Megalopolis (Chapter 7)

After reading Chapter 7, it is interesting to compare and contrast the Megalopolis region with the Antelope Valley area. The term Megalopolis was coined by Jean Gottman to describe the northeastern urban corridor that is largely comprised by the five major cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C, although this area also includes rural and lightly developed areas. In a similar fashion, the term "Antelope Valley" has been used to describe the region in Los Angeles County largely comprised of the two principle cities, Lancaster and Palmdale, as well as several smaller towns and surrounding rural areas.

However, it is difficult to compare these two regions, since their scales are drastically different. Today, Megalopolis includes about 50,000 square miles and has a population of 52 million, while the Antelope Valley includes only about 1,170 square miles and has a population of about 500,000. It is interesting to consider that the population density of Megalopolis is about 930 people per square mile, while the population density of the Antelope Valley is only about 250 people per square mile. This is a reflection of how Megalopolis is much more urbanized and developed than the Antelope Valley.

These pictures of the Antelope Valley and Megalopolis illustrate the relative scales of these two regions:


Megalopolis:



Also, the environmental hazards that each region faces are dramatically different from each other. Megalopolis is threatened by hurricanes, blizzards, and flooding, while the Antelope Valley is primarily concerned with earthquakes and high temperatures in the summer. However, these two regions face many of the same social challenges due to their high levels of demographic diversity. As we learned in this chapter, Megalopolis is faced with tensions that arise from the many different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups that live in the region. Similarly, while the AV's level of diversity is probably not as high as that experienced in Megalopolis, the AV is still faced with similar issues related to its level of diversity. The pie chart below, provided by the Los Angeles Times, illustrates the racial demographics of the the Antelope Valley as a whole:


However, it should be noted that some areas of the Valley are more or less diverse than this pie chart describes. The LA Times lists Palmdale as the most diverse city in the area, while Acton is the least diverse.

The Antelope Valley is very diverse along socioeconomic lines, as this bar graph of demonstrates:
Household income in thousands of 2000 dollars:

Thus, about 19,579 households in the AV earn $40,000 or less, while approximately 27,154 households earn $120,000 to $250,000. This is a significant wealth gap, so this inevitably leads to tensions between members of different socioeconomic groups, similar to the tensions described in Megalopolis.

Finally, just as Megalopolis continues to grow, the Antelope Valley continues to grow and expand as well. Northern Los Angeles County, including the AV, is the fastest growing area of LA County. The Antelope Valley is described as the "last valley" in LA County, and one of the last areas in Southern California that has the physical capacity to grow, with plenty of open space available for development. While Megalopolis is estimated to add 17 million more residents in the next generation, the AV is also expected to grow but a a much more modest pace. The Southern California Association of Governments estimates that the population of the Antelope Valley will grow to 800,000 by the year 2020.

(Sources: http://www.america2050.org/northeast.html, http://maps.latimes.com/neighborhoods/region/antelope-valley/, http://cameron98.tripod.com/id10.html)

The Atlantic Periphery (Chapter 5)

First of all, the Atlantic Periphery and the Antelope Valley are located at end opposite ends of the North American continent; they also each lie next to a different ocean, with the Antelope Valley in relatively close proximity to the Pacific Ocean while the Atlantic Periphery is of course next to the Atlantic Ocean. The Atlantic Periphery experiences a very different climate than the Antelope Valley, with the former experiencing cool summers and snowy winters, while the latter experiences very hot summers and cold but generally dry winters. The Atlantic Periphery experiences high levels of precipitation year-round, while the AV's desert climate produces very little precipitation. Of course, the flora and fauna of these two regions are very different as well; the Atlantic Periphery is heavily forested, while the AV is a high-desert region.

Below is a picture of northern Maine in the month of February, followed by a picture of the AV taken in late January. Notice the thick covering of snow in Maine, while the only evidence that it is winter in the AV is the light dusting of snow on the San Gabriel Mountains in the distance.

Northern Maine in the Atlantic Periphery during February:

(Source: http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/2012/03/12/northern-maine-counties-work-toward-joint-regional-plan/)

Palmdale in the Antelope Valley during January:


The landforms in the Atlantic Periphery are also different from those in the AV. The Atlantic Periphery states are connected to the Appalachian Mountain chain, and the landscape has been shaped by the erosional process of glaciers, leading to the formation of such features as the Great Stone Face, pictured below:


(Source: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/5869607)

The Antelope Valley is connected to the San Gabriel Mountains and the Tahachapi Mountains, and the landscape hasn't been much affected by glacial processes as it has been by the geological processes of faulting and sedimentary uplift and compression. For example, the Devil's Punchbowl in Pearblossom, pictured below, is a well-known geological feature in the AV that was formed by pressures and uplift processes from the Punchbowl and Pinyin Faults as well as the San Andreas Fault.

(Source: http://californiathroughmylens.com/devils-punchbowl-los-angeles-hikes)

Finally, the economies of these two regions are also significantly different from each other. The Atlantic Periphery's economy is strongly tied to the primary sector, through extraction of resources from the sea, such as fishing, and from the forest, such as through logging. On the other hand, the Antelope Valley economy has a less significant connection to the primary sector, and instead is highly dependent on the quaternary and tertiary sectors, through the aerospace industry and several service industries. Ultimately, the Atlantic Periphery and the Antelope Valley both possess very distinctive geographies, and it is interesting to compare and contrast them with each other.

The North American Political Economy (Chapter 4)

Today, the economy of the Antelope Valley is primarily composed of tertiary and quaternary sector activities, with aviation and aerospace being the primary industries of this area. Many aerospace contractors have facilities located in the AV, including Northrop Grumman, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin. These contractors lease space at the United States Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, which is the "birthplace of the Space Shuttle." My father has worked for Northrop Grumman for the last thirty-three years, and he is currently working on the Global Hawk project at Plant 42. These aerospace companies are contracted by the United States military and international agencies, so they are linked to the quaternary sector of the economy. With 9,000 employees, Air Force Plant 42 is the second largest employer in the Antelope Valley, after Edwards Air Force Base, which is located northeast of Lancaster.

Overhead view of Plant 42 in Palmdale:

Overhead view of Edwards Air Force Base outside of Lancaster:

(Sources: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/afp-42.htm, http://chooselacounty.com/laregions/antelope.html)

The Antelope Valley is also comprised of a strong tertiary economy, with numerous shopping centers, restaurants, and recreational facilities, like movie complexes and golf courses. 

Today's Antelope Valley is quite diversified. Available, affordable land, an educated workforce, pro-business local government, and easy access via State Route 14 (Antelope Valley Freeway) have made the area home to over 13,000 businesses. The Valley is a choice for logistic operations companies, manufacturers, and top Fortune 500 firms. Two major call centers are located in the area, employing thousands of residents. The recent influx of upper-middle class residents has attracted many new retailers, restaurants, and professional service companies to fulfill these consumers' wants and needs.                                                                         (Source:  http://chooselacounty.com/laregions/antelope.html).  

Thus, the economy of the Antelope Valley is composed of a strong aerospace industry and a diversified tertiary sector. Of course, the AV is home to several school districts and colleges, as well as local governmental agencies, which employ a significant portion of the area's population as well. I was born in Palmdale in 1992, and in my almost 22-years in the Antelope Valley, it has been interesting to watch the area grow and expand, and indeed, the AV continues to be one of the fastest-growing areas in Los Angeles County.

Historical Settlement of North America (Chapter 3)

In Chapter 3, we learned about the historical settlement of North America, so I'd like to discuss the historical settlement of the Antelope Valley in this post.

The first-known inhabitants of the Antelope Valley were Native Americans known as the Kitanamuks, who lived in the Tahachapi Mountains and hunted and gathered down in the valley during the cooler seasons of the year. 

Some of the early explorers of the region included Captain Pedro Fages of Spain, who crossed the Antelope Valley in 1772 and was the first to record his observations of the Joshua Trees. Also, Captain Juan Bautista de Anza and Father Francisco Garces are credited with leading a colonizing expedition through the Antelope Valley from Mexico to Monterey in 1773. Other early explorers and trailblazers through the Antelope Valley included the famous mountain man Jededia Smith, who was the first American to explore the AV in 1872, and Kit Carson and General John C. Fremont who came to the Valley in 1834 and established a settlement near Elizabeth Lake.

Each of these early explorers undoubtedly encountered immense herds of antelope, which numbered approximately 60,000 until the late 1800s when they died in large numbers due to harsh winters and hunters. This is how the Antelope Valley received its name, although today antelopes are no longer found in this area.

Later, railroads and mining brought significant growth to the Antelope Valley. Farming and ranching were also important in the area. Two of the oldest buildings in the Antelope Valley still remain today, located in the two oldest cities in the area, Lancaster and Palmdale, and I have personally visited each of them. The Western Hotel was established in 1874 and now serves as a historical museum on Lancaster Boulevard:



Also, a one-room school house from 1888 still stands today at McAdam Park in Palmdale:


In the mid-1960s, the Antelope Valley Freeway (State Route 14) was completed, which connected the Antelope Valley to the Los Angeles and helped to spur increased growth and development in the AV. Now, in the twenty-first century, the Antelope Valley is a major suburban area, home to a strong aerospace industry. It continues to be one of the fastest growing areas in Southern California.

 (Source: https://www.wm.com/location/california/antelope-valley/lancaster/community/history.jsp)

North America's Environmental Setting (Chapter 2)

In Chapter 2, we were presented with an overview of North America's environmental setting, including the different kinds of landforms and geographical patterns that can be seen across this continent. Similarly, in this post, I'd like to give an overview of the Antelope Valley's environmental setting.

The Antelope Valley is located in the western part of the Mojave Desert, and it is about 3,000 square miles in size. It is a closed basin that is bordered on the northwest by the Tahachapi Mountains and bordered on the south and southeast by the San Gabriel Mountains. These latter mountains are what separates the AV from the Los Angeles area, and I commute (via a commuter bus) through them on the 14 and I-5 freeways several days a week to get to the CSUN campus.

Pictured below is the view that I see everyday coming home as our bus comes out of the San Gabriel Mountains, looking down on the AV basin. The Tahachapi Mountains are in the far distance, and at the bottom of the screen is the aqueduct that serves the AV, and a small recreational fishing lake.


(Source: http://www.palmdalecam.com/)

The Antelope Valley is typically identified as part of southern California's "High Desert" region, due to its higher elevation above sea-level as compared to California's "Low Desert" which includes the Imperial Valley and the city of Palm Springs. As a member of a desert biome, the Antelope Valley has a very dry "B" climate with low annual rainfall, and as my family can attest, it is very difficult to grow plants in this climate! Cacti and succulents fair the best in this environment, as well as the native Joshua Trees. The AV climate also includes very strong winds, which I personally enjoy. According to the Palmdale Water District:

The same weather pattern that brings the marine layer stratus and afternoon sea breeze to the Los Angeles Basin brings gusty winds to Palmdale, especially near the foothills on the south side. Gusty southwest winds blow over Palmdale almost every afternoon and evening all year round.
(Source:http://hazardmitigation.calema.ca.gov/docs/lhmp/Palmdale_Water_District_LHMP.pdf)

Finally, the famous San Andreas Fault runs along the entire southern portion of the Antelope Valley. In fact, a portion of the fault can be seen from the 14 (AV) Freeway, where the rock has been cut to form the road. I personally see this fault everyday when I'm coming home:



(Source: http://www.earth.northwestern.edu/individ/seth/107/Intro/safpalmdale.html)

Here is a YouTube video that shows this Palmdale portion of the San Andreas Fault up-close:


Ultimately, the Antelope Valley possesses a very distinctive physical geography. While I personally don't enjoy the summers with temperatures easily above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, or the ever-present threat of earthquakes, it is still interesting to learn more about this area, and it holds a special place in my heart since I was raised here.

Introduction (Chapter 1)

For the course of this semester, I will devote my blog postings to the Antelope Valley area in southern California. The Antelope Valley is located in Los Angeles County, north of L.A., and it comprises thirteen populated areas, including the two cities of Palmdale and Lancaster, along with several other smaller towns and unincorporated areas, such as California City, Lake Los Angeles, Littlerock, and Acton. Below is a map of the Antelope Valley provided by the Los Angeles Times. If you visit the link below, you can view the interactive version of the map on the LA Times website.

(Source: http://maps.latimes.com/neighborhoods/region/antelope-valley/)

I have chosen to discuss the Antelope Valley (AV) in this blog because I was born and raised in the city of Palmdale, where I continue to live. This area has a very distinctive physical geography because it is a high-desert region, with broiling hot summers, freezing winters, and (my favorite part of the AV) extremely strong winds! We are also known for being located directly on the San Andreas Fault. I have chosen perhaps the most distinctive icon of the Antelope Valley for the background of this blog - the beautiful Joshua Trees. It is intersting to note that the Joshua Trees are native to only two areas in the world - Israel and the California desert.
(Source: https://www.wm.com/location/california/antelope-valley/lancaster/community/history.jsp)

Because this area is my hometown, I am always interested in learning more about it, and I am looking forward to sharing information about the Antelope Valley with my classmates through this blog.