Megalopolis facts for kids

A satellite image of the Pearl River Delta area in China

A megalopolis (say: meg-uh-LOP-uh-liss), sometimes called a supercity or megaregion, is a very large area where several big cities and towns are connected. These cities are so close that they often share transport systems, economies, and even natural resources. Even though each city keeps its own identity, they work together like one giant urban area. Thinking about cities this way helps people understand how big urban areas grow and how to plan for them.

What Does "Megalopolis" Mean?

The word "megalopolis" comes from ancient Greek words meaning "big city." It was first used a long time ago, in 1832, to describe a very large and busy city.

In the 1950s and 1960s, a professor named Jean Gottmann studied these huge urban areas. He used the term "megalopolis" to describe the long stretch of cities along the northeastern coast of the United States. This area goes from Boston, Massachusetts, all the way down to Washington, D.C.. He saw it as a connected "world of ideas."

Modern Supercity Areas

The Northeast megalopolis in the United States (top) and the Taiheiyō Belt in Japan (bottom)

Today, a megalopolis is also known as a megaregion. It means two or more large city areas that are very close to each other. They are linked by things like roads, trains, and shared businesses. This makes the borders between them seem blurry, even if they are still separate cities. Thinking of them as one big area helps leaders plan for things like transportation or shared resources.

Simply put, a megalopolis is a group of big cities clustered together. Jean Gottmann said a megalopolis usually has about 25 million people. Another expert, Doxiadis, said a smaller one could have around 10 million. In the United States and Canada, there are 11 such megaregions.

The São Paulo macrometropolis in Brazil

Modern roads and train lines often help megalopolises grow. People can travel easily between cities within these huge areas. This kind of travel is sometimes called "megaloping."

In different countries, these supercity areas have different names:

• In Brazil, they use the term megarregião, but it has a special legal meaning for how regions are divided.
• In China, the official term is '城市群' (say: cheng-shi qun), which means "city cluster." This describes an area where cities are very close together. The Chinese government now plans for these "city clusters" as important national areas.

List of Megalopolises

See also