GLOBAL CITIES
IN
HARMONIOUS
DEVELOPMENT
acc
o
to G rding
aW
C
Global developments have had an increasing impact on
contemporary cities, regions and territories from the societal,
economical and geographical points of view. Since 1998 the
impact of word cities into globalization has been extensively
studied by the Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) Research
Network.1
GaWC provides a geographic and economic-based overview
of the world and its evolving configuration. Particularly
relevant in this discourse is its categorization of world
cities into α, β and γ tiers2, based upon their international
connectedness.3
If the world is observed from the point of view of the
connectivity of the world cities, a new image emerges, where
each city is virtually oriented to other cities of the same level
of inter-connectivity. National or continental maps give way to
a new world configuration intended as an archipelago, where
each city appears utterly separated from its geographical
surrounding and closer to other cities of same level. The
leading parameters for the new configuration are based on
mutual connections, primarily in the global economic system.
The atlas shows the world cities according to the GaWC
categorization of 2010. From this, a new configuration
emerges, where expected national and local boundaries
are presented in their real disposition based upon their
international connectedness.
©
The world of α cities
α++ city
2012
α+ city
α city
α- city
connection with α group city
β+ city
β city
β- city
connection with β group city
γ+ city
The world of β cities
γ city
γ- city
Shape of connectivity amongst world
cities of same tier and Proportional Global
Network Connectivity (GNC) Scores 2010,
according to GaWC
OSAKA
OK_25.20
BRISBANE
BB_28.98
CALGARY
CG_25.36
DENVER
DV_27.90
ST. LOUIS
SL_26.74
DETROIT
DT_28.43
CLEVELAND
CV_25.74
RIO JANEIRO
BIRMINGHAM
RJ_29.48
BM_29.51
CASABLANCA
COLOGNE
CS_27.44
CO_26.82
LAGOS
GENEVA
STUTTGART
LG_25.88
GN_28.59
ST_27.10
BRATISLAVA
HELSINKI
BV_27.55
SOFIA HL_26.73
NICOSIA
SO_26.91
NC_29.58
MANAMA
MM_27.11
PORT LOUIS
ABU DHABI
PL_27.44
AB_29.84
CALCUTTA
PERTH
CC_28.47
PE_25.82
SHENZHEN
SZ_25.80
SAN DIEGO
SD_26.07
MONTERREY
MY_27.81
GUATEMALA
GT_25.30
PANAMA
PN_26.14 SAN JUAN
SN_25.45
NAGOYA
18.40
WELLINGTON
18.29
PUNE
19.84
COLOMBO
19.06
TALLIN
19.97
MUSCAT
18.56
ISLAMABAD
18.85
ALMATY
22.56
18.37
LJUBLJANA
18.92
γ- cities
DURBAN
18.52
HO CHI MINH
HC_33.86
AUCKLAND
AK_33.53
GUANGZHOU
GZ_34.12
KARACHI
KR_31.21
CHENNAI
CN_32.81
VALENCIA
22.92
LYON
22.55
ST. PETERSB.
22.45
VILNIUS
21.13
β- cities
AUSTIN
18.47
TEGUCIGALPA
MILWAUKEE
18.88
18.29
GUAYAQUIL
OTTAWA
18.41
ORLANDO
19.16
19.51
RICHMOND
CURITIBA
18.85
18.16
PORTO ALEGRE
BELFAST
19.77
PORTO
18.44
19.78
ACCRA
SOUTHAMP.
18.10
18.33
MARSEILLE
GOTHEN.
19.41
19.45
TURIN
γ cities
LEEDS
22.36
ROTTERDAM
20.91
RIYADH
RY_30.51
BEIRUT
BT_34.74
BUDAPEST
BD_34.91
KIEV
KV_33.38
MANCHESTER
MC_31.43
OSLO
OS_33.51
MONTEVIDEO
MV_30.45
PHOENIX
EDMONTON
22.77
GUADALAJARA
20.00
22.55
SAN SALVADOR
KANSAS CITY
21.41
22.79
INDIANAPOLIS
QUITO
20.28
22.46
TAMPA COLUMBUS
SANTO DOMINGO
20.85
20.38
22.33
PITTSBURGH
20.25
β cities
LUXEMBOURG
CAPE TOWN
LX_34.56
CT_30.69
BUCHAREST
BU_32.38
MINNEAPOLIS
MP_30.34
SEATTLE
SE_34.01
CARACAS
CR_33.97
LIMA
LM_31.05
ADELAIDE
23.32
HANOI
24.57
BRISTOL
GLASGOW
24.62
24.94
TUNIS
EDINBURGH
23.05
23.56
ZAGREB
ANTWERP
23.40
23.76
BELGRADE
RIGA
23.24
AMMAN 23.00
NAIROBI
23.48
24.66 JEDDAH
KUWAIT
23.58
DOHA
23.28
23.67
LAHORE
23.67
HYDERABAD
23.43
CINCINATTI
24.50
BALTIMORE
23.64
SAN JOSE
23.14
CHARLOTTE
24.33
PORTLAND
23.26
γ+ cities
MANILA
MN_37.20
BANGALORE
BN_36.58
DUSSELDORF
DS_38.91
BERLIN
HAMBURG
BL_36.83
HB_37.30
ROME
COPENHAGEN
RM_38.10
CP_36.57
ATHENS
STOCKHOLM
AS_36.77
PRAGUE SK_38.53
CAIRO
PR_38.50
CA_36.42
TEL AVIV
TA_36.59
BOGOTA
BG_35.62
HOUSTON
HS_37.17
MONTREAL
MT_38.13
VANCOUVER
VN_35.61
TOKIO
TK_63.75
SYDNEY
SY_61,06
SAN JOSE
23.03
BANGKOK
BK_41.71
TAIPEI
TP_41.65
SHANGAI
SH_62.70
DUBAI
DU_61.36
SINGAPORE
SG_67.46
NEW DELHI
ND_44.38
β+ cities
MELBOURNE
ME_45.33
α-cities
DUBLIN
LISBON
DB_45.39
LB_40.59
MUNICH
BARCELONA
MU_43.70
BC_42.31
VIENNA
ZURICH
VI_42.51
WARSAW
ZU_44.54
WS_43.00
JOHANNESB.
ISTAMBUL
JB_40.41
IS_43.40
SANTIAGO
SA_41.41
DALLAS
DA_42.96
MIAMI
PHILADELPHIA
MI_46.20
PH_40.42
ATLANTA BOSTON
AT_42.45 BS_43.35
KUALA L.
KL_49.88
JAKARTA
JK_48.87
MUMBAI
MB_55.16
BEIJING
BJ_58.37
SEOUL
SU_49.78
FRANKFURT
FR_52.61
MOSCOW
MS_54.29
MADRID
MD_55.23
MILAN
MI_58.86
BRUSSELS
BR_49.74
AMSTERDAM
AM_51.85
α+ cities
SAO PAULO
SP_55.73
TORONTO
TR_58.26
WASHINGTON
WC_47.51
α cities
BUENOS AIRES
BA_50.15
MEXICO CITY
MX_52.50
Sources:
- Clasification of cities: Classification of GaWC 2010. Geography Department, Loughborough University. http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/
world2010t.html
- Global network connectivity scores 2010: Geography Department, Loughborough University.
- City codes: GaWC Research Bulletin 355. http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/
rb/rb355.html
S. FRANCISCO
SF_48.76
LOS ANGELES
LA_55.11
α++ cities
1. GaWC is a research network based in the Geography Department at
Loughborough University (UK), founded by Peter J. Taylor in 1998 . GaWC
studies the relationships between world cities in the context of globalization.
http://www.lboro.ac.uk.
2. The classification is based upon the office networks of 100 advanced
producer service firms in 315 cities. Cf. GaWC Research Bulletin 43. http://
www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/world2000.html.
3. Definition is from: Taylor, Peter J. (2004). World city network: a global
urban analysis. Routledge.
PARIS
PA_68.28
CHICAGO
CH_61.60
NEW YORK
NY_94.35
LONDON
LN_100
The world of γ cities
HONG KONG
HK_72,96
Map of Global Cities 2010. The map clearly shows areas of the world rather dense and others almost irrelevant in terms of world city connectivity