Global Cities

Global Cities examines the distinctive commercial, residential, and spatial features of the major cities of the contemporary world--cities housing the financial and cultural activities that are most consequential for everyone, regardless of where they live. Analyzing both the internal features of the cities and the nature of their connections with each other, the book offers a detailed and multifaceted picture of such leading urban centers as London, New York, Tokyo, and Paris, but also branches out to other important cities in the world.

Global Cities examines the enormous changes that have been wrought on urban life in the wake of globalization.

Each chapter concludes with Endnotes; 1. Introduction, Background, and Preview; Identifying global cities; The economic and cultural background; Cities and regions; Appendix: The virtual workplace; 2. People, Places, and Life-Styles; The financial services sector; Power and oppositions; Yuppies and dinks in gentrified areas; International tourists and tourism; Tourism and hyper-consumption; Edge cities; 3. Immigration; Hostility and dependence; The immigrants; Illegal entrants; Enclaves; Citizenship and the nation-state; 4. Cities in the Global Economy; Global classifications; Location of stock exchanges; International banking and finance; Multinational corporations and foreign investment; Corporate service firms; The economic hierarchy; Post-script: Separating products and places; 5. Inequality; Measuring income inequality; Inequality in global cities; Spatial reflections; Global inequality; Inequality conclusions; Appendix: The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund; 6. Global Culture and the Cultural Industries; Globalization, culture, and identity; Rootlessness versus multiple identities; Cultural industries and economy; Entertainment conglomerates; Concluding generalizations; 7. The Global Cultural Industries Hierarchy; Recorded music; Movies; Television; The cultural industries hierarchy; 8. Some Final Thoughts; Designating global cities; Cities and nation-states