A global city (also called world city or sometimes alpha city) is a city deemed to be an important node point in the global economic system. The concept comes from geography and urban studies and rests on the idea that globalization can be understood as largely created, facilitated and enacted in strategic geographic locales according to a hierarchy of importance to the operation of the global system of finance and trade. The most complex of these entities is the "global city," whereby the linkages binding a city have a direct and tangible effect on global affairs through socio-economic means. [Sassen, Saskia - ] The terminology of "global city", as opposed to megacity, is thought to have been first coined by Saskia Sassen in reference to London, New York and Tokyo in her 1991 work The Global City, though the term "world city" to describe cities which control a disproportionate amount of global business dates to at least Patrick Geddes' use of the term in 1915. [ Doel,M. & Hubbard, P., (2002), "Taking World Cities Literally: Marketing the City in a Global Space of flows",City, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 351-368. Subscription required ] CriteriaGlobal City or world city status is seen as beneficial, and because of this many groups have tried to classify and rank which cities are seen as 'world cities' or 'non-world cities'. Although there is a consensus upon leading world cities, [, GaWC, Loughborough University, 28 July 1999] the criteria upon which a classification is made can affect which other cities are included. The criteria for identification tend either to be based on a "yardstick value" ("e.g. if the producer-service sector is the largest sector, then city X is a world city") or on an "imminent determination" ("if the producer-service sector of city X is greater than the producer-service sector of N other cities, then city X is a world city"). Economic characteristics - Significant financial capacity/output: city/regional GDP
Political characteristics - Active influence on and participation in international events and world affairs; for example, Washington, Berlin, Brussels are major capitals of influential nations or unions.
- Quality of life standards or city development
Cultural characteristics - International, first-name familiarity; whereby a city is recognized without the need for a political subdivision. For example, although there are numerous cities and other political entities with the name Paris or variations on it, one would say "Paris", not "Paris, France".
- Renowned cultural institutions (often with high endowments), such as notable museums and galleries, notable opera, Orchestras, notable film centres and theatre centres. A lively cultural scene, including film festivals (such as the Berlinale), premieres, a thriving music scene, nightlife, an opera company, art galleries, and street performers, annual parades.
- Educational institutions; e.g., universities, international student attendance, research facilities
- City as site or subject in Arts and Media, TV, Film, Video Games, Music, Literature, Magazines, Articles, Documentary
- City as an often repeated historic reference, showcase, or symbolic actions
Infrastructural characteristics - Health facilities; e.g. hospitals, medical laboratories
- Prominent skylines/skyscrapers
StudiesGaWC studies Alfa (Alpha) World Cities 2008 One of the first attempts to define, categorize, and rank global cities was made in 1998 by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network (GaWC) based at the geography department of Loughborough University, United Kingdom. The roster was outlined in the GaWC Research Bulletin 5 and ranked cities based on their provision of "advanced producer services" such as accountancy, advertising, finance, and law. The GaWC inventory identifies three levels of global cities and several sub-ranks. This roster generally denotes cities in which there are offices of certain multinational corporations providing financial and consulting services rather than denoting other cultural, political, and economic centres. Another attempt to redefine and re-categorise leading global cities was made by GaWC in 2004. This new roster acknowledged several new indicators but still ranked economics ahead of political or cultural importance. The GaWC in 2008 re-published their roster of leading world cities. This roster, similar to the 1998 version is sorted through categories of "Alpha" world cities (four categories), "Beta" world cities (three categories), "Gamma" world cities (three categories), and cities with "High sufficiency" and "Sufficiency" world cities presence. The GaWC's latest roster of leading Alpha, Beta and Gamma World Cities is reproduced below; see the source for the complete roster: Alpha World Cities ++: Alpha World Cities +: Alpha World Cities: Alpha World Cities -: * Warsaw, Jakarta, São Paulo, Zurich, Mexico City, Dublin, Amsterdam, Bangkok, Taipei, Rome, Istanbul, Lisbon, Chicago, Frankfurt, Stockholm, Vienna, Budapest, Athens, Prague, Caracas, Auckland, Santiago: * Melbourne, Barcelona, Los Angeles, Johannesburg, Manila, Bogota, New Delhi, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Tel Aviv, Bucharest, San Francisco, Helsinki, Berlin, Dubai, Oslo, Geneva, Riyadh, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Cairo: Beta World Cities -: * Sofia, Dusseldorf, Houston, Beirut, Guangzhou, Nicosia, Karachi, Montevideo, Rio De Janeiro, Nairobi, Bratislava, Montreal, Ho Chi Minh City: * Panama City, Casablanca, Chennai, Brisbane, Quito, Stuttgart, Denver, Vancouver, Zagreb, Guatemala City, Cape Town, San Jose, Ljubljana, Minneapolis, Santo Domingo, Seattle, Manama, Shenzhen: * Guadalajara, Antwerp, Rotterdam, Lagos, Philadelphia, Perth, Amman, Manchester, Riga, Detroit, Guayaquil, Wellington, Portland: * Edinburgh, Porto, Tallinn, San Salvador, St. Petersburg, Port Louis, San Diego, Calgary, Almaty, Birmingham, Islamabad, Doha, Vilnius, ColomboGlobal Cities IndexIn October 2008, the American journal Foreign Policy, in conjunction with consulting firm A. T. Kearney and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, published a ranking of global cities, based on consultation with Saskia Sassen, Witold Rybczynski, and others. Foreign Policy noted that "the world’s biggest, most interconnected cities help set global agendas, weather transnational dangers, and serve as the hubs of global integration. They are the engines of growth for their countries and the gateways to the resources of their regions." The rankings are based on the evaluation of 24 metrics in five areas: business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural experience, and political engagement. The top thirty of the 60 cities ranked were: Global Power City IndexThe Institute for Urban Strategies at The Mori Memorial Foundation in Tokyo, Japan issued a comprehensive study of 35 global cities in October 2009. The ranking is based on six overall categories, "Economy," "Research & Development," "Cultural Interaction," "Livability," "Ecology & Natural Environment," and "Accessibility," with 69 individual indicators among them. This Japanese ranking also breaks down top ten world cities ranked in subjective categories such as "manager, researcher, artist, visitor and resident." Following positions and scores: 21. Shanghai (224.1), 22. Chicago (221.1), 23. Vancouver (219.1), 24. San Francisco (218.1), 25. Osaka (215.1), 26. Beijing (211.4), 27. Kuala Lumpur (204.1), 28. Milan (203.5), 29. Bangkok (199.1), 30. Fukuoka (196.5), 31. Taipei (195.9), 32. Moscow (179.5), 33. Sao Paulo (177.7), 34. Mumbai (165.5), 35. Cairo (132.2) StatisticsSee also |
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