Lesson 9: The Global City

Lesson 9: THE GLOBAL CITY  Intended Learning Outcomes At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to: At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:  Gain a fuller and a more solid understanding about the concept of Global City and the other ideas associated w...

Lesson 9: THE GLOBAL CITY  Intended Learning Outcomes At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to: At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:  Gain a fuller and a more solid understanding about the concept of Global City and the other ideas associated with it;  Be able to analyze the importance and significance of the Global City in the realm of economic, political, and socio- cultural dimensions of the contemporary global setting;  Be able to correlate the Concept of the Global City within the greater contract of Globalization;  Equip students with 21st century learning and develop higher order of thinking skills that will lead towards a deeper understanding of the subject matter and correlate the topic in the Philippines.  Introduction In the contemporary world, the concept of the global city has emerged as a significant phenomenon that encapsulates the interconnectedness of economies, cultures, and societies. A global city can be defined as a metropolis that serves as a hub for international business, finance, and cultural exchange. This essay explores the multifaceted nature of global cities, highlighting their economic importance, cultural diversity, and the challenges they face in maintaining their global status. Global cities are key nodes in the global economic system, serving as centers of finance, commerce, culture, and innovation. They play a crucial role in facilitating international trade, attracting foreign investment, and hosting major corporations and institutions. These cities are often characterized by their cosmopolitan nature, multicultural population, and connectivity to the global network of cities.  What is a Global City A global city, also known as a world city or known by other terminologies as “alpha city” or world center is a city regarded as a primary node in the global economic network. a global metropolis, is a major urban center that plays a central role in the global economic system and serves as a key node in the networks of finance, commerce, culture, and communication. Global cities are vital hubs for international trade, investment, and innovation, attracting businesses, professionals, and cultural exchange from around the world. The concept of global cities was popularized in the late 20th century by sociologist Saskia Sassen and urban studies scholar John Friedmann. They identified certain cities as having unique characteristics that set them apart as global players in the contemporary world. Some of the most well-known global cities include New York, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Paris, Dubai, and Shanghai. However, the list is continuously evolving as cities around the world compete for global prominence.  Why Study Global Cities? Globalization is spatial because: 1. It occurs in physical spaces, 2. What makes globalization move is the fact that it is based on places. Key features of global cities include Globalization as a spatial phenomenon, Happens in physical spaces – foreign investment, economic, opportunities, and human capital- move to cities. Globalization is spatial as it is based on places. Global cities are integral to globalization as it is essential to these global cities. 1. Economic Significance: Global cities are economic powerhouses, hosting headquarters of multinational corporations, major financial institutions, and global business centers. They are crucial in facilitating international trade and investment and are often centers of innovation and entrepreneurship. 2. Cultural Diversity: Global cities are melting pots of cultures, with diverse populations representing various nationalities, ethnicities, and languages. This cultural diversity contributes to their vibrancy and cosmopolitan character. Key features of global cities include 3. Connectivity and Transportation: Global cities have excellent transportation infrastructure, including international airports, extensive public transit systems, and efficient logistics networks. They are well-connected to other cities and regions, allowing for the easy movement of people, goods, and information. 4. Knowledge and Education: Global cities are home to prestigious universities, research institutions, and think tanks. They attract scholars, students, and professionals from all over the world, fostering intellectual exchange and cutting-edge research. 5. Tourism and Hospitality: Global cities often draw a large number of tourists due to their cultural attractions, landmarks, entertainment options, and world-class hospitality services. Key features of global cities include 6. Financial Centers: Many global cities are prominent financial centers, hosting stock exchanges, investment banks, and financial services firms. They are critical in the global flow of capital and financial transactions. 7. Cultural and Creative Industries: Global cities are hubs for the arts, entertainment, media, and creative industries. They showcase a rich cultural scene and are centers for the production and dissemination of creative content. 8. Influence on Global Affairs: Global cities often have a significant impact on global affairs, as they play host to international organizations, diplomatic missions, and major global summits.  Indicators for Globality 1. Economic Power  For example New York may have the largest stock market in the world, but Tokyo houses the most number of corporate headquarters (613 company headquarters as against 217 in New York). Shanghai may have a smaller stock compared to New York and Tokyo, but it has the World’s busiest container port, moving over 33 million container units in 2013. 2. Economic opportunities in a global city make it attractive to talents from across the world London remains a preferred destination for many Filipinos with nursing degrees.  Indicators for Globality 3. 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.  Singapore is considered Asia’s most competitive city because of its strong market, efficient and incorruptible government, and livability. It also houses the regional offices of many major global corporations. 4. Global cities are also centers of authority  Washington D.C, may not be as wealthy as New York but it is the seat of American state power. Its major landmarks are the White House, the Capitol Building (Congress), Supreme Court, Lincoln Memorial, and Washington Monument.  Indicators for Globality 5. The cities that house major international organization may also be considered centers of political influence  New York headquarters of United Nations  Brussels headquarters of the European Union  Jakarta not just capital of Indonesia, but also the location of the headquarters of the ASEAN 6. Finally, global cities are centers of higher learning and culture  New York City where we can find New York Times Boston where we can visit the Harvard University Los Angeles center of American film industry  Downsides in the Global City  High housing cost  Long working hours  Competitive and precarious labor market  Long commuting times  Urban anonymity and relative social isolations  A fear of strangers and crime after dark  Residential hyper mobility  Challenges of neighborliness and multiculturalism  The Global City and the Poor The rich grow richer and the poor get poorer through the egalitarianism of exchange class division widen cities become more ghettoized as the rich seal themselves off for protection while the poor become ghettoized by default. As a city attracts more capital and richer resident, real estate prices go up and poor residents to far away but cheaper areas. This phenomenon of driving out the poor in favor of newer wealthier residents is called gentrification.  Analyzing Global Cities GaWC study GaWC stands for "Globalization and World Cities." It is a research network and academic project that studies the relationships between cities and their roles in the global economy. The term "Global Cities" refers to cities that play significant roles in the interconnected world economy, acting as major hubs for finance, commerce, culture, and information exchange. The GaWC research categorizes cities into different levels based on their integration into the global economy and the extent of their influence. The ranking system classifies cities into Alpha, Beta, and Gamma categories, with Alpha++ being the highest level of global city and Gamma- being the lowest. These rankings are determined based on various factors, including economic power, financial services, cultural influence, political clout, knowledge creation, and connectivity with other global cities. The research aims to understand the complexities of the global urban network and how these cities interact to shape the dynamics of the global economy.  Global City Index Global City Index consist of indicators and parameters used to determine and measure the categories of global cities and to what extent they function as global cities. Global Cities Index uses criteria across five dimensions: 1. Business activity – presence of headquarters, services firms, number of international conferences, value of goods through ports and airports. 2. Human capital – size of foreign-born population, quality of universities, number of international schools, international student population. 3. Information exchange – accessibility of major TV news, number of international schools, international student population. 4. Cultural experience – number of sporting events, museums, performing arts venues. 5. Political engagement – number of embassies, consulates, international organizations, political conferences.  Global Power City Index Global Power City Index evaluates and ranks the major cities of the world according to their magnetism or their comprehensive power to attract people, capital, and enterprises from around the world. In 2011, a report called “The Global Power City Index 2011” considered several functional areas: I. Economy – refers to market attractiveness, economic vitality, business environment, regulations, and risk. II. Research and development – refers to research background, readiness for accepting and supporting researches, and research achievement. III. Cultural interaction – refers to trendsetting potential, accommodation environment, dining and shopping, and volume of interaction IV. Livability – refers to working environment, cost of living, security, and safety, and life support functions  Global Power City Index V. Environment – refers to ecology, pollution, and natural environment. VI.Accessibility – refers to international transport infrastructure and inner city transportation infrastructure.  Top 10 Global Power Cities Source: 2022 GPCI 1. London 2. New York 3. Tokyo 4. Paris 5. Singapore 6. Amsterdam 7. Seoul 8. Berlin 9. Melbourne 10.Shanghai  Global City and Mobility Mobility refers to the movement of people, goods, and ideas within and between urban areas. It is a critical aspect of urban life and plays a crucial role in a city's economic development, social cohesion, and overall functionality. Mobility includes various forms of transportation, such as cars, buses, trains, bicycles, and walking, as well as the accessibility and efficiency of transportation systems. An increasing migration tendency and the desire to live in the cities bring several problems closely knit to urbanization. One of these concern is the mobility of people. By 2050, 70 percent of the people on earth will live in cities. And if current trends continue, those people are likely to face even more crowded conditions, polluted air, and overburdened infrastructures than we do today  Global City and Mobility Urbanization statistics warn us that the quality of life in many cities will be decided by the degree to which major cities can implement intelligent, sustainable transport solutions. Traffic is indeed a problem especially in highly populated cities. Traffic congestion is increasingly becoming a global issue, with drivers spending nearly 50% of their driving time in traffic in some cities around the world. The Philippines is no exception. In Manila traffic is worsening and accordingly to a study done by the Boston Consulting Group, motorist and commuters get stuck in traffic for an average of 66 minutes daily. The said study conducted in 2017 places Metro Manila 3rd worst in the South East Asian. The worsening traffic in Metro Manila now costs P3.5 billion in lost opportunities per day, highlighting the need for new and modern infrastructure to ease congestion according to a study made by Japan International  THANK YOU If globalization seeks to bring all of us together, but to do so respecting each person, each individual person's peculiarity, that globalization is good and makes us good and grow and leads to peace. Pope Francis Prepared by: Derek Verzosa MPA LPT (PhD On-going)