Spatial Disharmonies in California Population Growth

C ALIFORNIANS have long regarded the traditionally rapid growth of their population with pride and optimism. But with both the growth and the problems associated with it increasing apace, thoughts are becoming more sober. The problems of population growth in California are of special geographical interest, for most of them are closely associated with certain resultant distribution patterns. None of the patterns is peculiar to the state, but since they have developed there to a higher degree and have been coupled with a distinctive physical-and, to some extent, culturalenvironment, they have had much more serious effects than elsewhere in the country. Two of the distributional patterns are extreme concentration in a few centers and extensive urban sprawl within these centers. Another population pattern, and still the most critical, is the location of most of the people in the drier parts of the state.