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World cities

Outcomes Overview Nature, character and spatial distribution Role of world cities Operation of global networks Dominance Dependence Revision More

Jennifer Curtis Access Asia Coordinator Professional Support and Curriculum Directorate, DET

Outcomes

The student:

H1	explains the changing nature, spatial patterns and interactions of ecosystems, urban places and economic activity.
H10	applies maps, graphs and statistics, photographs and fieldwork to analyse and integrate data in geographical contexts
H12	explains geographical patterns, processes and future trends through appropriate case studies and illustrative examples
H13	communicates complex geographical information, ideas and issues effectively, using appropriate written and/or oral, cartographic and graphic forms.

Extract from Stage 6 Geography syllabus. © Board of Studies NSW 1999.

Overview

This unit requires you to investigate geographically the changing interactions between world cities in the developing world, and other urban centres in both the developed and developing worlds, together with the impact these have upon the functioning of large and small urban places. Investigations from a variety of primary and secondary sources, including case studies and illustrative examples, should enable you to explain these interactions in terms of their spatial patterns, the geographical processes creating them and the impacts they are having upon the variety of urban places.

The nature, character and spatial distribution of world cities.

A world city is defined as a large city that has outstripped its national urban network. A world city has become part of an international global system. It is a centre of political power, world trade and communication, a leader in banking and finance. World cities attract world stage, entertainment and sporting spectacles and are the headquarters of non-government organisations as well as transnational corporations. World cities benefit from high levels of tourism.

"They are command centres in the borderless domain of the new global economy." Stage 6 Geography syllabus. (p46) © Board of Studies NSW 1999.

Spatial distribution of world cities

There are three dominant world cities that are the leaders in the global financial market as well as having other important global functions. They are New York, London and Tokyo. Two cities that have a major importance for the regions in which they are located are Los Angeles (Pacific Rim) and Frankfurt (western Europe). The other world cities on the map shown here are important hubs serving their localities.

New York

The role of world cities

World cities are intrinsically linked to globalisation. Globalisation is the development of stronger links between countries and the breaking down of any existing barriers as a result of technological communication, for example.

World cities have a cultural and financial function.

Singapore - harbour

Culturally, world cities attract a large number of tourists each year. They have many historical, cultural and scenic activities for the tourists. They also provide the opportunity for people from all over the world to live, work and enjoy the city lifestyle as expatriates.

Singapore River - changing skyline

World cities usually have fine theatres, opera houses, and museums which host large cultural events such as art exhibitions and sporting venues hosting major sporting tournaments.

World cities contain the headquarters of many non-government organisations such as United Nations and Greenpeace. Such humanitarian and environmental organisations often utilise the services of the world city in which they are based.

Similarly, world cities are often the basis of transnational and national corporations that greatly influence the global economy, and particularly dominate world trade. They decide where, when and how much production of a particular product takes place.

Financially, world cities are centres for banking and other financial services. The largest banks in the world have their headquarters located in world cities. For example: New York, Citigroup and Chase Manhatten; London, HSBC Holdings and Barclays PLC; and Tokyo, Bank of Tokyo, Mitsubishi and Dai-Ichi Bank. All of the major stock exchanges are located in world cities, for example 'Wall Street' in New York.

World cities also provide a locality for the networking of people and companies who provide a service either nationally or globally.

The operation of global networks

World cities are supported by and connected to one another by a very comprehensive transportation system including underground railways, international airports and an extensive public transport network. Air transport, shipping, road and rail networks all link the world. World cities are often the hubs of these systems depending on the place.

London Blackfriars station

For example, London's airports include London Heathrow, London Luton, London Stanstead, London Gatwick and London City Airports. London's international railway stations include Waterloo Station. Dover's shipping terminal and the Eurotunnel train service link London with the rest of Europe via Calais.

Similarly, world cities have an extensive information network, which include daily newspapers, television stations and other forms of media and technology.

Telecommunication networks are constantly evolving and being updated and are dominated by world cities. The use of the satellite has become a major player between world cities, which mostly transfers the many thousands of emails within and between world cities, and beyond, daily.

The relationships of dominance and dependence between world cities and other urban areas

Dominance refers to the amount of control some urban places exert over other urban places and the spatial extent of that control. Within the global hierarchy, world cities have more control over all other urban places and over a greater area. They have a long history of dominance, gained through exploration and trade, colonisation and neo-colonisation and through globalisation, based on industry and services. There is a hierarchy of dominance and world cities are at the top of the pyramid. Below world cities, each level dominates the one below, from zonal cities through to regional centres and to towns and villages. Dominance is concentrated in the developed world.

World cities dominate because of the concentration of control they have over a range of human activities. They are the most important centres of corporate decision making and the creation of investment capital. They attract talent and expertise that generate new ideas and technologies. They create fashion and culture. They are centres of global transport and communications. Some of this control is delegated to large cities lower down the hierarchy where branches and regional headquarters are located.

Dependence refers to the ways in which less powerful urban centres rely upon more powerful urban centres. In contrast to dominance, dependence is greatest at the bottom of the global urban hierarchy. The smallest urban places are least able to survive on their own, while larger urban places in the developing world are increasingly dependent on the control exerted by larger urban places in the developed world.

Less powerful urban centres increasingly depend upon the influence of the control by more powerful urban centres for:

• their material wellbeing
• the goods and services they need
• investment in employment opportunities and infrastructure
• information
• culture
• income

This relationship of dominance and dependence changes in smaller and less powerful urban centres. Transnational corporations select regional cities as strategic centres from which to extend their influence within the global economy. On a national scale, structural change has led some large cities to grow at the expense of others. Regional centres are attracting an increasingly concentrated amount of control and, as a consequence, small towns are losing human activities and control over their rural surroundings. These competing processes are constantly changing the relationship of dominance and dependence between urban centres at a variety of scales.

Revision

1. Observing the map, describe the spatial distribution of world cities. (H1, H10)
2. Outline the roles of world cities. (H1)
3. Compare two world cities in terms of roles and global impact. (H1, H12, H13)
4. Discuss the term 'globalisation' and give examples. (H3)

More

The development of cities

http://www.developmentinpractice.org/readers/Cities/about.htm

A series of articles, maps and graphs which are extremely relevant for the Urban Places unit. This site deals with topics such as the definition of 'urban', the historical development and spread of cities, and gives case studies from Tokyo, London, Mexico City as well as regional examples such as Latin America.