Are megaregions a meaningful new spatial framework for the analysis of cities in globalization? Drawing together a range of innovative contributions and case studies from around the world, this book interrogates the many claims and counter-claims made about megaregions and critically assesses their position within global urban studies. Connecting research on megaregions to broader theoretical debates about globalized urbanization, the book examines the latest conceptualizations of trans-metropolitan landscapes. It investigates the opportunities and challenges posed by planning and governing at the megaregional scale and moves the debate forward to address questions of 'how', 'why' and 'by whom' megaregional spaces are being constructed. This far-reaching book will be of considerable interest to a broad audience, appealing to those engaged in urban and regional studies, geography and planning, and with direct relevance for policymakers and practitioners working at international, state and local levels.
Contents: 1. Megaregions: Foundations, Frailties, Futures John Harrison and Michael Hoyler 2. Megaurban Regions: Epistemology, Discourse Patterns, Big Urban Business Markus Hesse 3. Megaregions and the Urban Question: The New Strategic Terrain for US Urban Competitiveness David Wachsmuth 4. Beyond Globalization: A Historical Urban Development Approach to Understanding Megaregions Alex Schafran 5. Five Reasons Why Megaregional Planning Works Against Sustainability Stephen M. Wheeler 6. Conflicting Spaces of Governance in the Imagined Great Lakes Megaregion Michael R. Glass 7. Brave New 'Megaregional Worlds'? Reflections from a North European Perspective Lukas Smas And Peter Schmitt 8. Globalization and the Megaregion: Investigating the Evolution of the Pearl River Delta in a Historical Perspective Xu Zhang 9. Towards a Megaregional Future: Analysing Progress, Assessing Priorities in the US Megaregion Project Billy Fleming 10. Megaregions Reconsidered: Urban Futures and the Future of the Urban John Harrison And Michael Hoyler Index
