Which term describes a region where several large cities and surrounding areas blend into a single urban region?

• A. Sprawl
• B. Slow-growth cities
• C. Megalopolis
• D. NIMBY

Answer: (C)

When several large cities and their surrounding areas blend into a single continuous urban region, that pattern is called a megalopolis. It happens when the built-up areas of multiple major cities grow together, creating one vast urban fabric connected by dense transportation networks and integrated economies. A classic example is the corridor from Boston to Washington, D.C., where cities like Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and the national capital effectively form a single, expansive urban system. This concept differs from sprawl, which describes outward, low-density expansion from one city into rural land, rather than the merging of multiple cities into one continuous region. It also isn’t about attitudes toward development (NIMBY) or an undefined notion like slow-growth cities.