io9 
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San Francisco, 10:27 PM
Mon Dec 7
26 posts in the last 24 hours
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09/21/09
The cities in Wingrove's Chung Kuo didn't cover 100 per cent of the available land area, just the more level; in City Europe, only the Alps and the Carpathians were not built over, and were left open as wilderness.
Moreover, on Wingrove's 23rd Century Earth, vast areas of continent were left open to grow food to feed the 36 Billions that the sealed Cities held.
All that being said, there's one important megaconurbation that was left out – the Hooterville/Pixley megacity, popularized by the shared universe of Green Acres/Petticoat Junction stories. Oh, it was kind of an inverted megacity – instead of being filled with humanity, it was filled with farms populated by surrealistic hayseed farmers - but it was a single, vaguely-defined entity. I think it deserved to be mentioned.
09/19/09
The problem with the old concept of mega-cities is that the future doesn't appear to be going to plan. Sure, Moscow is constantly growing, and perhaps Chinese and Indian cities, but they're just becoming supermassive sprawling versions of themselves. And in the West you don't get cities joining themselves. Los Angeles is the best example of what American urban areas will become: megalopolises. There is no city center, just a massive conurbation of many different cities and their centers which people commute to and from throughout. Even if it did get big enough with good enough rail travel to include Santa Barbara or San Diego, each of those individual cities in between will maintain their individuality, but will work together with other municipalities to make the entire area more enjoyable.
Less insanely fun, but more realistic, and arguably more personable.
09/19/09
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09/19/09
Mike Davis generally is one of the best writers tackling these kinds of issues in non fiction, and deserves the attention of folk writing the posts for the Future Metro theme. [en.wikipedia.org])
As for the merger of Edinburgh and Glasgow-the whole reason that there was all the fuss made about how Edinburgh and Glasgow should co-operate is because they don't. There's a long history of rivalry if not straight up hatred between the two.
The reasons for this are complex but imo go back to the fact that Glasgow was the centre of heavy industry and perceived itself as more working class, and masculine, than Edinburgh, the centre of law, finance and, since the Scottish Parliament was established (and now with a Nationalist government the prospect of maybe full statehood) politics and government.
I doubt that this rivalry will be overcome any time soon, as it has pretty deep pyscho-social roots, which paradoxically are perhaps worsened by the end of heavy industry in Glasgow, since Glasgow has lost a lot of its identity and feels in some ways emasculated and defensive.
However, Scotland as a whole is dominated by Edinburgh, Glasgow and their surrounding sattelites, referred to as 'The Central Belt,' and much hated by people from more rural areas like the Highlands.
Incidentally, I'm an inhabitant of Maryhill, a place that was once its own town and has since been swallowed up by Greater Glasgow. [en.wikipedia.org]
09/19/09
(Dystopian Sydney ahoy!)
09/18/09
09/19/09
09/19/09
Asia was special enough to get two cities.
09/20/09
09/18/09
09/18/09
Texarkana is not a mega-city, but rather the eponymous capital of a city-state in the neo-medieval period after the Flame Deluge which then evolves into the dominant power in the Western Hemisphere. At the end of the book, when humanity has come back to and surpassed 20th Century-level tech, the nation of Texarkana destroys their rival, a pan-Asian nation which I cannot remember the name of.
Also, when I saw "The City" I was super-excited because I thought The Masters of Solitude and Wintermind were getting some love. Alas, no. :(
09/18/09
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09/18/09
Well your right about CJA's intentions, but not about what CJA has actually presented...
CJA mentions EdinGow and Gauteng and specifically states that no SciFi has been written about them.... but deems their future 'rail links' make them worthy enough to mention...
Given that I live in Shanghai, a city with a population of 25 million and growing rapidly, currently the only city in the world with a Maglev, and with concrete plans to develop it and its high speed bullet train network, given these and other factors too numerous to mention, I also find the omission of China and India unusual...
Science Fictions role of predicting future developments, through creativity and imagination based upon the present day reality of the author, will surely result in both of these countries featuring heavily in new upcoming works! (though maybe not from Chinese Authors - the Gov here prefers to encourage its authors to fantastically retell its glorious history than concern the hard-working citizens with potential dystopic futures)
-apologies for spelling or grammar errors, written in haste before rushing to class-
09/18/09
09/19/09
Chongqing is the interesting example here, it is in fact the largest city in China, by population, exceeding Shanghai by some 5-6 million according to some figures (always complicated by migrant workers and unregistered people)... however it was also the last of the great metropolitan areas to be classified as such, prior to this it was actually 7 different cities... thus becoming a 'megacity'
Just because you can't find talk of the merging of governance between urban centres whose conurbations merge doesnt mean in future it wont... and one of the examples I have quoted of yours is that of EdinGow, I'm from the North East of England and I've heard very little of this maglev, and less still of merger of governance of these two cities, even if they did merge conurbations... (though I am aware of and have been privy to proposals for a UK long Maglev)
I am from Newcastle Upon Tyne, and our conurbation has merged with the neighbouring (arch enemy) city of Sunderland, such that we share the same urban transportation system (metro)...
Shanghai's Maglev system is proposed to extend to neighbouring Hangzhou, it has already built the worlds longest and 2nd longest sea bridges acrosss the Hangzhou bay, and to Nearby Ningbo. The city has expanded eastward to the sea occupying all available land, and is spreading south now towards Hangzhou... At the same time it is spreading towards its northwesterly neighbour Suzhou... this spread is relentless and will be accompanied by rapid transport systems allowing for 'effective' communication between all disparate parts
Having said all of this we are talking about two things, the spread and merging of urban conurbations, but also the merging of their government to truly create a megacity... and you are quite correct that there is no signal of this between Shanghai and its territories...
Dominance is another matter
ps To Clarify my position succinctly, a Megacity to me is a huge sprawling city, Shanghai is already that, with few peers anywhere (Tokyo, Sao Paulo....) - any reference to Shanghai is a reference to a Megacity, what else do you call a city that contains half the population of England, one tenth the entire continental United States, and covers 6500 square kilometres and (rapidly) growing - I love my SciFi, but I live here and the lines between reality and fiction are beginning to blur...
09/19/09
Look at Chongqing... The largest city in china (yes not Shanghai), was actually 7 or so cities whose conurbations merged and then was made into a metropolitan area...
09/18/09
Chi-Pitt? Good god, what a concept. Do you pronounce it as Kai-Pit, or Chip-it?
09/18/09
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09/18/09
First thought: Where's the India of Ian McDonald's River of Gods?
09/18/09
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09/18/09
Also: originally read Brit-Cit as Brit-Clit.
Finally: Nice map Stephanie!
09/18/09