Global Cities Quiz

Global Cities: Key Characteristics and Rankings

• Global cities serve as primary nodes in the global economic network, with varying degrees of influence over finance, trade, and culture worldwide.
• Criteria for global cities include high urban development, large population, major multinational companies, globalized financial sector, well-developed transportation infrastructure, local or national economic dominance, high-quality educational and research institutions, and globally influential output.
• The most prominent global cities include New York City, London, Paris, and Tokyo.
• The term "global city" was popularized by sociologist Saskia Sassen in her 1991 book, The Global City: New York, London, Tokyo.
• Global city rankings are numerous, with one study suggesting as many as 300 global cities worldwide.
• The Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) identifies three levels of global cities and several sub-ranks based on connectivity through four "advanced producer services": accountancy, advertising, banking/finance, and law.
• The Global Cities Index ranks cities based on 27 metrics across five dimensions: business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural experience, and political engagement.
• The Global City Competitiveness Index ranks cities according to their demonstrated ability to attract capital, businesses, talent, and visitors.
• The Global Giants classification includes wealthy, extremely large metropolitan areas that are hubs for financial markets and major corporations.
• The Global Top 500 Cities report ranks cities by brand value.
• The Global Economic Power Index reflects three dimensions of economic power, and the Global Financial Centres Index ranks cities according to their strength as a financial center.
• The Global Power City Index ranks cities in six categories: economy, research and development, cultural interaction, livability, environment, and accessibility.
• The Wealth Report includes a Global Cities Survey, evaluating which cities are considered the most important to the world's high-net-worth individuals.