Megalopolis

A megalopolis (/ˌmɛɡəˈlɒpəlɪs/), also called a supercity or megaregion, is a group of metropolitan areas. These areas are linked together by transport, economy, and other systems. They work together to solve problems and share resources, even though each city keeps its own identity.

The idea of a megalopolis helps us think about how cities grow and how they can work together. It is important for planning and making life better for people in these big connected areas.

Etymology and earlier definitions

The word "megalopolis" comes from Greek words meaning "big city." It was first used for a town named Megalopolis in Arcadia more than 2,000 years ago.

In the 1950s and 1960s, a professor named Jean Gottmann used the term to describe a large group of cities along the northeastern coast of the United States, from Boston, Massachusetts to Washington, D.C.. He called this area the Northeast megalopolis.

Modern definitions

A megalopolis, also known as a megaregion, is a group of nearby big cities that work together. These cities share ways to move around, like trains and highways, and they have similar jobs, resources, and nature. Because they are close, it helps to make plans for the whole group, even though each city keeps its own special character.

People have used different names for these big city groups. In China, they call them "city clusters." These clusters are areas where many cities are close together. In Brazil, there is a special meaning for a similar word. Some experts have created a way to measure these city groups more fairly, but right now, each country uses its own rules to describe them.

List of megalopolises

Main article: List of megalopolises

Megalopolises are big areas where many cities and towns grow close together. They form large urban regions. Some well-known megalopolises include:

• The Northeast Megalopolis in the United States, stretching from Boston to Washington, D.C.
• The BosWash area, another name for the Northeast Megalopolis.
• The Golden Horseshoe in Southern Ontario, Canada, near Toronto.
• The Pearl River Delta in Southern China, including cities like Hong Kong and Guangzhou.
• The Nairobi Cone in Kenya, a growing urban area in East Africa.

These areas are important because many people live and work there, and they help connect different cities and towns.

In popular culture

Judge Dredd

In the Judge Dredd comic books, there is a huge made-up city called Mega-City One. It covers much of what is now the Eastern United States and some of Canada. It is always near the busy areas around New York City.

Sprawl trilogy

In William Gibson’s books called the Sprawl trilogy, “the Sprawl” is a name for the “Boston-Atlanta Metropolitan Axis”. It is a huge area of cities and towns along the East Coast of the United States, from Boston to Atlanta. In the story, these places grow together to form one big city.

Megalopolis (film)

In Francis Ford Coppola’s 2024 movie Megalopolis, a character named Cesar Catalina, played by Adam Driver, tries to build a new city in a place called New Rome. He uses a special material to build it on top of a crater.

Dune

In the story Dune, the main city on the planet Arrakis is called Carthag. It was once the seat of power for a ruling family. Later, a different family, the Atreides, ruled from another city called Arrakeen.