Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Can We Rename It the Washington-Norfolk Mega-Region?

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by

James A. Bacon
in ,

mega-region

Here’s another perspective on Richmond and Hampton Roads — as the southern anchors of the Washington-Boston mega-region. Home to 56.5 million people, the mega-region has an economy the size of Germany.

Technically, in the taxonomy of economic geographer Richard Florida, the southern anchor of the Washington-Boston corridor is Washington. But, then, he did publish the photo above in his Atlantic Cities blog post on the topic, so maybe Richmond and Hampton Roads warrant a second-tier plug-in status.

According to the Associated Press, regional leaders in the Norfolk-Virginia Beach MSA are soul searching over whether to brand themselves as “Hampton Roads” or “Coastal Virginia.” Perhaps they should be asking themselves how to hitch themselves to North America’s largest and most economically productive mega-region.

–– JAB

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3 responses to “Can We Rename It the Washington-Norfolk Mega-Region?”

  1. cpzilliacus Avatar
    cpzilliacus

    James A. Bacon wrote:

    But, then, he did publish the photo above in his Atlantic Cities blog post on the topic, so maybe Richmond and Hampton Roads warrant a second-tier plug-in status.

    Second tier?

    Not so sure about that. But I do think that Richmond and Hampton Roads have more in common, in economic terms, with Northern Virginia and points north, than anyone would like to admit.

    I might even assert that these areas, maybe along with Charlottesville, form a sort of scalene triangle, with (maybe) U.S. 460 as the rough bottom, with the sides running north and converging in Loudoun County, or perhaps in D.C. or someplace in Maryland.

  2. Darrell Avatar
    Darrell

    Want to see those Tidewater lights turn off? That will happen if the DoD decides to kill off the military retiree. No commissary, no health care. Why stay here suffering from low wages and increasing taxes? Florida and Texas are calling baby! Dump the house and beat feet. Hampton Roads, not a cul de sac. Just another Coastal Virginia Dead End.

  3. larryg Avatar
    larryg

    Unless someone says otherwise, my impression is that Hampton Roads is a prime seaport with potential … private-sector potential.

    Hampton Roads biggest problem is that in a downsize scenario for the Navy – they are competing with other seaports in the country and the Navy is going to see tremendous changes because of the same technology that has transformed the private sector world – i.e. – the need for less people as more and more automation replaces what were people-jobs.

    we’re going to see less ships and less sailors but better capabilities – as the military does the same thing the private sector has done – reduce their costs by using technology to replace people and predictions of local economic disaster won’t stop it.

    The military is focused on it’s mission and how they can achieve it’s mission and if they can maintain it with the use of more technology, they will.

    Aircraft Carriers have become big targets.. that have to carry their own set of aircraft and other ships just to deploy and maintain a protective bubble around them as they – in turn – try to project force.

    a tiny speed boat with one Exocet missile or a sea-skimming drone can inflict grievous damage and it is almost impossible to detect. this is pushing carriers back offshore beyond the reach of such smaller boats – in theory. There are serious questions about what Carriers actually “do” now and some folks wondering if they are edging closer to obsolesce in an increasingly technological world where even the smallest and poorest nations can afford cheap but deadly weaponry that can take down a ship relatively easily.

    there is increasing danger that even unarmed innocent boats and civilian aircraft might become victims as what happened with the Vincennes .. too close determine their intentions before having to shoot them.

    However, that being said, we owe the folks who served and retired from armed services everything they were promised, no if, ands or buts – but just like with the private sector – the Navy is not going to be “hiring” like they used to… because the “cost” is not just the active duty soldier/sailor – it’s him/her retired and receiving benefits for 50-60 years.

    That’s a long time for a workforce that pays taxes – declining in numbers.. AKA the boomer social security problem.

    We don’t “see” this problem in the DOD budget because some of the benefits are moved to “off” DOD and called “entitlements” to paid for by general revenues.

    In other words, DOD has not so much reduced it’s costs – as moving some of them to “off” DOD.

    Okay what does any/all of this have to do with “mega-regions”?

    well.. of all the “mega” regions in the US – this one is heavily anchored to DOD and other govt “defense” spending for things like Homeland Security, NSA, CIA, FBI, …and it is going to change – and perhaps not for the better if we don’t start preparing for the inevitable.

    Like our school systems – we have too many employees in terms of how we can afford to pay their benefits when they retire.

    the deficit and debt we have – is not so much just entitlements for non-govt civilians… there is a huge pool of retired govt in Va that buoys it’s economy – for now.

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