Giant multi-city regions dominate America’s economy says director of infrastructure program

Petra Todorovich, director of the America 2050 National Infrastructure Plan, spoke about “Smart Growth: Planning for America’s Future Infrastructure, Economic Development, and Environmental Challenges” in a speech in a series of talks at the National Building Museum.

She said that a major shift in the structure of America is the rise of the megaregion. Megaregions are large areas of interconnected cities caused by overlapping communities, similar histories, and ecological unity. The Northeast megaregion, spanning from Washington, D.C. to Boston, is responsible for 20 percent of the nation’s GDP, 17 percent of the population, and only two percent of the land area. Todorovich said that as the megaregions grow and become the economic engines of America, they must be efficient and sustainable.

She said that Americans have the right to clean air, well-planned, walkable cities, and the choice of high-speed rail. The America 2050 program addresses the problems facing the aging population, including transportation, oil prices, and air quality, among others