Global Cities: Understanding Globalization and Urban Centers

GLOBAL CITY  LEARNING OUTCOMES At the end of the lesson, you should be able to: a. Explain why globalization is a spatial phenomenon; b. Identify the attributes of a global city; and c. Analyze how cities serve as engines of globalization. Question If you...

GLOBAL CITY  LEARNING OUTCOMES At the end of the lesson, you should be able to: a. Explain why globalization is a spatial phenomenon; b. Identify the attributes of a global city; and c. Analyze how cities serve as engines of globalization. Question If you had the chance, would you move to New York? Tokyo? How about Seoul? Why? Global City Sociologist Saskia Sassen popularized the term “global city” in 1990’s She initially identifies three global cities: New York, London and Tokyo. New York has the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), London has the Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE), and Tokyo has the Nikkei  Global City Recent commentators have expanded the criteria that Sassen used to determine what constitutes a global city. Movie-making Mecca Los Angeles can now rival the Big Apple’s cultural influence. San Francisco must now factor in as another global city because it is the home of the most powerful internet companies – Facebook, Twitter and Google. The growth of Chinese economy has turned cities like Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou into centers of trade and finance. Indicators of Globality The foremost characteristic of a global city is economic power. Economic power largely determines which cities are global. Economic opportunities in a global city make it attractive to talents from across the world. Indicators of Globality To measure the economic competitiveness of a city, the Economist Intelligence Unit, has added other criteria like market size, purchasing power of citizens, size of the middle class, and potential for growth. The “tiny” Singapore is considered as Asia’s most competitive city because of it’s strong market, efficient and incorruptible government, and livability. Indicators of Globality Global cities are also centers of authority. Washington D.C. may not be wealthy as New York, but it is the seat of American state power. Indicators of Globality Compared with Sydney and Melbourne, Canberra is a sleepy town and not attractive to tourist. But as Australia’s political capital, it is home to the country’s top politicians, bureaucrats, and policy advisors. Indicators of Globality The cities that house major international organizations may also be considered centers of political influence. United Nation headquarters - New York European Union headquarters - Brussels ASEAN headquarters -Jakarta European Central Bank - Frankfurt Global cities are centers of higher learning and culture. A city’s intellectual influence is seen through the influence of its publishing industry.  Indicators of Globality Centers of Higher Learning and Culture  Indicators of Globality Los Angeles – the center of the American film industry Copenhagen, Denmark – is now considered as one of the culinary capitals of the world, with its top restaurants incommensurate with its size. Manchester, England – many prominent post-punk and new wave bands- Joy Division, the Smiths, and the Happy Mondays – hailed from this city. Indicators of Globality Singapore houses some of the region’s top television stations and news organizations (MTV Southeast Asia and Channel News Asia) Its various art galleries and cinemas also show paintings from artists and film makers from Philippine and Thailand.  Today, global cities became culturally diverse. But Singapore is, because it has foreign population of 38% Manila is not very global because of the dearth of foreign residents HOW DO CITIES SERVE AS ENGINES OF GLOBALIZATION? Ø They are social magnets, growing faster and faster. Ø In the current generation, urban life has become the dominant form of human life throughout the world. Ø Cities are engines of economic growth Thank You