Global City and its Characteristics and Criteria & Indicators of Global Cities

Global cities are something new. Everybody talks about them. Many cities would like to
be one. But few people really understand global cities – what they are, why they’re special, what
makes them global, where they came from, how they differ from the cities that have been with us
for millennia, how they deal with other global cities, not least how they cope with problems and
challenges, many unique to global cities. To understand the 21 st century, we must understand
global cities.
Global City
The concept of “global city” was coined by the sociologist Saskia Sassen in her book The
Global City (1991).
The global city, alpha city or world city is called the cities endowed with relevant
competitive advantages and that serve as the axis of a globalized economic system . They are
cities forged by the double effect of a constantly growing urbanization, and the pressures of the
economic and social process of globalization .
Global cities are generally cities of international importance and renown . They occupy
an extensive urban platform (and therefore with a huge population ) and play an active role in the
economic, social and technological flow in their region, or even on the planet .
These types of cities are contemporary equivalents to the city-states of antiquity . In fact,
many of them have political and administrative autonomy, or even their own Constitution that
determines their laws .
In short, they are relevant cities for the world order , that is to say, model cities of
contemporary global capitalism.
Characteristics of Global City
The typical characteristics of a global city are:
Economic attributes
First and foremost, global cities are the hubs of the global economy. No city is a global
city unless it is an economic powerhouse, dominant in finance, trade, manufacturing, or business
services. Some cities, such as London or New York, command several economic sectors. Others
dominate only one sector but, if that sector is globally important, so is the city Los Angles, for
instance, its entertainment industry.
Size
All global cities are big cities-three million people or more. It takes size to offer all the
attributes needed to be a global city. They occupy large territorial extensions that are densely
populated (conurbation). For instance, the functional density of Tokyo Is ideal for global cities.
But note: size isn’t enough. Some of the world’s biggest cities- Manila, Cairo, Mexico City,
Lagos, Kolkata, and Lima-are nobody’s idea of a global city, and may never be widely accepted.
Human capital
This means having a storehouse of smart, educated, creative people. The percentage of the
population with a college degree counts. So does the number of universities and their quality. So
does the international student population, along with the number of foreign professors and
researchers. Any global city must understand the outside world and have links to it, so its ability
to attract brains from around the world is vital.
K-12 education
At the upper-wage end of the socioeconomic scale, this means good schools for the
children of global citizens. Entrepreneurs and investors will shun a city where their children get a
bad education. At the lower-wage level, this means a solid education for the army of workers-
truckers, cooks, small manufacturing employees, clerical workers, retail workers-whom a global
city needs as much as it needs its global stars. That is why, Seoul primary schools are
consistently near the top.
Foreign-born residents
Tied to human capital is the sheer number of foreign-born residents. Some are expatriate
professionals, living abroad for a job for a few years. Like bees flitting from flower to flower,
they are a mobile source of knowledge of best practices from around the world. Large immigrant
populations are more often poorer and less educated, but they are both cause and effect of urban
vitality. They go to global cities be- cause that’s where the jobs are and, once there, add their new
blood and verve to that vitality. Ex. A high percentage of Toronto residents are Immigrants.
Culture
Culture is also a cause and effect of a global city. A strong economy pays for the
museums, universities, symphonies, and theaters that make a city more than a labor pool. This is
also a draw for global citizens who have a palette of places to live, work, and do business. And
high culture is only a small part. Good restaurants are crucial. So are recreation and sporting
events. So are night clubs and wine bars and rock concerts. Global citizens will go to the place
where their brains and education can be best used, but they also want to have fun.
Tourism
Because global cities are so big, so vibrant, so much fun, they are magnets for tourists.
Tourists themselves are a major export industry: they come from outside to buy what a city has
to offer. Then, having seen the global city first- hand, they take their impressions home with
them, helping to create the buzz that any global city needs. Ex. Singapore draws twice its
population in tourists each year.
Connectivity
For the most part, this means air and digital connections to the rest of the world. If glob-
al cities are where global citizens meet, then a major airport with a full schedule of nonstop
flights to other global cities is crucial. So is top- flight broadband connectivity. Ex. London is the
global leader in airline passenger travel.
Criteria of Global City
The Global Cities has five criteria upon which cities are ranked : Business Activity,
Human Capital, Information Exchange, Cultural Experience, and last but not least Political
compromise.
Indicators Of Global City
1. Economic Power
Sassen remains correct in saying that economic power largely determines which cities are
global.
Example, New York may have the largest stock market in the world but Tokyo houses
the most number of corporate headquarters (613company headquarters as against
217 in New York, its closest competitor). Shanghai may have a smaller stock market
compared to New York and Tokyo, but plays a critical role in the global economic supply chain
ever since China has become the manufacturing center of the world. Shanghai has the world’s
busiest container port, moving over 33 million container units in 2013.
2. Economic Opportunities
Economic opportunities in a global city make it attractive to talents from across the world.
Since the 1970s, many of the top IT programmers and engineers from Asia have moved to the
San Francisco Bay Area to become some of the key figures in Silicon Valley’s technology
boom. London remains a preferred destination for many Filipinos with nursing degrees.
3. Economic Competitiveness
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. Based on these criteria, “tiny “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. Center of Authority
Global cities are also centers of authority. Washing D.C. may not be as wealthy as New
York, but it is the seat of American state power. People around the world know it major
landmarks:
  White House
 Capitol Building (Congress)
 Supreme Court
 Lincoln Memorial
 Washington Monument

Similarly, compared with Sydney and Melbourne, Canberra is a sleepy town and thus is
not as attractive to tourists. But as Australia’s political capital, it is home to the country’s top
politicians, bureaucrats, and policy advisors.
5. Political Influence
The cities that house major international organizations may also be considered centers of
political influence. The headquarters of the United Nations is in New York, and that of the
European Union is in Brussels. An influential political city near the Philippines is Jakarta, which
is not just the capital of Indonesia, but also the location of the main headquarters of the
Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN). Powerful political hubs exert influence on
their own countries as well as on international affairs. The European Central Bank, which
oversees the Euro (the European Union’s currency), is based in Frankfurt. A decision made in
that city can, therefore, affect the political economy of an entire continent and beyond.
6. Center of Higher Learning and Culture
Finally, global cities are centers of higher learning and culture. A city’s intellectual
influence is seen through the influence of its publishing industry. Many of the books that people
read are published in places like New York, London, or Paris. The New York Times carries the
name of New York City, but it is far from being local newspaper. People read it not just across
America, but also all over the world. One of the reasons for the many tourists visiting Boston is
because they want to see Harvard University – the world’s top university. Many
Asian teenagers are moving to cities in Australia because of the leading English-
Language universities there. Education is currently Australia’s third largest export, just
behind coal and iron ore, and significantly ahead of tourism. In 2015,the Australian
government reported that it made as much as 19.2 billion Australian dollars (roughly
14 billion US dollars) from education alone.
There are many cities around the world that could be considered global cities, but here are
some of the most well-known:

 New York City, USA

 London, UK
 Tokyo, Japan
 Paris, France
 Hong Kong, China
 Los Angeles, USA
 Singapore
 Chicago, USA
 Beijing, China
 Sydney, Australia
 Shanghai, China
 Dubai, UAE
 San Francisco, USA
 Toronto, Canada
 Seoul, South Korea
 Amsterdam, Netherlands
 Madrid, Spain
 Moscow, Russia
 Sao Paulo, Brazil
 Mumbai, India