MICROARTICLE #Networks
Global Cities
By: BB2040 Editorial Team
MICROARTICLE Networks Wissensstadt Berlin 2021
Published on June 26, 2021
New York, London, Tokyo, Berlin?
As a financial center, a ‘Global City' represents a node of concentrated economic power in a world spanning network, facilitated by, and enabled through modern information and communication technologies. The ‘Global City’ is characterized by its high diversity of languages, cultures, religions and ideologies, possibly more than by its local embeddedness. [1] The rise of global cities has resulted in a loss of power of the nation-state, continously questioning the relationship - and responsibilities - between the country and the city. [2]
London as a ‘Global City’ plays a leading role in both the European and the global financial market. The majority of Londoners voted ‘remain’ in Brexit, [3] many out of fear that it would negatively impact London's international standing. Shortly after the official vote, several initiatives started collecting the signatures to pressure the mayor to declare London's independence from the rest of the country. #Londependence attempted to “make the divorce official” [4] and emphasized Londons belonging to a network of global cities.
[1] Sassen, S. (2001). Global City: New York, London, Tokyo. Princeton Paperbacks.
[2] Barber, B. (2013). If Mayors Ruled the World: Dysfunctional Nations, Rising Cities. Yale University Press.
[3] BBC (n.d.) EU referendum: The results in maps and charts. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-36616028 [Accessed 21.06.2021]
[4] Change.Org (n.d.) Declare London independent from the UK and apply to join the EU. https://www.change.org/p/sadiq-khan-declare-london-independent-from-the-uk-and-apply-to-join-the-eu [Accessed 21.06.2021]
Global Cities © Own graphic based on Globalization and World Cities Research Network
BB2040
[EN] Berlin Brandenburg 2040 was initiated by the Habitat Unit in cooperation with Projekte International and provides an open stage and platform for multiple contributions of departments and students of the Technical University Berlin and beyond. The project is funded by the Robert Bosch Foundation.
[DE] Berlin Brandenburg 2040 wurde initiiert von der Habitat Unit in Kooperation mit Projekte International und bietet eine offene Plattform für Beiträge von Fachgebieten und Studierenden der Technischen Universität Berlin und darüberhinaus. Das Projekt wird von der Robert Bosch Stiftung gefördert.
