ABSTRACT
The Northeast megaregion was first identified by Jean Gottmann in his 1961 study, Megalopolis, as an "intense cluster of metropolitan areas" stretching from Virginia to Maine, that was "characterized by density of activities and movement". The Northeast region's sense of place, its environmental quality, and its urban form have been shaped by its land forms and natural resource systems, principally the Appalachian Mountains, which form its western border, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Despite the natural assets of the Northeast region, the strength of its transportation network, and the prominence and vibrancy of its leading cities, it is losing its competitive edge vis-a-vis the rest of the nation and the world. A smart growth alternative would be to attract a larger share of the Northeast's new development to "cold" areas, through improved transportation links between "hot" and "cold" places and targeted investments in quality of life, housing, education, and other activities in "cold" areas.
