Global Cities Overview

Global Cities

• Global cities serve as primary nodes in the global economic network
• Three key global city tendencies:
  • Concentration of wealth with owners, partners, and professionals
  • Growing disconnection between the city and its surrounding region
  • Emergence of a large marginalized population struggling to earn a living in the high-end market
• Characteristics of a Global City:
  • International financial services, including finance, insurance, real estate, banking, accounting, and marketing
  • Headquarters of several multinational corporations
  • Significant decision-making power at the global level
  • Dominance over the trade and economy of a large area
  • Major manufacturing centers with port and container facilities
  • Presence of financial headquarters, a stock exchange, and major financial institutions
  • Center of new ideas and innovation in business, economic culture, and politics
  • Centers of media and communications for global networks
  • Dominance of the national region with great international significance
  • High percentage of residents employed in the service and information sectors
  • High-quality educational institutions, renowned universities, international student attendance, and research facilities
  • Multifunctional infrastructure with legal, medical, and entertainment facilities
  • High diversity in language, culture, religion, and ideologies

The Rise of Global Cities

• Linked to:
  • Expansion of transnational corporations (TNCs) in global production patterns
  • Decline of mass production and rise of flexible production centered in urban areas

Criticisms of Global Cities

• Global cities focus on their reach to other global cities while neglecting cities within their own nations.

Global Demography

• The study of worldwide population trends. Provides a comparison between different nations and regions, and to the global average.

Demographics

• Statistical data of a population, including average age, income, education, race, and sex.
• Used by governments, corporations, and non-government organizations for policy development, economic market research, and understanding population characteristics

Demographic Transition Model

• Stages:
  • Pre-Transition (Stage 1): High birth rates and high fluctuating death rates
  • Early Transition (Stage 2): Death rates fall while birth rates remain high, resulting in rapid population growth
  • Late Transition (Stage 3): Birth rates start to decline, slowing population growth
  • Post-Transition (Stage 4): Low birth rates and low death rates, leading to negligible or declining population growth.

Limitations of the Demographic Transition Model

• It does not account for the impact of other demographic variables such as migration, age, household, employment, and income
• It does not specify how long a country will remain in each stage of transition.

Global Migration

• The movement of people to live permanently in foreign countries, often driven by economic opportunities.
• Global migration is often from developing countries to developed countries.
• There is a complex relationship between causes and effects of migration.

Types of Migration

• International Migration: Movement from one country to another
• Internal Migration: Movement within the same country
• Immigrants: Individuals who have permanently moved to another country
• Contract Migrants: Individuals who stay in a country for a fixed period
• Illegal Migrants: Individuals who have migrated in violation of immigration laws
• Petitioned Migrants: Migrants who have been petitioned by family members in their destination country
• Refugees: Individuals who have fled war, violence, persecution, or conflict and crossed international borders for safety

Reasons for Migration

• Political: Migrants may leave due to political violence or threats, seeking a safe environment.
• Economic: Migrants may be driven by unemployment or lack of development in their home country, seeking better economic opportunities.
• Cultural: Migrants may leave due to cultural diversity, religious conflict, racial discrimination, or seeking countries with democratic values.
• Social: Migration may be driven by family conflict, a desire for independence, or relocation to a partner's home country, seeking locations with better facilities, infrastructure, and services.

Push and Pull Factors

• Push Factors: Drive migrants away from their home location
• Pull Factors: Attract migrants to their destination location

Impacts of Migration

• Environmental: Migration can affect both the place of origin and the place of destination, leading to settlement issues, overexploitation of resources, and pollution.
• Economic: Migration can lead to a loss of economically active individuals in the place of origin.
• Health and Social: Places of destination may face challenges in providing sufficient facilities and resources for both native residents and migrants.

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW)

• Filipinos who live outside the Philippines, either permanently as citizens or residents, or temporarily for work or education.