Modern Spatial and Demographic Patterns

•Metropolitan clusters create uneven settlement landscapes

•Megalopolis: largest settlement agglomeration in the U.S.

•Population growth has increased in North America–Projected to increase to 375 million by 21st century

Population density of the United States: 2000

North Americans on the Move

Westward-Moving Populations

Most persistent regional migration trend has been movement westward

–Currently fastest-growing states are in the West

–High-tech industries and services and scenery

Note population growth of the Western and Southern states

Note growth in Las Vegas and Phoenix/Scottsdale (why here?)

But also note Idaho and Wyoming (why here?)

North Americans on the MoveBlack Exodus from the South

• African American population was traditionally concentrated in the South

• In early 20th century, decreasing demand for labor in the South and increasing demand for labor in the North

• Two migration waves: 1910 to 1920, and 1940 to 1960

• Most blacks migrated to northern cities– Regional migration streams

North Americans on the Move

Growth of the Sun Belt South• After 1970, rapid growth in southern states

• Regional appeals: economic opportunities, low living costs, recreation, air conditioning

The Counterurbanization Trend• Counterurbanization: process in which people leave large

cities and move to smaller towns and rural areas

• Retirees and lifestyle migrants

Rural to Urban Migration

200 years ago: 5% of North Americans were urban

Today: 75% are urban

Most of 20th century urban growth took place in cities of less than 1 million people

Settlement Geographies: The Decentralized Metropolis

(we’ll talk about this more in Chapter 9)

Urban decentralization: metro areas sprawl in all directions and suburbs take on the characteristics of downtown

Historical Evolution of the City in the United States• Changing transportation technology shaped the evolution

of the U.S. city– Concentric zone model– Urban realms model

The Consequences of Sprawl• As suburbanization increased, inner city population

decreased– Increased crime and social disruption

• Gentrification

Again, we’ll look more closely at the changes in urban development in Chap. 9 - for now, think about this diagram resembles Los Angeles

Peopling North America

North America’s cultural diversity expressed two ways geographically:

– Similar people congregate– Culture marks the visible scene

Persisting Cultural Homelands

Cultural homeland – culturally distinctive nucleus of settlement whose ethnicity has survived over time, affecting cultural landscape

– French-Canadian Quebec; Hispanic Borderlands; Black Belt; Acadiana; Native Americans

(we’ll talk more about culture regions in Chap. 13)

A Mosaic of Ethnic Neighborhoods

• Smaller scale ethnic signatures can shape both rural and urban landscapes

• Can have political impacts– For example, the regional concentration of American

Catholics

Population changes affects political power at regional level

There is a distinct spatialization of the population along ethnic lines

What groups do the colors represent?

Let’s look at one key area of the United States and follow it’s settlement over time:

The East Coast, referred to as the Megalopolis

Compare this area to the maps of the various ethnicities in the previous slides and try to understand the dynamics involved in the move to the West