Le couloir Baltimore-Washington : Contribution à l'étude de l'aménagement du sud de la mégalopolis nord-américaine
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Paris 4Disciplines:
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Abstract EN:
Baltimore et vashington have very different personalities. While baltimore was prospering through trade and manufacturing (steelmaking, canneries, textiles. . . ), the dreams of economic success of washington with a canal alongside the potomac were ruined by the baltimore and ohio railroad. The capital city looked very mediocre indeed when compared to the port city. Washington woke up with the new deal and its numerous government jobs. Its suburbs grew quickly and still do today with a high rate of foreign migrants. The decline of the port of baltimore, subjected to the competition for cargo with a better situated norfolk, and the rapid growth of high-tech acticites (biotechnologies, telecommunications, software engineering) fueled by the presence of federal institutions, have reversed the relative positions of the two cities. Washington, an early laboratory of urban planning, has become a classic example of the growing importance of suburban locations for tertiary activities, alongside the main highways (beltway, interstate highway 270) and near the airports (national and dulles). The demographic decline of central cities and the abandonment of old waterfronts have led to big urban renewal programs, but economic activities tend to congregate in suburban busines centers : the "edge cities" of bethesda, tysons corner and reston are compared to other sectors of the washington or baltimore suburbs.
Abstract FR:
Baltimore et washington ont longtemps ete bien differentes. Alors que baltimore construisait sa prosperite sur le commerce et les industries (metallurgie, textile, conserves), les reves de succes economiques de washington grace au canal longeant le potomac avaient ete ruines par le chemin de fer baltinore and ohio. La capitale faisait pietre figure face au port. Washington se reveilla avec le new deal, generateur de nombreux emplois et d'un fort accroissement de la population des banlieues, qui connaissent encore une poussee demographique, renforcee par l'immigration, unique dans le ne des etats-unis. Le declin du port de baltimore, soumis a la concurrence de norforlk plus proche de l'ocean, et l'essor des technologies de pointe (biotechnologie, telecommunications. . . ), lie aux institutions federales, ont renverse le rapport de force entre les deux grandes cites. Washington, precoce laboratoire de l'amenagement urbain planifie, est devenue un exemple de l'importance croissante des localisations tertiaires en peripherie urbaine, en fonction des grands axes autorouties (rocade du beltway, autroute 270) et des aeroports (national et dulles). Le declin demographique des coeurs urbains et l'abondon des quais les plus anciens entrainent des efforts soutenus de revitalisation commerciale et residentielle, mais les activites tendent a se concentrer dans des banlieues comme bethesda, tysons corner ou reston, "edge cities" dont les carateristiques sont comparees a d'autres secteurs des banlieues de washington ou baltimore.