On Sustainable Economic Development Of U.S. Megalopolis

According to the definition of etymology, Megalopolis is a western deformation of the Greek word that derived from μ?γα?- ’great’ and π?λι?- ’city’, therefore literally a ’great city’. Later, it was used by Jean Gottmann in 1954, to describe the chain of metropolitan areas along the northeastern seaboard of the U.S. It is also called the"Bos-Wash corridor”, or New York megalopolis in short. Nowadays, the concept and practice of megalopolis has gone beyond the original definition of Gottmann and expanded throughout the United States as well as all over the world. By far, most scholars agree that there are at least three megalopolises in the United States, which include New York megalopolis, the Great Lakes area and California megalopolis.Experts also believe that megalopolis will be the mainstream of urban development in the era of globalization. Since Jean Gottmann’s research in 1961, more than five decades have passed by and the New York megalopolis has experienced a lot of ups and downs. However, it is still full of energy in the new century. As one of the top megalopolises, the influence of New York is not limited within the region; it has not only played a significant role in promoting the prosperity of the United States, but also became one of the economic engines around the world. It is clear that the urban planning strategy of New York megalopolis needs further study. This thesis is a pilot study in this field since there are a variety of elements which can influence sustainable economic development of megalopolis. It is difficult to cover all of the aspects in just one thesis. In this thesis, four important elements were picked up and analyzed in detail. They are spatial planning, industrial structure optimization, transportation network construction, as well as municipal administration.The author of the thesis hoped that the experience of New York megalopolis can be used for reference in other emerging megalopolises.