The Global City Chapter 8 The Contemporary World (Salient points) Point 1: Why study global cities? 1. Globalization is spatial because: a. It occurs in physical spaces, e.g. foreign investments, capital movement, overseas workers starting to purchase or renting high-rise condominium units. b. It is based in places, e.g., Los Angeles, where movies are made for global consumption; Tokyo (Sony HQ – where Sony coordinates global sales) – cities act on globalization and globalization acts on cities. Point 2: Global city; defined 1. According to Sociologist Saskia Sassen (1990s), the criteria for what constitutes a global city were primarily economic. 2. What are the three global cities according to her? a. New York (NYSE) (value of shares traded here reach about $19,300 B; compared to PSEi with $231 B) b. London (FTSE) c. Tokyo (Nikkei) – houses 613 corporate/company HQs as against 217 of NY, the closest competitor All of which are hubs of global finance and capitalism. They are the homes of the world’s top stock exchanges where investors buy and sell shares in major corporations. Following this premise, China’s cities like Shanghai may become part of this, being the manufacturing center of the world; same as Shanghai, the world’s busiest port. Point 3: Expansion of the criteria 1. Cultural influence may now be regarded as another factor, e.g., L.A., being the moviemaking mecca (Hollywood); San Francisco, the home of the most powerful internet companies (Facebook, Twitter, and Google). 2. “Great places to live in” – for example, Sydney, Australia which commands the greatest proportion of capital; Melbourne, regarded as the most livable city because of public transportation, cultural scene and relatively easy pace of life. Point 4: Indicators of Globality 1. 2. Economic competitiveness, e.g., market size, purchasing power of citizens, size of the middle class, and potential for growth. Based on this criteria, Singapore is considered as 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. Center of authority - based on this, Washington D.C. may also be regarded as a global city, it being the seat of American state power. (White House, Capitol Building, SCOTUS, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument; Canberra, Australia, the country’s political capital, home to the country’s top politicians, bureaucrats, and policy advisors; cities that house major international organizations such as NY (UN); Brussels (EU); Jakarta (ASEAN). These powerful political hubs can exert influence on their own countries as well as on international affairs. 3. Centers of higher learning – seen through the influence of its publishing industry (e.g., NY [NY Times], London, Paris); Education/academic sector – Boston (Harvard). 4. Centers of culture – L.A. (US film industry); Copenhagen (culinary); Manchester (Musicpost-punk and new wave bands); Singapore – top TV stations and news organizations. Today, global cities become culturally diverse. (e.g. food – Singapore ; Tokyo and Berlin (Turkish). Point 5: Challenges of Global Cities 1. They can be sites of great inequality and poverty. Cities can be sustainable because of their density. Ecologists have found that by concentrating their populations in smaller areas, cities and metros decrease human encroachment on natural habitats. Denser settlement patterns yield energy savings. (e.g., apartment buildings are more efficient to heat and cool than detached suburban houses). In cities with extensive public transportation systems, people tend to drive less and thereby cut carbon emissions. Not all cities, however, are as dense as New York or Tokyo. Some cities like L.A. are urban sprawls, with massive freeways that force residents to spend money on cars and gas. And while cities like Manila, Bangkok, and Mumbai are dense, their lack of public transportation and their governments’ inability to regulate their car industries have made them extremely polluted. 2. They can be sites of tremendous violence. The major terror attacks of recent years have also targeted cities. Cities, especially those with global influence, are obvious targets for terrorists due to their high populations and their role as symbols of globalization that may terrorists despise. The same attributes that make them attractive to workers and migrants make them sites of potential terrorist violence. (e.g., 9/11 attacks) Point 6: The Global City and the Poor Economic globalization has paved the way for massive inequality. Poorer segments of the society are being forced to move farther away from the economic centers of their cities. As a city attracts more capital and richer residents, real estate prices go up and poor residents are forced to relocate to far away but cheaper areas.
