A
merger or
amalgamation in a political or administrative sense is the combination of two or more political or administrative entities such as
municipalitiesA municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a city, town, or village, or a small grouping of them. A municipality is typically governed by a mayor and a city council or municipal council.The notion of municipality...
(in other words
citiesA city is a relatively large and permanent settlement, particularly a large urban settlement. Although there is no agreement on technical definitions distinguishing a city from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status...
,
townA town is a type of settlement ranging from a few hundred to several thousand inhabitants, although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan areas; the precise meaning varies between countries and is not always a matter of legal definition...
s, etc.),
countiesA county is a land area of local government within a country. A county may have cities and towns within its area. Originally, in continental Europe, a county was the land under the jurisdiction of a count .Counts are called earls in post-Celtic Britain, Ireland and France—the term is from Old...
,
districtDistricts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
s, etc. into a single entity. This term is used when the process occurs within a sovereign entity. In United States politics, such an entity may be called a
consolidated city-countyIn American local government, a consolidated city–county is a city and county that have been merged into one unified jurisdiction. As such, it is simultaneously a city, which is a municipal corporation; and a county, which is an administrative division of a state...
. Unbalanced growth or outward expansion of one neighbor may necessitate an administrative decision to merge (see
urban sprawlUrban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs over rural land and to its outskirts. The problem of urban sprawl is that it is costly to initiate the development of new infrastructure adequate enough to support its residents...
).
A
merger or
amalgamation in a political or administrative sense is the combination of two or more political or administrative entities such as
municipalitiesA municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a city, town, or village, or a small grouping of them. A municipality is typically governed by a mayor and a city council or municipal council.The notion of municipality...
(in other words
citiesA city is a relatively large and permanent settlement, particularly a large urban settlement. Although there is no agreement on technical definitions distinguishing a city from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status...
,
townA town is a type of settlement ranging from a few hundred to several thousand inhabitants, although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan areas; the precise meaning varies between countries and is not always a matter of legal definition...
s, etc.),
countiesA county is a land area of local government within a country. A county may have cities and towns within its area. Originally, in continental Europe, a county was the land under the jurisdiction of a count .Counts are called earls in post-Celtic Britain, Ireland and France—the term is from Old...
,
districtDistricts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
s, etc. into a single entity. This term is used when the process occurs within a sovereign entity. In United States politics, such an entity may be called a
consolidated city-countyIn American local government, a consolidated city–county is a city and county that have been merged into one unified jurisdiction. As such, it is simultaneously a city, which is a municipal corporation; and a county, which is an administrative division of a state...
. Unbalanced growth or outward expansion of one neighbor may necessitate an administrative decision to merge (see
urban sprawlUrban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs over rural land and to its outskirts. The problem of urban sprawl is that it is costly to initiate the development of new infrastructure adequate enough to support its residents...
). In some cases, common perception of continuity may be a factor in prompting such a process (see
conurbationA conurbation is an urban area or agglomeration comprising a number of cities, large towns and larger urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
). Some cities (see below) that have gone though amalgamation or a similar process had several administrative sub-divisions or jurisdictions, each with a separate
person in charge"Mayor" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government....
.
AnnexationAnnexation is the legal incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities...
is similar to amalgamation, but differs in being applied mainly to two cases:
- The units joined are sovereign entities before the process, as opposed to being units of a single political entity.
- A city's boundaries are expanded by adding territories not already incoporated as cities or villages.
Notable municipal mergers
Over the years political parties have taken aim at cities as part of a larger political agenda. Often the abolishment of a level of government results in the growth of another level - negating the original purpose of the merger. Some of the more politically charged transformations of city governments have been led by conservative parties, as to target the usually more liberal voting urban regions.
Some of the more notable amalgamations are noted below:
- Within Canada
Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
:
- Metro Toronto - Eliminated by the Mike Harris
Michael Deane Harris was the twenty-second Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002...
government as part of the reform package entitled 'Common Sense RevolutionThe phrase Common Sense Revolution has been used as a political slogan to describe common sense conservative platforms in Australia and the U.S. state of New Jersey in the 1990s. Based on the Singapore Model of economics, its main goal is to reduce taxes while balancing the budget by reducing the...
', to create the new city of TorontoToronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America...
.
- City of Ottawa
The City of Ottawa is the corporate entity of municipal government in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The corporation is responsible for provision of services to the public as well as enforcement of municipal by-laws...
- In 2001, the municipalities of Cumberland, OsgoodeOsgoode Township is currently a part of the city of Ottawa, Canada. For many years, it was an independent township in Carleton County but was amalgamated with the city in 2001. It encompassed the same area that is now Osgoode Ward. The township along the Rideau River was established in 1798 and...
, RideauRideau is an historic township in eastern Ontario, Canada. It is located in the rural parts of the City of Ottawa, in the extreme south. Its eastern boundary is the Rideau River, its namesake....
, GoulbournGoulbourn Township, Ontario was formed in 1818, roughly 20 km southwest of downtown Ottawa, with the first major settlement occurring in Richmond. Other communities in the township include Stittsville, Munster, and Ashton. Stittsville is the largest community in the township, owing in part to its...
, West CarletonWest Carleton is a historic township in eastern Ontario, Canada. It is located in the rural parts of the new City of Ottawa, west of Kanata. Its northern boundary is the Ottawa River....
, NepeanNepean was a city / local municipality adjacent to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada until it was amalgamated with the 10 other municipalities that formed the Regional Municipality of Ottawa Carleton in 2001 to become the new city of Ottawa. However, the name Nepean continues in common usage in reference...
, KanataKanata is a large suburban area in the western part of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, it has a population of 100,200 and is growing rapidly. It was once one of the fastest growing cities in the Nation, and the fastest growing community in Southern Ontario. It is located just to the west of the Greenbelt...
, GloucesterGloucester was a city in eastern Ontario, Canada, on the Ottawa River and is now a suburb of and within the City of Ottawa. Gloucester Township was established in 1792 and originally included lands east of the Rideau River from the Ottawa River south to Manotick. It was incorporated as a township...
, VanierOttawa's Vanier neighbourhood is a former municipality that ceased to exist in 2001 by becoming part of the city of Ottawa, Ontario. It is most notable for its large francophone population, and has 15,726 residents today ....
and Rockcliffe ParkRockcliffe Park is the wealthiest neighbourhood in Ottawa, Ontario, and is one of the most prosperous enclaves in Canada. From 1926 until 2001 it was an independent village, but was amalgamated with the rest of the city that year after much controversy. , Rockcliffe Park had a population of...
became part of OttawaOttawa is the capital of Canada and a municipality within the Province of Ontario. Located in the Ottawa Valley in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario, the city lies on the southern banks of the Ottawa River, a major waterway forming the local boundary between the Provinces of Ontario and...
.
- City of Thunder Bay - In 1970, the two cities of Fort William
Fort William may refer to placesIn Canada:*Fort William, Ontario, a Canadian city which, together with Port Arthur, became part of Thunder Bay in 1970**Fort William , a related Canadian federal electoral district...
and Port ArthurPort Arthur may refer to:* Port Arthur, Tasmania , the site of a historic convict settlement* Port Arthur, Texas a city in the * Port Arthur, Ontario , a former city, now a part of Thunder Bay...
, including the townships of Neebing and McIntyre, were combined to become the city of Thunder Bay in North Western Ontario.
- City of Hamilton
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
- In 2001, the former City of Stoney CreekStoney Creek is a community in Ontario, Canada.Note: This article will only deal with matters up to its amalgamation with Hamilton.-Geography and population:...
and the former towns of AncasterAncaster is generally considered to be a typical upscale post World War II suburb of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada located on the Niagara escarpment. It has however had an eventful gristmill, agricultural, military and social history in its more than 200 years of existence...
, DundasDundas, Ontario, Canada held a town charter between 1848 and 2001. Its nickname is the Valley Town. It is now part of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada....
, FlamboroughFlamborough is a former town near and current community in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada....
and Glanbrook merged with the old city of Hamilton to create the new City of Hamilton.
- City of Winnipeg - in 1971, the municipalities of Transcona, St. Boniface, St. Vital, West Kildonan
West Kildonan is a residential suburb of Winnipeg, Manitoba, lying on the west side of the Red River, and immediately north of the old City of Winnipeg...
, East Kildonan, Tuxedo, Old KildonanThe Rural Municipality of Old Kildonan was originally part of the Rural Municipality of Kildonan, which was formed in 1876 in Manitoba.This was part of the Red River Settlement, and originally rivalled Fort Garry in the Winnipeg area....
, North Kildonan-History:Originally there was only one large rural municipality known as Kildonan. In 1914, it was then divided into the R.M. of West Kildonan and the R.M. of East Kildonan. A petition to the provincial government led to a further division of East Kildonan....
, Fort Garry, Charleswood, and St. James were amalgamated with the Old City of Winnipeg via the City of Winnipeg ActThe City of Winnipeg Act was enacted on July 21, 1971 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The act incorporated the municipalities of Charleswood, Fort Garry, North Kildonan, Old Kildonan, Tuxedo, East Kildonan, West Kildonan, St. Vital, Transcona, St. Boniface, St. James-Assiniboia, Winnipeg and the...
.
- Many municipal mergers in the province of Quebec, brought upon in 2002 by the Parti Québécois
The Parti Québécois is a left-wing political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Québec and secession from Canada. It is a social democratic party and has traditionally had support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social democratic parties, its ties with the...
government, including:
- Ville de Montréal
Montreal is the second-largest city in Canada and the largest city in the province of Quebec. Originally called Ville-Marie , the city takes its present name from Mont-Royal, the triple-peaked hill located in the heart of the city, whose name was also initially given to the island on which the...
- In the Montreal MergerAs with other large world cities like Greater New York City and large national cities like Toronto the legal geographic boundaries of Montreal has been Reorganized to incorporate adjacent communities which are integral to its social and economic life...
on January 1, 2002, the Parti QuébécoisThe Parti Québécois is a left-wing political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Québec and secession from Canada. It is a social democratic party and has traditionally had support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social democratic parties, its ties with the...
merged all municipalities on the Island of MontrealThe Island of Montreal , in extreme southwestern Quebec, Canada, is located at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. It is separated from Île Jésus by the Rivière des Prairies ....
into the city of Montreal. On January 1, 2006, the Quebec Liberal Party granted some of the merged municipalities a return to city status when more than half the population supported a de-merger.
- In 1996, the City of Halifax, City of Dartmouth, Town of Bedford, and Halifax County combined to form the Halifax Regional Municipality
- United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
- City of Greater New York
The City of Greater New York was a term commonly used originally to refer to the expanded city created on January 1, 1898 by the incorporation into the city of Richmond County, Kings County, the western part of Queens County, and the eastern part of what is now called The Bronx...
- Unigov
Unigov is the name adopted by the city of Indianapolis to describe its consolidated city-county government, adopted in 1970 by act of the Indiana state legislature.- Background :...
See also
- Agglomeration
In the study of human settlements, an agglomeration is an extended city or town area comprising the built-up area of a central place and any suburbs linked by continuous urban area. In France, INSEE the French Statistical Institute, translate it as "Unité urbaine" which means continuous urbanized...
- Combined statistical area
The United States Office of Management and Budget defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties...
- Conurbation
A conurbation is an urban area or agglomeration comprising a number of cities, large towns and larger urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
- Ecumenopolis
Ecumenopolis is a word invented in 1967 by the Greek city planner Constantinos Doxiadis to represent the idea that in the future urban areas and megalopolises would eventually fuse and there would be a single continuous worldwide city as a...
- Ekistics
The term Ekistics applies to the science of human settlements. It includes regional, city, community planning and dwelling design...
- Double placenames
- Independent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity.Independent cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other nation-state.-United States:In the United States, an independent city...
, the opposite of a consolidated city-countyIn American local government, a consolidated city–county is a city and county that have been merged into one unified jurisdiction. As such, it is simultaneously a city, which is a municipal corporation; and a county, which is an administrative division of a state...
- City-State
A city-state is an independent republican country whose territory consists of a city which is not administered as part of another local government....
- Megalopolis (term)
A megalopolis is defined as an extensive metropolitan area or a long chain of roughly continuous metropolitan areas. The term was used by Lewis Mumford in his 1938 book, The Culture of Cities, which described it as the first stage in urban overdevelopment and social decline...
- Megacity
A megacity is usually defined as a metropolitan area with a total population in excess of 10 million people. Some definitions also set a minimum level for population density...
- Metropolitan area
A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence, or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central cities and their zone of influence...
- Metroplex
A metroplex is large metropolitan area containing several cities and their suburbs. It is also sometimes used as an alternative to metropolis or megalopolis, which is a chain of continuous metropolitan areas. The term was coined for, and is still commonly used to describe, the Dallas/Fort Worth...
- Metropolis
A metropolis is a big city, in most cases with over half a million inhabitants in the city proper, and with a population of at least one million living in its urban agglomeration. Big cities belonging to a larger urban agglomeration, but which are not the core of that agglomeration, are not...