Liquid City: Megalopolis and the Contemporary Northeast

by John Rennie Short

Megalopolis was the name given to a Peloponnesian city that was founded around 371- 368 BCE. Though planned on a grand scale, the city failed to realize the dreams of the founders, and it declined by the late Roman period. In 1957, the renowned geographer Jean Gottman applied the term in his description of the densely populated area of the northeastern United States that includes the cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington. Liquid City is the first book to examine the social, economic, and demographic changes that have taken place in Megalopolis over the past fifty years. Nearly one in six Americans live in the modern Megalopolis, making it one of the largest city regions in the world. John Rennie Short juxtaposes Gottman's work with his own examination, providing a comprehensive assessment of the region's evolution. Particularly important are his use of 2000 Census data and his discussions of sources of identity, unity, and fragmentation in Megalopolis. Emphasizing the fluid, variable character of Megalopolis, this clear and accessible book focuses on five aspects of population redistribution from cities to suburbs; economic restructuring; immigration; patterns of racial/ethnic segregation; and the processes of globalization that have made one of the world's most influential economies.

200 pages, Paperback

First published June 26, 2007

About the author

Prof. John Rennie Short is the Professor of Public Policy in the Department of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), USA.

He received an MA in Geography from the University of Aberdeen in 1973 and a PhD in 1977 from the University of Bristol.

He has been the Professor of Public Policy at UMBC since 2005, having previously held positions at the University of Bristol, the University of Reading and Syracuse University.

He currently writes for a number of audiences, including The Conversation.

Reviews

[Joseph Stec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of facts and figures, but a very readable book. Very balanced.