the east coast.
• San Diego has dense streets in certain areas, industrial centers, retail clusters and government complexes similar to some of the major cities in Megalopolis.
• San Diego also shares a similar topography with Megalopolis.  They both have a relatively flat coastal plain and portions of hilly landscape.
• Both areas also share exceptional accessibility and are good locations for trade and immigration.
• The rapid growth of the major cities in Megalopolis in the 1800s is paralleled by the rapid increase in population in California, more specifically San Diego, in the mid to late 1900s.  

Downtown San Diego

Metropolitan Boston

Differences

• Megalopolis experiences moderate climate while the climate in San Diego, California is consistently mild or Mediterranean.  Their winters are considerably colder and summers are hotter and more humid.
• A defining characteristic of Megalopolis is the close proximity of cites.  California in general is more spread out and while the cities are relatively close, it pails in comparison to the proximity of cities such as Boston, New York, and Philadelphia.  They are all in separate states yet still within in driving distance.
• Both areas experience high levels of immigration but San Diego has a higher percentage of Mexican immigrant and Megalopolis has a higher degree of African American immigrants.
• Megalopolis and San Diego are both dense in regards to the number of people per square mile but Megalopolis is expansive in it's density while San Diego is concentrated.  California is much more spread out and does not have a large, consistent area of population density like the northeast coast.
• New York, Baltimore, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and Boston have merged to form a single urbanized region over recent years.  California's most productive counties (Los Angeles, San Fransisco, and San Diego) are still relatively independent of each other.  Even though they are all located in the same state, they serve different functions are not to the merging level of Megalopolis.

Climate Chart for San Diego

Climate Chart for New York City