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Chicago and Milwaukee are already joined in urban development near the lake.
The 7 counties that are to the North of Chicago and to the South of Milwaukee have gained almost 500,000 people since 1990.
That along with the Rockford metro which is growing to the east to meet the Chicago metro growing to the northwest. As it is you can stand in the northern sections of the Chicago metro area and only be 25 miles from downtown Milwaukee (not counting the city of Milwaukee and all the southern burbs that are already very built up)
So 10,000,000 for Chicago's CSA + 1,700,000 for Milwaukee + 475,000 for Rockford.
That would be a region of around 12,175,000; which for the most part is already "filled in" except for 20 miles between Chicago and Rockford
If you only consider the CSA metro area of Chicago of over 9 mill - this area alone covers a wide area. If you start adding the areas you mention then you might as well start counting DC/Bmore, Philly, and NYC in one region - total of 40+ million.
From what I remember the last time I was in Chicago, just the MSA (not CSA) size is equivalent to a drive from Baltimore to Fredericksburg, Va - which is a 100 mile drive. If this is the case, then you might as well include San Diego metro with LA Metro.
I think what's going to keep SF Bay from expanding is the cost of living. The SF bay CSA hasn't grown much in the last 10 years or more because of this.
I remember when the SF CSA was bigger than the DC/Baltimore CSA. But, in 2006 the CSA of DC was 8.2 mill and the SF Bay CSA was 7.2 mill: Largest Metropolitan Areas
I've even read that the 2008 CSA estimate of DC metro was close to 9 mill thanks to the ecomonic boom in that area caused by the Iraq/Afghanistan wars. Apparently a lot of the money spent on the war has gone to companies headquartered in the DC metro area. However, I can't seem to find that link to post as a citation. That's why 6 of the top 10 highest income counties are in the DC metro: Highest-income counties in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
If the cost of living wasn't so high in the SF Bay Area, then it would be a top contender.
Philly and NYC will eventually merge to form one of the world's largest (if not the world's largest) mega city. NJ will just get stuck in the middle like a piece of bologna book-ended by two pieces of provolone.
I doubt it. Tokyo already has more than Philly and NYC combined if I believe. I read there are 40 million in the Tokyo metro.
DFW csa is expected to pass the 7 million mark in the next 5 years and the way it's growing, it could pass 8 million in the early 2020s. I think it actually can sustain up until that time but it's hard to tell after 2025.
Houston is expected to pass the 6 million mark by 2010 and the 7 million mark a few years after DFW.
BosWash is growing VERY fast and many people do not know it. But I wonder how long that will last with the cost of living. I know the salaries are high but even people here talk about moving to North Carolina and Atlanta because you can get more for your money.
Houston and DFW are definitely going to explode in terms of growth. They already demand so much attention. I can easily see them among the world mega cities within a decade. Atlanta and Miami...not so much...they will eventually slow down.
Well its not a Mega-Metro but Albuquerque which now sits at 847,988 and is expected to hit 1 million in 2015 sooner that expected in 2020. Albuquerque will see mega explosion in population due to the SunCal 150,000+ homes, and the 65,000+ homes in Mesa Del Sol, that will tack on about 290,000+ people to albuquerque.. and Rio Rancho which is also in the metro has even bigger plans, as of this year there is a huge scarcity of homes in Albuquerque, for the surplus of people who wanna live/move there.
I agree. The whole BalWash area is growing like mad. I can see one gigantic megalopolis stretching from Richmond all the way to Balto, maybe even up to the Delaware line.
It would have to steal Cecil County, MD from Philadelphia first. Kinda how NYC stole Mercer from Philadelphia. Philadelphia is getting nibbled at from all sides! haha.
If you only consider the CSA metro area of Chicago of over 9 mill - this area alone covers a wide area. If you start adding the areas you mention then you might as well start counting DC/Bmore, Philly, and NYC in one region - total of 40+ million.
From what I remember the last time I was in Chicago, just the MSA (not CSA) size is equivalent to a drive from Baltimore to Fredericksburg, Va - which is a 100 mile drive. If this is the case, then you might as well include San Diego metro with LA Metro.
I never said you couldn't....? I was just making a valid point.
The built up area of Chicago streches from Kenosha to around Michigan City, Indiana, which is around 125 miles around Lake Michigan.
You children do realize this is for statistical purposes and has no real value in a real world of core attributes and cultures associated with the intrinsic identities of each city.... it means nothing. Especially when you cross state lines.... but we've been through this folly before.'Mega' and 'BosWash' are the terms of a child
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