Global cities are cities with substantial economic power, controlling the concentration and accumulation of capital and global investments. Despite this, global cities are the sites of increasing disparities in occupation and income. This is as a result of large in-migration and growing income inequality together with capacity and resource constraints, and inadequate Government policies. Global cities are key command areas in the organization of the world economy, acting as a focus for trade flows and world finance and containing the principal marketplaces for the leading industries. These cities hold major corporate headquarters of TNCs, international banks and international division of labour (Macionis & Plummer 2012). Almost all of the world’s finance is controlled by twenty-five of these cities, with New York, London and Tokyo emerging as the three most powerful centres of world finance. But although these cities are the residences of large corporations and international systems of finance, they also have an increasing number of poor people. In Global cities, there is a sharp c...
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“The dawn of the 21st century is replete with discourses of globalization.” (Brah 31). Such is the opening of Avtar Brah’s introduction to her critical article “Global Mobilities, Local Predicaments: Globalization and the Critical Imagination”. And it is within this very context of incredibly varied discourse that she presents her own analysis of ‘globalization’ within the ‘global’ and ‘local’ arenas, guiding readers through brief historical deconstructions of such terms. In doing so, Brah presents a carefully constructed argument asserting the necessity of applying perspectives of intersectionality and critically driven imaginations as the means to answering the “question of the global” (Brah 44), which she addresses through proposing the
Mike Davis, in his book Planet of Slums, discusses the Third World and the impact globalization and industrialization has on both urban and poverty-stricken cities. The growth of urbanization has not only grown the middle class wealth, but has also created an urban poor who live side by side in the city of the wealthy. Planet of Slums reveals astonishing facts about the lives of people who live in poverty, and how globalization and the increase of wealth for the urban class only hurts those people, and that the increase of slums every year may eventually lead to the downfall of the earth. “Since 1970 the larger share of world urban population growth has been absorbed by slum communities on the periphery of Third World cities” (Davis 37). Specifically, this “Planet of Slums” Davis discusses both affects and is affected by informal labor and migration, ecological and industrial consequences, and global inequalities, and it seems this trend of urbanization no longer coincides with economic growth, thus reinforcing the notion that the wealth gap only widens, as the rich gain money and the poor lose money.
By using a quantitative references, he emphasizes the fact that just 50 largest metros across the globe are generating almost 40% of the global economic activity (Florida 2017, 13). This phenomenon is only increasing the degree of clustering as more sections of talented, creative, wealthy and innovative industries are being attracted towards these superstar cities. Although Florida recognizes the ongoing vicious loop of development that is selectively profiting the powerful superstar cities and marginalizing other cities, he chooses to only address the inequality that is present within the superstar cities. He fails to recognize and offer solutions that can minimize the inequality between these superstar cities and other
Due to the phenomenon of globalization, a substantial part of manufacturing has been moved overseas and goods are constantly being shipped all over the world. These processes are contributing to the advancement of international trade and economic improvement of many lesser developed countries. Unfortunately, globalization has also led to a significant growth of worldwide inequality. While the Western world has largely benefited from the changes, many countries in the developing world are facing great troubles adjusting to the new reality of global interconnectedness. Economic constrictions, unemployment, the weakening of government, corruption, and military conflicts are pushing people to leave their homes and seek better lives elsewhere.
According to the British think tank Z/Yen, London is the top-ranked center for global finance. According to another think tank, the Centre for Cities, London generates as much tax revenue as the next 37 largest cities in the United Kingdom. The tax alone on financial services in London is immense. The European Union combined has the highest GDP in the world (above that of the United States) (GDP SOURCE). One of the principal reasons for which London is the leading international finance center is its access to the European Union, the world 's largest economy. Obviously, the United Kingdom being a member of the European Union is enormously helpful to ease the operations of the incredible amount of financial services that happens between London and the European
In 1950, only 13% of China’s population lived in cities (Seto, n.d.). Post 30 years, one hundred-million people moved to large cities from rural areas in China. This migration was considered the largest migration in human history. To compare this migration to western cities, the example of Shenzhen is used. For a Western city to have a population of three million to increase to ten million, it takes about a hundred years. 30-year old city, Shenzhen on the other hand made this population increase in just a decade (qtd. Caughey and Dawn). Today, over 53.7% of its population lives in cities; by 2020 it is projected that a whole 60% of the population will live in cities (Xinhuanet, 2014).
These results change or modify political organizations to be suitable for the needs of global capital. Regions and nations are encouraged to import and export of goods from other parts of the world rather than supplying or manufacturing them in their own homeland. Thus, seeking expensive manufactured supplies or goods from third world countries to import them to the first world corporation’s injunction with the free trade zones of globalization (Ravelli and Webber, 2015). These negotiations raises new organizations, for example, the World Trade Organization (WTO) to aid and supervise both countries to for a legalized trade. However, Neoliberalism amplifies the negative aspects of globalization’s effect on the economy. For example, deregulation, decrease of government benefits, and tax modifications (Bunjun, 2014). Nevertheless, relating these negative aspects to the documentary Made in L.A. (Carracedo, 2007) which is the main issue of increased risk of employment for both the first world and third world countries. In regards to, a switch from full time stable and secure jobs to part time unstable and insecure jobs. This reduces career growth for many employees, which they recognize, and thus switch jobs – where as they may not fit as well (Bunjun, 2014). As a result, globalization causes market inefficiency via labor market segregation and exploitation, unemployment and underemployment, unequal access to employment (Bunjun,
In Urban Studies two schools of academic thought answer the “urban question”: the ecological and urban political economy schools. I will argue that the political economy perspective better allows us to fully grasp the “urban question” where society and space mutually encompass each other and allow us to better explain and address urban inequality. First, I will develop a working definition of “the urban question”. Second, I will write on the ecological school’s view of the “urban” question and how their vista explains but inadequately addresses urban inequalities. Third, I will review the political economy (social-spatial dialect) landscape of the “urban question” and how their panorama explains and gives better analyses of urban inequality.
Competition has increased extensively as the ideology of a ‘global village’ has grown in support and has become a goal that many cities are attempting to achieve. This has resulted in cities adopting ingenious and original strategies in order to remain ahead of the game and these strategies have ensued cities to grow into creative cities. But what exactly is a creative city? Sire Peter Hall, an English professor, wrote in his book “Cities in Civilisation” that the phenomenon of the creative city is one that belongs to every age and no city constantly displays creativity.
Urbanization in the 20th century revolves around globalization. This is the link to developments of the 20th century with historical urbanization. The development of urban space and city dwellers depends on the different ways that Americans regulate their cities. Globalization refers to the process of integrating of countries across the world. The process of globalization is accelerated by the dynamic nature of technology, change in price, and liberalization of trade makes it easier for countries to merge their trade rules, minimizing competition. The countries of transition show integration of the global economy as characterized in specific regions. The concept of globalization is complex and controversial happening over time. The growth of globalization over the year’s takes time as numerous features requires the global economic integration. Globalization ensures internalization of the products produced by different countries. The use of globalization in business aids in securing changes in production structure. In the end, the business entities make links with the deepening of capital in international flows. The process of globalization is a process that is likely to be reversed (Datel 125).
Nowadays, more than half of the world population lives in cities. Urban populations consume 75% of the world 's natural resources and generate 75% of waste. Cities have become consumers of enormous amounts of natural resources and generating massive environmental
As previously implied, cities are currently the antithesis of even the barest sense of sustainability. To succinctly define the term “sustainability” would be to say that it represents living within one’s needs. When it comes to the city, with almost zero local sources of food or goods, one’s means is pushed and twisted to include resources originating far beyond the boundaries of the urban landscape. Those within cities paradoxically have both minimal and vast options when it comes to continuing their existence, yet this blurred reality is entirely reliant on the resources that a city can pull in with its constantly active economy.