THE GLOBAL CITY

Objectives:

At the end of the discussion, the student should be able to,

1. Define global city

2. Identify the characteristics of a global city

3. Analyze how cities serve as engines of globalization

Introduction:

 Greig Charnock

Global city, an urban centre that enjoys significant competitive advantages and
that serves as a hub within a globalized economic system. The term has its origins in
research on cities carried out during the 1980s, which examined the common
characteristics of the world’s most important cities. However, with increased attention
being paid to processes of globalization during subsequent years, these world cities came
to be known as global cities. Linked with globalization was the idea of spatial
reorganization and the hypothesis that cities were becoming key loci within global
networks of production, finance, and telecommunications. In some formulations of the
global city thesis, then, such cities are seen as the building blocks of globalization.
Simultaneously, these cities were becoming newly privileged sites of local politics within
the context of a broader project to reconfigure state institutions.
Early research on global cities concentrated on key urban centres such as London, New
York City, and Tokyo. With time, however, research has been completed on emerging
global cities outside of this triad, such as Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Houston, Los
Angeles, Mexico City, Paris, São Paulo, Sydney, and Zürich. Such cities are said to knit
together to form a global city network serving the requirements of transnational capital
across broad swathes of territory.
Inputs:

Lesson 1: What is global city-(ARGIE P. BRONDA)

A city that plays a significant role in the global economic system is called a global
city. To be considered a global city, an urban centre must prove it enjoys a significant
global advantage over other cities and serves as a hub within the world economic system.
Amsterdam, Houston, Mexico City, Paris, São Paulo and Zurich have all grown to be
global cities.

Lesson 2: Characteristics of Global City- (KRISTINE L. CAMDAN)

Although criteria are variable and fluid, typical characteristics of world cities are:

 International, first-name familiarity; whereby a city is recognised 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".
 Active influence and participation in international events and world affairs; for
example, New York City is home to the United Nations headquarters complex and
consequently contains a vast majority of the permanent missions to the UN.
 A fairly large population (the centre of a metropolitan area with a population of at least
one million, typically several million).
 A major international airport (for example, London Heathrow Airport) that serves as
an established hub for several international airlines.
 An advanced transportation system that includes several freeways and/or a
large mass transit network offering multiple modes of transportation (rapid transit, light
rail, regional rail, ferry, or bus).
 In the West, several international cultures and communities (such as a Chinatown,
a Little Italy, or other immigrant communities). In other parts of the world, cities which
attract large foreign businesses and related expatriate communities; for
 example, Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Moscow.
 International financial institutions, law firms, corporate headquarters
(especially conglomerates), and stock exchanges (for example the London Stock
Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange or the Tokyo Stock Exchange) that have
influence over the world economy.
 An advanced communications infrastructure on which modern trans-national
corporations rely, such as fiberoptics, Wi-Fi networks, cellular phone services, and
other high-speed lines of communications.
 World-renowned cultural institutions, such as museums and universities.

Lesson 3: Cities are the engines of globalization- (JHONG JHONG CARDO)

They are social magnets, growing faster and faster. ... The social magnetism of
these urban areas is generating larger and denser metropolitan communities to the point
where they are joining together to become regional conurbations. In 1900 5% of world
population was urban.

To some, London, New York City, Paris, and Tokyo have been traditionally
considered the 'big four' world cities – not coincidentally, they also serve as symbols of
global capitalism. However, many people have their own personal lists, and any two lists
are likely to differ based on cultural background, values, and experience.

In certain countries, the rise of suburbia and the ongoing migration

of manufacturing jobs to these countries has led to significant urban decay. Therefore, to
boost urban regeneration, tourism, and revenue, the goal of building a "world-class" city
has recently become an obsession with the governments of some mid-size cities and their
constituents.

 The phenomenon of world-city building has also been observed

in, Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Moscow.
 International financial institutions, law firms, corporate headquarters
(especially conglomerates), and stock exchanges (for example the London Stock
 Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange or the Tokyo Stock Exchange) that have
influence over the world economy.
 An advanced communications infrastructure on which modern trans-national
corporations rely, such as fiberoptics, Wi-Fi networks, cellular phone services, and
other high-speed lines of communications.
 World-renowned cultural institutions, such as museums and universities.

Lesson 4: Categories of Global City- (JOY CARCILLAR)

GaWC Inventory of World Cities (1999 Edition)

An attempt to define and categories world cities was made in 1999 by the
Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network (GaWC), based primarily
at Loughborough University in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. The roster was
outlined in the GaWC Research Bulletin 5 and ranked cities based on provision of
"advanced producer services" such as accountancy, advertising, finance and law, by
international corporations. The GaWC inventory identifies three levels of world cities and
several sub-ranks.

Note that this roster generally denotes cities in which there are offices of certain
multinational companies providing financial and consulting services rather than other
cultural, political, and economic Centre’s. There is a schematic map of GaWC cities at
their website.

Alpha world cities (full service world cities)

 12 points: London, New York, Paris, Tokyo

 10 points: Chicago, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Milan, Singapore
 Refer to Official GaWC List.
Beta world cities (major world cities)

 9 points: San Francisco, Sydney, Toronto, Zürich

 8 points: Brussels, Madrid, Mexico City, São Paulo
 7 points: Moscow, Seoul
Gamma world cities (minor world cities)

 6
points: Amsterdam, Boston, Caracas, Dallas, Düsseldorf, Geneva, Houston, Jakarta,
Johannesburg, Melbourne, Osaka, Prague, Santiago, Taipei, Washington
 5 points: Bangkok, Beijing, Montreal, Rome, Stockholm, Warsaw
 4 points: Atlanta, Barcelona, Berlin, Budapest, Buenos
Aires, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Istanbul, Kuala
Lumpur, Manila, Miami, Minneapolis, Munich, Shanghai

Output:

Academic games (Scrambled Word, Group Activity)

Academic games (Crumpled Paper, Individual Activity)

References:

(Kiprop, Victor. "What Is A Global City?" WorldAtlas, Oct. 5, 2017,

worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-a-global-city.html.)

(https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/g/Global_city.htm)
 THE

CONTEMPORARY

WORLD
SUBMITTED BY:

Argie P.Bronda

Jong-jong Cardo

Kristine L. Camdan

Joy Carcillar

BEED 1-C

SUBMITTED TO:

Mrs. Gemena Billano

Facilitator