5A. Alpha City:

Today the Northeast Corridor of the United States, stretching from Boston to Washington DC, is arguably one of the most dominant economic (New York City) and political (Washington DC) points of influence and power in the world. The figure below is testament to the region’s prowess.

Table 3: Courtesy of Economist Magazine, March 8, 2007. All four major focal cities of the Northeastern United States are present in the global top 15

Earlier in this paper I referred to several factors, the most convincing of which may be Figure 12, to suggest that the Southwestern United States, specifically Los Angeles, will replace New York in terms of cultural dominance nationally and globally. This signifies a westward movement that has been taking place for hundreds of years, even prior to the establishment of the United States. At different points in history, westward movement has been the subject of literature, art, and cultural importance.

Figure 15

Figure 16

Figure 17

Figure 18:

In its simplest form, what we observe as westward movement is city generation gap manifest. Mature Los Angeles will surpass New York because it is a younger city, in a network of young cities all more able and willing to benefit from technological advancement. Thus they will grow larger faster.

Not only does Los Angeles belong to the Southwest United States network, but also to the Pacific Rim. Both of these networks contain young, large cities exhibiting proportional growth patterns well beyond what is being experienced in the Northeast United States or trans-Atlantic region. While the trans-Atlantic region will not shrink into obscurity, I foresee the Pacific Rim emerging as an urban network of an entirely different scale. Adjusting for relative scale and magnitude attributed to generation gaps, comparable westward expansion and shifts of dominance have happened before and are in essence the nature of western civilization. The Northeastern United States surpassed Western Europe, Western Europe surpassed Rome, and the Roman Empire surpassed ancient Greece. Like following a path along a branch, city generations exhibit direction because ultimately, it is the purpose of the urban organism to grow and establish global networks. Comparative views of each empire show their fungi-like growth pattern and direction through time.

Figure 17: The radiating growth pattern and range of the urban organism can be measured when we follow the movement of western influence through time.

Western Civ Key: Contemporary map depicting conditional classification of western countries.
██ Developed countries of North America, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand, (always considered Western) as well as newer and potential members of the EU such as Poland, Romania and Bulgaria.
██ Developed countries in east asia and Oceania, sometimes considered western
██ Latin America, settled by European countries (Portugal, Spain, and others) which have ties to European culture.
██ Eastern Europe, Balkans, Caucasus
██ Other states sometimes considered western
██ Not usually considered western

A final image of the “American empire” would bring us into contemporary times. While the official territory of the United States lies within fifty states and some territories, the range of the US system is much larger and the United States is clearly a contemporary focal point. This trend goes beyond governments and individuals. No group or organization can legitimately claim responsibility for the dominance of North American cities or prevent its eventual movement beyond America’s borders. In terms of a map of the American system we would use pervasive technology to measure system range. Just as coliseums, aqueducts, and amphitheatres spread throughout the Old World, perpetuated dominance, and remain signs of influence from previous empires, paramount technological advances that originated in North America (i.e. automobiles, airplanes, electricity, computers, and skyscrapers) enable and signify American influence. We may see these objects and technologies as universally human, but in time many will become dated and change. Their current forms will be associated with the time period, a period distinctly influenced by North America. In terms of technology, history shows us that the future is full of major surprises. If the range of the American system is equal to the extent of technology born within the system, perhaps the satellite photo of global city lights at night is a good reflection of range (See: Figure 7).

The size I am proposing is controversial. For example, an Australian friend of mine took offense and responded by saying, “I’m Australian, not American.” I stress that this is not a reflection of a specific government, nor am I suggesting that specific political entities control the world, though some may strive to or believe that they do. The word “America” is loaded with meaning. I use this word to highlight a physical location on Earth. Recall that colonial America was distinctly British, but this did not ensure that the colonists were loyal to the crown or part and privy to the power exercised in London. Nor did London’s influence mean that British colonies did not enjoy a sense of cultural and political independence. Politics aside, among cities, North American cities have significant global influence and the influence of this system is perpetuated by the technology it bore whether the people involved are conscious of it or not.

Generation gap and developmental direction are two significant components of cities because they offer us a glimpse into the future. If we understand the direction in which the urban organism is spreading we can compile a list of young growing cities that will likely compliment the existing system. Furthermore, a select few of these younger cities will become succeeding focal points. I have named Los Angeles as one of New York’s heirs. However, beyond Los Angeles, beyond California, beyond the United States, where is the next likely location of the western focal point?