Big-ideas, governance, megacities, sense of place 341maintenance of greenspaces. Zoning and controls on urbanization may be effec-
tive in some areas. Regional planning is periodically attempted and occasionally
somewhat effective in megacities of developed countries.
Like virtually all discussions of megacities, this glimpse cannot avoid the large
number and large size of problems facing society (Fuchset al.1994,Main and
Williams1994,Stubbs and Clarke1996,McMichael2000). Looking forpositive
signsis a useful strategy, when a giant lies ill before us. The rate of population
growthin megacities is slowing, though growth continues, perhaps because peo-
ple realize these cities are not working well. Specific ambitious projects, such as
housing and sanitation, affecting many people have provided inspiration, even
hope (Altshuler and Luberoff2003). For example, in downtown Seoul, a pollut-
ing multilane highway in 2004 was rapidly removed to reestablish a river with
powerful aesthetic and recreational dimensions. Beijing, in preparing to host a
summer Olympics, established and planted (most people hope ‘‘permanently”)
numerous greenspaces. Regional planning, in part driven by environmental con-
siderations such as water supply, air pollution, sprawl, and greenspaces, seems
to be growing inmegacities and anticipating population growth (Chapter2).
Tothese few positive signs of life, one can add some ideas for the future. To
shift priorities toward low-cost flexible transportation systems or simple healthy
safe aesthetic housing types might have positive reverberations. Or target invest-
ment to certain existing nodal areas, distributed across the region, to help cat-
alyze the spread of vibrant neighborhoods and communities around them. Or
perhaps provide economic opportunities and other incentives for residents of
certain targeted areas to move to satellite cities, and in the vacated areas, create
places of community value, from treasured playgrounds, trash-removal locations,
and park-like meeting places to protected flood-reduction wetlands. Or reduce
thedependence on an uncaring global economy, by investing more in local-to-
national markets, which spring from local and regional culture and result in
economic diversity. Certainly, placing a priority on ongoing high-visibility urban-
region planning is a cost-efficient investment that helps everyone understand
today’s megacity, and think about a better tomorrow.
If one plots important environmental and human variables against city pop-
ulation size, so far no point is known where thresholds coalesce. Plato advised
people to start a new city when one reaches 50 000. Today, is one 10 million
megacity better than two 5 million or twenty half-million-people cities? Faced
with the multitude of megacity region challenges, powerful positive ideas for the
future must be found. Because many more megacities lie just over the horizon.
Sense of place
When abroad and asked where I am from, I usually say Boston. If the
questioner says, ‘‘You live in the city?,” I respond, ‘‘No, the Boston Region.” A