which small metro areas are best positioned to take advantage of overflowing development from the NE corridor (state, bigger)

[brooklynborndad]

in the next few years, assuming the overall economy, and in particular the corridor, take off again?

Richmond VA? Lancaster Pa? Lehigh Valley? Capital District of NY? Hartford?

[ckhthankgod]

I'd say Hartford, Providence and NE PA(Scranton-Wilkes Barre and Allentown-Easton-Bethlehem).

[kidphilly]

I agree on the Lehigh Valley (Allentown-Easton-Bethlehem) area (it actually may be part of the NY or Philly CSA or even split in the next census). Currently the growth is mostly commuters who make their way into the 287/78 corrider of NJ. But with fairly good infrastructure and cheaper land and an increasingly educated population it seems like it could see some growth ahead.


Lancaster is another area, mainly its proximity and access. It is basically an hour or so from DC/Balt and Philly. But cheaper land could provide some growth.


The biggest issue with these two is likely the PA state government

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by kidphilly

I agree on the Lehigh Valley (Allentown-Easton-Bethlehem) area (it actually may be part of the NY or Philly CSA or even split in the next census). Currently the growth is mostly commuters who make their way into the 287/78 corrider of NJ. But with fairly good infrastructure and cheaper land and an increasingly educated population it seems like it could see some growth ahead.


Lancaster is another area, mainly its proximity and access. It is basically an hour or so from DC/Balt and Philly. But cheaper land could provide some growth.


The biggest issue with these two is likely the PA state government

I thought about Lancaster, Harrisburg and York too.....

[western mass and love it]

the Hartford/Springfield area,within an hour and a half to both Boston and New york.

[Craziaskowboi]

Anywhere in Pennsylvania east of I-81.

[jetsfan16]

Probably Lehigh Valley and Hartford. Those two metro areas are very close to the major metropolitan areas, and as they quickly grow in population, they will get lots of development and people from Philadelphia and New York.

[kidyankee764]

Hartford is very much a part of the BosWash Corridor.

[LINative]

^ Agreed, although Hartford is not on I-95, it is very much a offshoot of the Bosh-Wash corridor. So probably is nearby Springfield, Massachusetts.

I agree with the OP and Kidphilly about the Lehigh Valley area. It forms the third point of a triangle with Philadelphia and New York City. And while it may not have the big city amenties of the bigger cities, it offers both nicer and cheaper housing as well as open lands nearby.

I hope the Capital District DOES NOT become part of the Bosh-Wash corridor, because it will mean the destruction of the entire Hudson Valley by sprawl. Also, I would have liked to see most of beautiful Lancaster County, PA being perserved as a greenbelt instead of being developed.

[davidals]

Does the question refer to potential exurbs of the NE megalopolis, or to future outward growth of the megalopolis into areas not currently included (like Richmond, Norfolk/Hampton, or down the I-85 corridor to Atlanta)?

If it's the former, obviously earlier posts here have IMO steeled the question - eastern PA does spring to mind.

If it's the latter: the 120-mile gap between the RDU and Richmond-Petersburg metros won't be closing anytime soon. There is evidence that the Raleigh-to-Atlanta corridor is an emergent 'megalopolis' - or really a low-density sprawlopolis (something a little different): already, if you were to drive from downtown Atlanta to downtown Raleigh via I-85, you would pass through parts of 25 counties. Of those 25, 17 have populations greater than 100,000; 3 of which (Fulton GA, Mecklenburg NC and Wake NC) are swiftly approaching a million. This won't connect to the Bos-Wash corridor however (the Boston-Washington Amtrak line is being extended down to Charlotte however, with NC and VA doing the upgrades).