America’s 7 mega regions.

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

I don't think the map is that ridiculous. You could drop MSP, STL, KC, and Indy and still have about 50M people in an area that is not much larger than the BosWash corridor.

BosWash is a fully-connected and contiguous, geographically and economically-integrated region.

Rochester, NY and Des Moines, IA have no connection to each other whatsoever. Neither do Altoona, PA and Decatur, IL. The "Chi-Pitts" nameholders Chicago and Pittsburgh, aside from having lots of Irish, Italians, and Poles couldn't be more different.

Unless that Pittsburgh to Chicago Hyperloop actually happens, that is... then all bets are off.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by pj3000

BosWash is a fully-connected and contiguous, geographically and economically-integrated region.

Rochester, NY and Des Moines, IA have no connection to each other whatsoever. Neither do Altoona, PA and Decatur, IL. The "Chi-Pitts" nameholders Chicago and Pittsburgh, aside from having lots of Irish, Italians, and Poles couldn't be more different.

Unless that Pittsburgh to Chicago Hyperloop actually happens, that is... then all bets are off.

What connection does Silver Spring, MD have with Cambridge, MA?

[JAYNYC]

Originally Posted by pj3000

BosWash is a fully-connected and contiguous, geographically and economically-integrated region.

This is an assertion made frequently in this forum, and its beyond ridiculous. Anyone who has ever traveled from Boston to NYC - let alone, NYC to DC - by either car or train will tell you there are plenty of large swaths of undeveloped land, small towns and geographic barriers that prevent it from ever being a true statement in the foreseeable future.

Just because the edge of each MSA or CSA in a particular region comes close to bordering another does NOT, by default, somehow make it "geographically and economically-integrated", especially if it's a region encompassing 450 miles.

[JAYNYC]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

What connection does Silver Spring, MD have with Cambridge, MA?

They are both located in states that begin with "M". That is all.

[xzmattzx]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

What connection does Silver Spring, MD have with Cambridge, MA?

You can basically take one road from one to the other.

Both are on/near the Fall Line, which was a key to industrialization on the corridor.

So there are two actual, literal linear connections between the two.

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

What connection does Silver Spring, MD have with Cambridge, MA?

Well, they are both "suburbs" of large cities on the east coast connected by continuous population density.

So let's just say DC and Boston, huh? In practical "connection" terms...

Amtrak Acela


Come on, seriously? You're not really trying to argue that Boston and DC don't share more in common as major cities within the east coast megalopolis than Rochester and Des Moines do, are you?

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

You can basically take one road from one to the other.

Both are on/near the Fall Line, which was a key to industrialization on the corridor.

So there are two actual, literal linear connections between the two.

Okay, so today I would like to draw attention to the new DetAtlaMia megalopolis. You can drive straight down from Detroit to Miami using a single road.

[xzmattzx]

Originally Posted by JAYNYC

This is an assertion made frequently in this forum, and its beyond ridiculous. Anyone who has ever traveled from Boston to NYC - let alone, NYC to DC - by either car or train will tell you there are plenty of large swaths of undeveloped land, small towns and geographic barriers that prevent it from ever being a true statement in the foreseeable future.

Just because the edge of each MSA or CSA in a particular region comes close to bordering another does NOT, by default, somehow make it "geographically and economically-integrated", especially if it's a region encompassing 450 miles.

Then none of these megaregions exist, because the Bos-Wash Corridor is the most prominent of all of them. The gaps between metros in the corridor are smaller and probably more densely populated than any other gaps you'll find in these other supposed megaregions.

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by JAYNYC

This is an assertion made frequently in this forum, and its beyond ridiculous. Anyone who has ever traveled from Boston to NYC - let alone, NYC to DC - by either car or train will tell you there are plenty of large swaths of undeveloped land, small towns and geographic barriers that prevent it from ever being a true statement in the foreseeable future.

Just because the edge of each MSA or CSA in a particular region comes close to bordering another does NOT, by default, somehow make it "geographically and economically-integrated", especially if it's a region encompassing 450 miles.

That's true. But not on the macro level in comparison to say what one would experience on a direct line trip from Pittsburgh to St. Louis.

It's not even close.

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Then none of these megaregions exist, because the Bos-Wash Corridor is the most prominent of all of them. The gaps between metros in the corridor are smaller and probably more densely populated than any other gaps you'll find in these other supposed megaregions.

Exactly

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by pj3000

Well, they are both "suburbs" of large cities on the east coast connected by continuous population density.

So let's just say DC and Boston, huh? In practical "connection" terms...

Amtrak Acela


Come on, seriously? You're not really trying to argue that Boston and DC don't share more in common as major cities within the east coast megalopolis than Rochester and Des Moines do, are you?

What does Boston have in common with DC that Detroit doesn't? The distance from Boston to D.C. isn't much shorter than the distance between Detroit and D.C.

[JAYNYC]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

You can basically take one road from one to the other.

Both are on/near the Fall Line, which was a key to industrialization on the corridor.

So there are two actual, literal linear connections between the two.

And you can basically take one road from Jacksonville, Florida to Santa Monica, California.

So are they somehow "geographically and economically-integrated"?

[xzmattzx]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Okay, so today I would like to draw attention to the new DetAtlaMia megalopolis. You can drive straight down from Detroit to Miami using a single road.

If you can't see any differences between Boston>New York>Philadelphia>Baltimore>DC and Detroit>Atlanta>Miami, then I guess this discussion will get nowhere.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

If you can't see any differences between Boston>New York>Philadelphia>Baltimore>DC and Detroit>Atlanta>Miami, then I guess this discussion will get nowhere.

I really don't get the direct connection between D.C. and Boston. I do understand that both D.C. and Boston are part of a group of cities that are situated contiguously. But... So are Rochester and Chicago.

[xzmattzx]

Originally Posted by JAYNYC

And you can basically take one road from Jacksonville, Florida to Santa Monica, California.

So are they somehow "geographically and economically-integrated"?

No. Why you jumped to that conclusion is beyond me. If a linear connection isn't good enough for you, then what is? Are there any megaregions anywhere? Why not draw a circle around any number of cities around the US and call it a megaregion? Why limit the Midwest megaregion to just everything between Pittsburgh and Kansas City? Why not include Denver and Nashville, too?

[xzmattzx]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

I really don't get the direct connection between D.C. and Boston. I do understand that both D.C. and Boston are part of a group of cities that are situated contiguously. But... So are Rochester and Chicago.

The gap between Toledo and South Bend is bigger than any gap between Boston and DC.

[Centropolis]

guys the acela corridor functions more like a cohesive unit than any other part of the u.s.

theres people that spend their whole lives not going further than 100 miles inland sans vacations or something but regularly attend meetings in boston and live in philly or something.

i guess if you dont have a handle on just how scattered the rest of the u.s. its harder to see, almost like someone from the u.k.

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

I really don't get the direct connection between D.C. and Boston. I do understand that both D.C. and Boston are part of a group of cities that are situated contiguously. But... So are Rochester and Chicago.

Rochester and Chicago are not situated contiguously.

First, there is a bigger development gap between Rochester and Buffalo than there exists anywhere between Boston DC.

Second, the Lake Erie shoreline is developed between Buffalo to Erie to Cleveland, but is narrow and sparse in SW NY and then once you get to the western side of Cleveland area, it really drops off in western Oh thru IN until one gets into the Chicago orbit. There is nowhere near the same level of density/activity along that linear stretch as one finds along the east coast corridor.

[McBane]

Originally Posted by JAYNYC

This is an assertion made frequently in this forum, and its beyond ridiculous. Anyone who has ever traveled from Boston to NYC - let alone, NYC to DC - by either car or train will tell you there are plenty of large swaths of undeveloped land, small towns and geographic barriers that prevent it from ever being a true statement in the foreseeable future.

Not to pile on but this is ridiculous. As someone who lives in Philly and frequently travels to NY, CT, NJ, DE, MD, and VA, there are not "plenty of large swaths" of undeveloped land. Certainly, there's rural-ish exurbs at each metro's edge but by no means are we even remotely close to "large swaths of undeveloped land and small towns", like say you'd find in Wyoming. It sounds like your perspective is way off.

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

The gap between Toledo and South Bend is bigger than any gap between Boston and DC.

Yup, and so is the gap between Buffalo and Rochester

And west of Cleveland, it gets really sparse.