Northern Virginia is an integral part of
Megalopolis, a region first analyzed
by internationally known geographer Jean Gottman. Megalopolis reaches from
the New Hampshire suburbs of Boston to the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.
Northern Virginia is an integral part of
Megalopolis, a region first analyzed
by internationally known geographer Jean Gottman. Megalopolis reaches from
the New Hampshire suburbs of Boston to the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.
Northern Virginia shares in the relative wealth and dense population of this economically complex, urbanized region, but it is less oriented to manufacturing than is Megalopolis as a whole. Instead, Northern Virginia is more oriented both to government employment and to indirect, government-related employment with concerns such as consulting firms, legal offices, public interest groups, trade associations, and firms specializing in government contracts.
Although the cutbacks in federal spending can be expected to have an adverse impact upon the region's economy, other recent developments such as the relocation of regional and national headquarters of large corporations may counter this effect. Mobil Oil, American Telephone and Telegraph, and Time-Life are examples of corporate offices that have relocated to Northern Virginia in recent years.
Northern Virginia's population will continue to grow, although most likely not so rapidly as during the 1980-1988 period. During that interval, the region grew by 23 percent, to more than 1.4 million people. Recently, however, growth in the entire Washington metropolitan area has slowed, although Northern Virginia continues to grow much faster than the area as a whole.
The landscape of Northern Virginia is increasingly an urban rather than a suburban landscape. Arlington and Alexandria have characteristics of many of the nation's central cities, including substantial black population, diverse ethnic communities, urban deterioration, and slow population growth. (A gain of almost 11,000 between 1980 and 1988 has not yet replaced the loss of more than 31,000 people between 1970 and 1980.)
The continuing construction of the Metro subway system and the development of a highrise skyline in downtown Arlington (Rosslyn) add to the urban appearance. About five miles from the Potomac River, this urban landscape grades into a zone of dense suburbanization (e.g., condominiums, office parks, and townhouse clusters) that extends to I-495, the Capital Beltway. Beyond the beltway, a suburban landscape of single family homes predominates until the rural fringe of western Loudoun and Prince William counties is reached.
Landsat image of Baltimore/Washington/Chesapeake Bay from NASA Observatorium