ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the extent to which megapolitan area amenities provide growth advantages. It assesses the comparative advantages of megapolitan areas in attracting the knowledge class. Two new influences have gained in prominence in recent decades: the attractiveness of natural amenities and the growing "knowledge class," consisting of nonlocation-bound white-collar workers. Richard Florida's knowledge class construct is a useful way to compare the attractiveness of different geographies. The distribution of counties based on megapolitan status by amenity level is interesting. Amenities in turn fuel the rise and sustainability of the knowledge class. Both work to influence growth, and both may be found among megapolitan areas and regions. The distribution of counties based on megapolitan status by amenity level is interesting. Nonmegapolitan counties accounted for 84 percent of all counties classified as low amenity and 80 percent of counties classified as moderate amenity.
