The Northern California Megaregion

“Megaregion” was the cover story of the November 2007 issue of Urbanist, a monthly periodical published by San Francisco Planning & Urban Research (SPUR). After reading the article it is clear how unique the future of regional planning will be in the United States. According to the article the United States has ten megaregions: Cascadia, Northern California, Southern California, Arizona Sun Corridor, Texas Triangle, Gulf Coast, Midwest, Northeast, Piedmont Atlantic, and Florida. The article focuses primarily on the growth of the Northern California megaregion.

Population growth is the biggest threat to the natural environment in California. Currently the Northern California megaregion has 14 million people and is projected to add at least 10 million more by 2050. The natural environment is greatly effected by the built environment, which defines the megaregion. In order to achieve sustainability, the existing natural environment needs to be protected and utilized to the regions advantage. Due to the impact of population growth on the Bay Area, SPUR makes the argument that, in the interest of smart planning, the Bay Area needs to recognize the impact of the surrounding regions.

SPUR has presented a projected map of Northern California's exurban and rural land threatened by development and a growing population. The map visualizes the human influence on the rural landscape. As planners in the Bay Area work to solving planning problems, it is the hope of SPUR that they also think of the integration of the Northern California megaregion. Evidence of increased Northern California integration are land consumption, transportation flows and commute patterns, economic integration, and cultural integration. These indicators are the four areas that planners need to focus on to truly integrate a sustainable megaregion.