Global city: Difference between revisions

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{{short description|City important to the world economy}}

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In order to uphold [[WP:NPOV]], any ranking of cities of comparison between cities included in this article must be referenced (WP:NOR), by a reliable source (WP:VERIFY), and not simply reflect or advertise individual users' opinions (WP:NOT).

* Consult http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/rb/rb5.html and http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/rb/rb146.html for the GaWC point ranking.

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| image1 = View of Empire State Building from Rockefeller Center New York City dllu (cropped).jpg

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[[Image:London Skyline.jpg|thumb|[[London]]]]

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[[Image:Top_of_Rock_Cropped.jpg|thumb|[[New York City]]]]

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[[Image:Paris-tours.jpg|right|thumb|[[Paris]]]]

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[[Image:Shinjuku 8040.jpg|thumb|[[Tokyo]]]]

| caption2 = [[New York City]] (top) and [[London]] (bottom) are the only two cities ranked in the [[Globalization and World Cities Research Network#Alpha|Alpha ++ category]] by the [[Globalization and World Cities Research Network]]. [[NyLon|Both cities]] are considered leading business, [[financial center|financial]], commercial, and cultural centers.

[[Image:Chicago 1549875.jpg|thumb|[[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]]]]

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[[Image:Sonnenuntergang Frankfurt.jpg|thumb|[[Frankfurt]]]]

A '''global city''' (also known as a '''power city''', '''world city''', '''alpha city''', or '''world center''') is a [[city]] that serves as a primary node in the [[world economy|global economic network.]] The concept originates from [[geography]] and [[Index of urban studies articles|urban studies]], based on the thesis that [[globalization]] has created a hierarchy of strategic [[Location (geography)|geographic locations]] with varying degrees of influence over [[finance]], [[trade]], and [[culture]] worldwide.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lenormand |first1=Maxime |last2=Gonçalves |first2=Bruno |last3=Tugores |first3=Antònia |last4=Ramasco |first4=José J. |title=Human diffusion and city influence |journal=[[Journal of the Royal Society Interface]] |date=2015 |volume=12 |issue=109 |article-number=20150473 |doi=10.1098/rsif.2015.0473 |pmid=26179991 |pmc=4535413 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Lin |first1=Jan |title=The Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Globalization |chapter=World Cities |date=2012 |doi=10.1002/9780470670590.wbeog820 |isbn=978-0-470-67059-0}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Pain |first1=Kathy |title=International Encyclopedia of Geography |chapter=World Cities |date=2017 |pages=1–9 |doi=10.1002/9781118786352.wbieg0525 |isbn=978-1-118-78635-2}}</ref> The global city represents the most complex and significant hub within the international system, characterized by links binding it to other cities that have direct, tangible effects on global [[Socioeconomics|socioeconomic]] affairs.<ref name="Sass1">{{cite magazine |issue=503 |last1=Sassen |first1=Saskia |url=http://www.india-seminar.com/2001/503/503%20saskia%20sassen.htm |title=The global city: strategic site/new frontier |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061018200419/http://www.india-seminar.com/2001/503/503%20saskia%20sassen.htm |archive-date=18 October 2006 |date= July 2001 |magazine=Seminar Magazine |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Image:185324 4717 raven.jpg|thumb|[[Hong Kong]]]]

[[Image:Hollywood boulevard from kodak theatre.jpg|thumb|[[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]]]]

[[Image:Milano Duomo 1.jpg|thumb|[[Milan]]]]

[[Image:Boat Quay, Singapore by sotong.jpg|thumb|[[Singapore]]]]

[[Image:Painted Ladies.jpg|thumb|[[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]]]]

[[Image:Sydney harbour bridge nye2004.jpg|thumb|[[Sydney]]]]

[[Image:Cntower2.jpg|thumb|[[Toronto]]]]

[[Image:Zuerich_vier_Kirchen.jpg|thumb|[[Zürich]]]]

[[Image:Grand Place Brussel.jpg|thumb|[[Brussels]]]]

[[Image:Cuatro Torres Business Área.jpg|thumbnail|[[Madrid]]]]

[[Image:Catedral Metropolitana.jpg|thumb|[[Mexico City]]]]

[[Image:00040 copy.jpg|thumb|[[São Paulo]]]]

[[Image:Kotelincheskaya Naberezhnaja Moscow.hires.jpg|thumb|[[Moscow]]]]

[[Image:Seoul-01 (xndr).jpg|thumb|[[Seoul]]]]

|}

A '''global city''' and '''world city''', or '''world-class city''', is a concept introduced by a group of academics including the ''Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network (GaWC)'', based primarily at [[Loughborough University]]. The concept includes the postulation that some [[city|cities]] have a direct and tangible effect on global affairs through socioeconomic, [[culture|cultural]], [[and/or]] [[politics|political]] means, whilst others do not. This leads to the need to develop rules to categorise cities as ''global'' or ''non-global'', and to sub-categorise global cities in various ways.

The criteria of a global city vary depending on the source.<ref>{{Cite web |title=global city |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/global-city |access-date=2022-10-20 |website=Britannica |language=en |archive-date=20 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020155031/https://www.britannica.com/topic/global-city |url-status=live }}</ref> Common features include a high degree of [[Urban planning|urban development]], a large population, the presence of major [[Multinational corporation|multinational companies]], a significant and globalized [[Financial services|financial sector]], a well-developed and internationally linked [[transportation infrastructure]], local or national economic dominance, high quality educational and [[research institutions]], and a globally influential output of ideas, innovations, or cultural products. Global city rankings are numerous.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 April 2019 |title=Decoding City Performance |url=https://www.jll.co.uk/en/trends-and-insights/research/decoding-city-performance |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191016212712/https://www.jll.co.uk/en/trends-and-insights/research/decoding-city-performance |archive-date=16 October 2019 |access-date=16 October 2019 |website=Jll.co.uk |language=en}}</ref> [[New York City]], [[London]], [[Tokyo]], and [[Paris]] are the most commonly mentioned.<ref>{{cite web |title=Struggling Giants |url=https://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/struggling-giants |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117230114/https://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/struggling-giants |archive-date=17 January 2021 |access-date=31 December 2020 |publisher=University of Minnesota Press |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Abrahamson |first1=Mark |url=http://faculty.tamuc.edu/jsun/global%20cities.pdf |title=Global cities |date=2004 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-514204-4 |edition=1st |___location=New York |page=4 |access-date=9 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111074627/http://faculty.tamuc.edu/jsun/global%20cities.pdf |archive-date=11 January 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In recent years, the term has become increasingly familiar, because of the rise of [[globalization]] (i.e., global [[finance]], [[telecommunication|communications]], and [[travel]]). The term "global city", as opposed to [[megacity]], was first coined by [[Saskia Sassen]] in a seminal 1991 work.

==Origin and terminology==

__TOC__

The term ''global city'' was popularized by [[sociologist]] [[Saskia Sassen]] in her 1991 book, ''The Global City: New York, London, Tokyo''.<ref>Sassen, Saskia. ''[http://pup.princeton.edu/titles/6943.html The Global City: New York, London, Tokyo]''. 1991. [[Princeton University Press]]. {{ISBN|0-691-07063-6}}. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150316103717/http://pup.princeton.edu/titles/6943.html|date=16 March 2015}}.</ref> Before then, other terms were used for urban centers with roughly the same features. The term 'world city', meaning a city heavily involved in global trade, appeared in a May 1886 description of [[Liverpool]], by ''[[The Illustrated London News]]'';<ref>{{cite web |date=18 December 2009 |title=The Empire in One City? Liverpool's Inconvenient Imperial Past |url=http://www.history.ac.uk/reviews/review/737 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120623124607/http://www.history.ac.uk/reviews/review/737 |archive-date=23 June 2012 |access-date=9 May 2012 |publisher=Reviews in History |first1=John |last1=Belchem }}</ref> British sociologist and [[geographer]] [[Patrick Geddes]] used the term in 1915.<ref name="Doel and Hubbard">Doel, M., & Hubbard, P., (2002), "Taking World Cities Literally: Marketing the City in a Global Space of flows", ''City'', vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 351–368. Subscription required.</ref> The term '[[megacity]]' entered common use in the late 19th or early 20th century, the earliest known example being a publication by the [[University of Texas]] in 1904.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-1ALAAAAYAAJ&q=megacity |title=Hemisfile: Perspectives on Political and Economic Trends in the Americas |date=1994 |publisher=Institute of the Americas |language=en}}</ref> In the 21st century, the terms are usually focused on a city's [[financial center|financial power]] and [[high-technology|high technology]] infrastructure.<ref>{{cite news |date=15 February 2015 |title=Asian Cities Pay Hidden Price for Global Status |work=The Diplomat |url=https://thediplomat.com/2015/02/asian-cities-pay-hidden-price-for-global-status/ |url-status=live |access-date=25 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201130228/https://thediplomat.com/2015/02/asian-cities-pay-hidden-price-for-global-status/ |archive-date=1 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=14 August 2014 |title=The World's Most Influential Cities |work=Forbes |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/joelkotkin/2014/08/14/the-most-influential-cities-in-the-world/#7bbf56cb7370 |url-status=live |access-date=29 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905084618/https://www.forbes.com/sites/joelkotkin/2014/08/14/the-most-influential-cities-in-the-world#7bbf56cb7370 |archive-date=5 September 2017}}</ref>

==General characteristics==

It has been argued that global cities are those sharing the following characteristics:

==Criteria==

* International, first-name familiarity; whereby a city is recognised without the need for a political subdivision. For example. although there are numerous cities and other political entities with the name [[Paris (disambiguation)|Paris]] or variations on it, one would say "[[Paris]]", not "Paris, [[France]]".

[[File:Above_Gotham.jpg|thumb|[[Manhattan]], the core area of [[New York City]], an Alpha++ global city, where there are several characteristic elements of global cities<ref>{{Cite web |title=What are the characteristics of world cities and megacities, and how has their distribution changed since 1950? – HBK Portal |url=https://hbkportal.co.uk/index.php/geography/urbanfutures2/ |access-date=2022-11-17 |language=en-GB |archive-date=17 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221117203257/https://hbkportal.co.uk/index.php/geography/urbanfutures2/ |url-status=live }}</ref> like worldwide influential economic ([[New York Stock Exchange]]) and cultural ([[Broadway theatre|Broadway]]) centers, headquarters of international political organizations ([[Headquarters of the United Nations|UN headquarters]]), world renowned museums ([[Metropolitan Museum of Art|the Met Museum]], [[Museum of Modern Art|MOMA]], [[Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum|Guggenheim Museum]]), and worldwide-known landmarks ([[Times Square]], [[Empire State Building]], [[Central Park]])]]

* Active influence and participation in international events and world affairs; for example, [[New York City]] is home to the [[United Nations]] [[United Nations headquarters|headquarters complex]] and consequently contains a vast majority of the permanent missions to the UN<ref>[http://www.un.org/Overview/missions.htm PERMANENT MISSIONS TO THE UNITED NATIONS], ''[[UN]]'', 29 April 2003</ref>.

* A fairly large population (the centre of a [[metropolitan area]] with a population of at least one million, typically several million).

* A major international [[airport]] (for example, [[London]] [[Heathrow Airport]]) that serves as an established hub for several international [[airline]]s.

* An advanced transportation system that includes several [[freeway]]s and/or a large [[mass transit]] network offering multiple modes of transportation ([[rapid transit]], [[light rail]], [[regional rail]], [[ferry]], or [[bus]]).

* In [[Western World|the West]], several international cultures and communities (such as a [[Chinatown]], a [[Little Italy]], or other [[immigration|immigrant]] communities). In other parts of the world, cities which attract large foreign businesses and related expatriate communities; for example, [[Singapore]], [[Shanghai]], [[Hong Kong]], [[Tokyo]], and [[Moscow]].

* International [[financial institution]]s, [[law firm]]s, [[corporation|corporate]] [[headquarters]] (especially [[Conglomerate (company)|conglomerates]]), and [[stock exchange]]s (for example the [[London Stock Exchange]], the [[New York Stock Exchange]] or the [[Tokyo Stock Exchange]]) that have influence over the world [[economics|economy]].

* An advanced communications infrastructure on which modern [[Multinational corporation|trans-national corporations]] rely, such as [[fiberoptics]], [[Wi-Fi]] networks, [[cellular phone]] services, and other high-speed lines of communications.

* World-renowned cultural institutions, such as [[museum]]s and [[university|universities]].

* A lively cultural scene, including [[film festival]]s (for example the [[Toronto International Film Festival]]), premieres, a thriving [[music]] or [[theatre]] scene (for example, [[West End theatre|West End]] theatre and [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]]); an orchestra, an [[List of important opera companies|opera company]], [[art gallery|art galleries]], and street performers.

* Several powerful and influential media outlets with an international reach, such as the [[BBC]], [[Associated Press]], [[Reuters]], ''[[The New York Times]]'', ''[[The Times]]'', or ''[[Agence France-Presse]]''.

* A strong [[sport]]ing community, including major sports facilities, home teams in major league sports, and the ability and historical experience to host international sporting events such as the [[Olympic Games]], [[Football World Cup]], or [[Grand Slam]] [[tennis]] events.

Competing groups have devised competing means to classify and rank world cities and to distinguish them from other cities.<ref name="Doel and Hubbard" /> Although there is a consensus on the leading world cities,<ref name="GaWC 5">[http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/rb/rb5.html GaWC Research Bulletin 5] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110808022750/http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/rb/rb5.html |date=8 August 2011 }}, GaWC, [[Loughborough University]], 28 July 1999</ref> the chosen criteria affect which other cities are included.<ref name="Doel and Hubbard" /> Selection criteria may be based on a yardstick value (e.g., if the producer-service sector is the largest sector then city {{var|X}} is a world city)<ref name="Doel and Hubbard" /> or on an imminent determination (if the producer-service sector of city {{var|X}} is greater than the combined producer-service sectors of {{var|N}} other cities then city {{var|X}} is a world city.)<ref name="Doel and Hubbard" /> Although criteria are variable and fluid, typical characteristics of world cities include:<ref>Pashley, Rosemary. "HSC Geography". Pascal Press, 2000, p.164</ref>

To some, [[London]], [[New York City]], [[Paris]], and [[Tokyo]] have been traditionally considered the 'big four' world cities &ndash; not coincidentally, they also serve as symbols of global [[capitalism]]. However, many people have their own personal lists, and any two lists are likely to differ based on cultural background, values, and experience.

* The most prominent criterion has been providing a variety of [[financial center|international financial services]],<ref>J.V. Beaverstock, [http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/rb/rb179.html World City Networks 'From Below'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060308055423/http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/rb/rb179.html |date=8 March 2006}}, GaWC, Loughborough University, 29 September 2010</ref> notably in [[FIRE economy|finance, insurance, real estate]], [[banking]], [[accountancy]], and [[marketing]]; and their amalgamation of financial headquarters, a [[stock exchange]], and other major financial institutions,

* [[Headquarters]] of numerous [[multinational corporations]],

* Domination of the trade and economy of a large surrounding area,

* Major manufacturing centers with [[port]] and [[shipping container|container]] facilities,

* Considerable [[power (international relations)|decision-making power]] daily and at a global level,

* Centers of new ideas and [[innovation]] in business, economics, and culture,

* Centers of [[digital media|digital]] and other media and communications for [[global networks]],

* The dominance of the national region with great international significance,

* The high percentage of residents employed in the [[services sector]] and [[quaternary sector of the economy|information sector]],

* High-quality educational institutions, including renowned universities and [[research]] facilities; and attracting international student attendance,<ref>K. O'Connor, [http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/rb/rb161.html International Students and Global Cities] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060205103720/http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/rb/rb161.html |date=5 February 2006 }}, GaWC, Loughborough University, 17 February 2005</ref>

* Multi-functional [[infrastructure]] offering some of the best legal, medical, and entertainment facilities in the country,

* High diversity in language, culture, religion, and ideologies.

== Rankings ==

In certain countries, the rise of [[suburb]]ia and the ongoing migration of [[manufacturing]] jobs to these countries has led to significant [[urban decay]]. Therefore, to boost [[urban renewal|urban regeneration]], [[tourism]], and revenue, the goal of building a "world-class" city has recently become an obsession with the governments of some mid-size cities and their constituents.

===GaWC World Cities===

{{Main article|Globalization and World Cities Research Network}}

{{Excerpt|Globalization and World Cities Research Network|inline=yes}} Primarily concerned with what it calls the "advanced producer services" of accountancy, advertising, banking/finance, and law, the cities in the top two classifications in the 2024 edition are:<ref>{{Cite web |title=World Cities 2024 |url=https://gawc.lboro.ac.uk/gawc-worlds/the-world-according-to-gawc/world-cities-2024/ |access-date=2024-11-01 |website=GaWC |language=en-US}}</ref>

====Alpha ++====

The phenomenon of world-city building has also been observed in [[Buenos Aires]], [[Santiago, Chile|Santiago]], [[Frankfurt]], [[Montréal]], [[Sydney]], [[Mexico City]] and [[Toronto]]: each of these cities has emerged as large and influential.

* {{flagicon|GBR}} [[London]]

* {{flagicon|USA}} [[New York City]]

====Alpha +====

==GaWC Inventory of World Cities (1999 Edition)==

* {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Beijing]]

An attempt to define and categorise world cities was made in 1999 by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network (GaWC), based primarily at [[Loughborough University]] in [[Loughborough]], [[Leicestershire]], [[England]]. The roster was outlined in the GaWC Research Bulletin 5<ref>[http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/rb/rb5.html GaWC Research Bulletin 5], GaWC, [[Loughborough University]], 28 July 1999</ref> and ranked cities based on provision of "advanced producer services" such as accountancy, advertising, finance and law, by international corporations. The GaWC inventory identifies three levels of world cities and several sub-ranks.

* {{flagicon|UAE}} [[Dubai]]

* {{flagicon|HKG}} [[Hong Kong]]

* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Paris]]

* {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Shanghai]]

* {{flagicon|SGP}} [[Singapore]]

* {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Sydney]]

* {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Tokyo]]

===Global Cities Index (Kearney)===

Note that this roster generally denotes cities in which there are offices of certain multinational companies providing financial and consulting services rather than other cultural, political, and economic centres. There is a schematic map of GaWC cities at their website.<ref>[http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/citymap.html The World According to GaWC], GaWC, [[Loughborough University]]</ref>

In 2008, the American journal ''[[Foreign Policy]]'', working with the consulting firm [[A.T. Kearney]] and the [[Chicago Council on Global Affairs]], published a ranking of global cities based on consultation with [[Saskia Sassen]], [[Witold Rybczynski]], and others.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.atkearney.com/documents/10192/dfedfc4c-8a62-4162-90e5-2a3f14f0da3a |title=2012 Global Cities Index and Emerging Cities Outlook |format=PDF |access-date=9 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020223227/http://www.atkearney.com/documents/10192/dfedfc4c-8a62-4162-90e5-2a3f14f0da3a |archive-date=20 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=The 2008 Global Cities Index |journal=[[Foreign Policy]] |issue=November/December 2008 |date=21 October 2008 |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4509 |access-date=31 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107184223/http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4509 |archive-date=7 January 2010 }}</ref> The ranking is based on 27 metrics across five dimensions: business activity, [[human capital]], information exchange, cultural experience, and political engagement.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.atkearney.com/global-cities/2019 |title=Read @ATKearney: Una Cuestión de Talento: Cómo el Capital Humano Determinará los Próximos Líderes Mundiales |website=Atkearney.com |language=en-US |access-date=16 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220065230/https://www.atkearney.com/global-cities/2019 |archive-date=20 December 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> The top ranked cities in 2024 are:<ref name="kearney2024">{{Cite web|url=https://www.kearney.com/service/global-business-policy-council/gcr/2024-full-report|title=Resurgent in a world at risk: 2024 Global Cities Report|website=Kearney}}</ref>

# {{flagicon|USA}} [[New York City]]

<!-- NOTE: if you make a change to this list that differs from the list at http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/rb/rb5.html it will be reverted. (Unless a newer version of this same list has become available). This is an exact citation of another source. -->

# {{flagicon|GBR}} [[London]]

===Alpha world cities (full service world cities)===

# {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Paris]]

* 12 points: [[London]], [[New York City|New York]], [[Paris]], [[Tokyo]]

# {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Tokyo]]

* 10 points: [[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]], [[Frankfurt]], [[Hong Kong]], [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], [[Milan]], [[Singapore]]

# {{flagicon|SGP}} [[Singapore]]

** Refer to Official GaWC List.<ref>[http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/citylist.html Inventory of World Cities], GaWC, [[Loughborough University]]</ref>

# {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Beijing]]

# {{flagicon|USA}} [[Los Angeles]]

# {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Shanghai]]

# {{flagicon|HKG}} [[Hong Kong]]

# {{flagicon|USA}} [[Chicago]]

===BetaGlobal worldCities citiesIndex (majorOxford world citiesEconomics)===

Advisory firm [[Oxford Economics]] ranks the world's largest 1,000 cities based on 27 indicators across five categories (economics, [[human capital]], [[quality of life]], environment, and [[governance]]) with more weight on economic factors. The top ranked cities in 2025 are:<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kelly |first=Liv |date=2025-05-21 |title=Global Cities Index 2025: Which cities topped the ranking this year? |url=https://www.timeout.com/news/global-cities-index-2025-which-cities-topped-the-ranking-this-year-052125 |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=Time Out Worldwide |language=en-GB}}</ref>

* 9 points: [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]], [[Sydney]], [[Toronto]], [[Zürich]]

# {{flagicon|USA}} [[New York City]]

* 8 points: [[Brussels]], [[Madrid]], [[Mexico City]], [[São Paulo]]

# {{flagicon|GBR}} [[London]]

* 7 points: [[Moscow]], [[Seoul]]

# {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Paris]]

# {{flagicon|USA}} [[San Jose, California|San Jose]]

# {{flagicon|USA}} [[Seattle]]

# {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Melbourne]]

# {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Sydney]]

# {{flagicon|USA}} [[Boston]]

# {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Tokyo]]

# {{flagicon|USA}} [[San Francisco]]

===Global Power City Index===

===Gamma world cities (minor world cities)===

The Tokyo-based Institute for Urban Strategies at The Mori Memorial Foundation, first published a study of global cities in 2008. They are ranked in six categories: economy, research and development, cultural interaction, [[livability]], environment, and accessibility. The top 10 cities in 2024 are:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Global Power City Index 2024 |url=https://mori-m-foundation.or.jp/english/ius2/gpci2/index.shtml |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=The Mori Memorial Foundation |language=en}}</ref>

* 6 points: [[Amsterdam]], [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]], [[Caracas]], [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas]], [[Düsseldorf]], [[Geneva]], [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], [[Jakarta]], [[Johannesburg]], [[Melbourne]], [[Osaka]], [[Prague]], [[Santiago, Chile|Santiago]], [[Taipei]], [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]]

# {{flagicon|GBR}} [[London]]

* 5 points: [[Bangkok]], [[Beijing]], [[Montreal]], [[Rome]], [[Stockholm]], [[Warsaw]]

# {{flagicon|USA}} [[New York City]]

* 4 points: [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]], [[Barcelona]], [[Berlin]], [[Budapest]], [[Buenos Aires]], [[Copenhagen]], [[Hamburg]], [[İstanbul|Istanbul]], [[Kuala Lumpur]], [[Manila]], [[Miami, Florida|Miami]], [[Minneapolis, Minnesota|Minneapolis]], [[Munich]], [[Shanghai]]

# {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Tokyo]]

# {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Paris]]

# {{flagicon|SGP}} [[Singapore]]

# {{flagicon|KOR}} [[Seoul]]

# {{flagicon|NLD}} [[Amsterdam]]

# {{flagicon|UAE}} [[Dubai]]

# {{flagicon|GER}} [[Berlin]]

# {{flagicon|SPA}} [[Madrid]]

===EvidenceWorld's ofBest worldCities city formationranking===

Consultancy firm Resonance publishes the World's Best Cities ranking. They are ranked in three categories: livability, lovability and prosperity, each of them using different factors. The top 10 cities in 2025 are:<ref>{{cite web |title=Resonance: World's Best Cities |url=https://www.worldsbestcities.com/rankings/worlds-best-cities/ |access-date=31 May 2025 |language=English}}</ref>

====Strong evidence====

# {{flagicon|GBR}} [[London]]

* 3 points: [[Athens]], [[Auckland]], [[Dublin]], [[Helsinki]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Lyon]], [[Mumbai]], [[New Delhi]], [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]], [[Rio de Janeiro]], [[Tel Aviv]], [[Vienna]]

# {{flagicon|USA}} [[New York City]]

# {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Paris]]

# {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Tokyo]]

# {{flagicon|SGP}} [[Singapore]]

# {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Rome]]

# {{flagicon|SPA}} [[Madrid]]

# {{flagicon|SPA}} [[Barcelona]]

# {{flagicon|GER}} [[Berlin]]

# {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Sydney]]

===Global Financial Centres Index===

====Some evidence====

{{Excerpt|Global Financial Centres Index|files=0}} The 2025 ranking was:

* 2 points: [[Abu Dhabi]], [[Almaty]], [[Birmingham]] (UK), [[Bogotá]], [[Bratislava]], [[Brisbane]], [[Bucharest]], [[Cairo]], [[Cleveland, Ohio|Cleveland]], [[Cologne]], [[Detroit, Michigan|Detroit]], [[Dubai]], [[Ho Chi Minh City]], [[Kiev]], [[Lima]], [[Lisbon]], [[Manchester]], [[Montevideo]], [[Oslo]], [[Riyadh]], [[Rotterdam]], [[Seattle, Washington|Seattle]], [[Strasbourg]], [[Stuttgart]], [[The Hague]], [[Vancouver]]

# {{flagicon|USA}} [[New York City]]

====Minimal evidence====

# {{flagicon|GBR}} [[London]]

* 1 point: [[Adelaide]], [[Antwerp]], [[Aarhus]], [[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]], [[Bangalore]], [[Bologna]], [[Brasília]], [[Calgary]], [[Cape Town]], [[Colombo]], [[Columbus, Ohio|Columbus]], [[Dresden]], [[Edinburgh]], [[Genoa]], [[Glasgow]], [[Gothenburg]], [[Guangzhou]], [[Hanoi]], [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]], [[Leeds]], [[Lille]], [[Marseille]], [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]], [[St. Petersburg]], [[Tashkent]], [[Tehran]], [[Tijuana]], [[Turin]], [[Utrecht (city)|Utrecht]], [[Wellington]]

# {{flagicon|HKG}} [[Hong Kong]]

# {{flagicon|SIN}} [[Singapore]]

==GaWC Leading World Cities (2004 Edition)==

# {{flagicon|USA}} [[San Francisco]]

An attempt to redefine and recategorise leading world cities was made by PJ Taylor at GaWC in 2004.<br> This ranking list is referred to as the Official GaWC List.<ref>[http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/rb/rb146.html Leading World Cities], GaWC, [[Loughborough University]]</ref>

# {{flagicon|USA}} [[Chicago]]

# {{flagicon|USA}} [[Los Angeles]]

===Global Cities===

# {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Shanghai]]

====Well rounded global cities====

# {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Shenzhen]]

:1. Very large contribution: [[London]] and [[New York City]].

# {{flagicon|KOR}} [[Seoul]]

:Smaller contribution and with cultural bias: [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], [[Paris]] and [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]].

:2. Incipient global cities: [[Amsterdam]], [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]], [[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]], [[Madrid]], [[Milan]], [[Moscow]], [[Toronto]].

====Global niche cities - specialised global contributions====

:1. Economic: [[Hong Kong]], [[Singapore]], and [[Tokyo]].

:2. Political and social: [[Brussels]], [[Geneva]], [[Strasbourg]] and [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]].

===World Cities===

====Subnet articulator cities====

:1. Cultural: [[Berlin]], [[Copenhagen]], [[Melbourne]], [[Munich]], [[Oslo]], [[Rome]], [[Stockholm]].

:Political: [[Bangkok]], [[Beijing]], [[Vienna]].

:2. Social: [[Manila]], [[Nairobi]], [[Ottawa]].

====Worldwide leading cities====

:1. Primarily economic global contributions: [[Frankfurt]], [[Miami, Florida|Miami]], [[Munich]], [[Osaka]], [[Singapore]], [[Sydney]], [[Zurich]]

:2. Primarily non-economic global contributions: [[Abidjan]], [[Addis Ababa]], [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]], [[Basle]], [[Barcelona]], [[Cairo]], [[Denver, Colorado|Denver]], [[Harare]], [[Lyon]], [[Manila]], [[Mexico City]], [[Mumbai]], [[New Delhi]], [[Shanghai]]

==Global Cities Conference 2006==

{{update}}

This conference<ref>[http://hopelive.hope.ac.uk/mahumanities/GolbalCities/index.htm 2006 Global Cities Conference]</ref> took place at [[Liverpool Hope University]], starting on [[29 June]] [[2006]] and chaired by Dr. Lawrence Phillips of the Global Cities Conference at the university. Its aim was to establish what is meant by a 'global city', by examining criteria such as images, narratives, economics, planning and people's experiences. It also looked at whether the perceived 'big four' — London, Paris, New York, and Tokyo — are in fact the only candidates for global city status, or if they should in fact be joined by fast-growing cities in [[Asia]] or the [[developing world]].

==Other criteria==

The GaWC list is based on specific criteria and, thus, may not include other cities of global significance or elsewhere on the spectrum. For example, cities with the following:

<table><tr><td valign=top>

*Large populations, [[Thirty most populous cities in the world|proper]] and [[list of metropolitan areas by population|agglomerated]]

*Diverse demographic constituencies<ref name="chap5">[http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/2004/pdf/hdr04_chapter_5.pdf Chapter 5: Globalization and cultural choice], "2004 [[Human Development Report]]" (page 99), ''[[UNDP]]'', 2004 {{PDFlink}}</ref>

*Based on various indicators<ref>[http://pdf.wri.org/wr98_ud.pdf Chapter 9: Urban Data], "World Ressources 1998-99", ''[[World Resources Institute|WRI]]'', 1998 {{PDFlink}}</ref>:

**Population, habitat,<ref>[http://www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus/special/habitat/profiles/ City Profiles], ''[[UN]]''</ref> mobility,<ref>[http://www.wbcsd.org/DocRoot/uu8taBpoTDXkvBiJHuaU/english_full_report.pdf Mobility 2001], ''[[World Business Council for Sustainable Development|WBCSD]]'' {{PDFlink}}</ref> and urbanisation<ref>[http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/wup2003/WUP2003Report.pdf WORLD URBANIZATION PROSPECTS: THE 2003 REVISION], ''[[UN]]'', 2004 {{PDFlink}}</ref>

*Significant financial capacity/output:

**city/regional<ref>[http://pdf.wri.org/wr98_ud2.pdf Urban Characteristics,City Level, 1993], "World Ressources 1998-99", ''[[World Resources Institute|WRI]]'', 1998 {{PDFlink}}</ref> [[GDP]]<ref>''[http://www.unhabitat.org/programmes/guo/documents/1998.zip Global Urban Indicators Database 2 (1998 data)] ''(data sets in .ZIP)'', [[UN-HABITAT]]</ref>

**[[Stock market]] indices<ref>[http://www.bloomberg.com/markets/stocks/wei.html World Indices], ''[[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]]''</ref>/market capitalisation

**[[Headquarter]]s for [[multinational corporation]]s

**Financial service provision<ref>J.V. Beaverstock, [http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/rb/rb179.html World City Networks 'From Below'], GaWC, [[Loughborough University]], 29 September 2005</ref>; e.g., [[Bank#Top ten banking groups in the world ranked by tier 1 capital|banks]], [[Accountancy#The "Big Four" accountancy firms|accountancy]]

**Employment

*Based on quality of life<ref>[http://www.mercerhr.com/pressrelease/details.jhtml?idContent=1173105 World-wide quality of living survey], ''[[Mercer]]'', 10 April 2006</ref> or city development<ref>[http://www.unchs.org/Istanbul+5/116.pdf The city development index], "THE STATE OF THE WORLD'S CITIES REPORT 2001", ''[[UN-HABITAT]]'', 21 June 2006 {{PDFlink}}</ref>

*Based on costs of living<ref name="living">[http://www.mercerhr.com/pressrelease/details.jhtml/dynamic/idContent/1142150 2005 worldwide cost of living survey results released], ''[[Mercer]]'', 20 June 2005</ref>

**Based on personal wealth; e.g., number of billionaires<ref>[http://www.forbes.com/2005/03/09/bill05land.html The World's Billionaires], ''[[Forbes]]'', 2005</ref>

*Significant transport infrastructure:

**[[World's busiest airport|Airport]]s with [[World's busiest airports by passenger traffic|significant passenger traffic]]<ref>[http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/rb/rb157.html Mapping the Global Network Economy on the Basis of Air Passenger Transport Flows], GaWC, [[Loughborough University]], 8 December 2004</ref> or [[World's busiest airports by cargo traffic|cargo movements]]

**[[List of urban rail systems by length|Extensive]] and popular<ref>[http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch6en/conc6en/largestpublictransit.html Estimated Ridership of the World’s Largest Public Transit Systems, 1998]</ref> [[public transport|mass transit]] systems

**Prominent rail usage<ref>[http://www.publicpurpose.com/ut-crintl.pdf COMMUTER RAIL (SUBURBAN RAIL, REGIONAL RAIL) IN THE UNITED STATES: INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT], October 2003 {{PDFlink}}</ref>

**Road vehicle usage<ref>[http://www.publicpurpose.com/hwy-intltr.htm Traffic Intensity by International Urban Area: 1990]</ref>

**Major seaports<ref>[http://www.geohive.com/charts/seaport.php Largest seaports of the world]</ref>

<td valign=top>

*Significant technological capabilities/infrastructure:

**Prominent skylines/skyscrapers<ref>[http://homepages.ipact.nl/~egram/skylines.html The World's Best Skylines]</ref>

*Significant institutions:

**Educational institutions; e.g., universities,<ref>[http://www.thes.co.uk/downloads/rankings/world-rankings-16pages.pdf] (registration required) {{PDFlink}}</ref> international student attendance<ref>K. O'Connor, [http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/rb/rb161.html International Students and Global Cities], GaWC, [[Loughborough University]], 17 February 2005</ref>

**Research facilities

**Health facilities; e.g. hospitals, medical laboratories

*Sites of pilgrimage for [[world religions]]

*Hosting headquarters for [[international organization]]s

*Cities containing [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]]s of historical and cultural significance<ref>[http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/ World Heritage List], ''[[UNESCO]]''</ref>

*High endowments of cultural facilities:

**[[List of notable museums and galleries|Notable museums and galleries]]

**[[List of notable opera companies|Notable opera]]

**[[List of notable orchestras|Notable orchestra]]s

**Notable [[List of cities containing movie studios|film centres]] and [[film festival]]s

**Notable theatre centres

**Sites of major international [[list of sporting events|sports events]]; e.g., [[Olympic Games]] sites<ref>P. De Groote, [http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/rb/rb154.html Economic and Tourism Aspects of the Olympic Games], GaWC, [[Loughborough University]], 21 September 2005</ref>

*Tourism throughput:

**Visitors

**Economy

**Events

*Site or subject in Arts and Media

** TV,Film,Video-Games,Music

** Literature,Magazines,Articles,Documentary

** Historic Reference,Showcase

</tr></td></table>

===Table of the cities of the world===

''For selected criteria''

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! ''Rank'' !! [[List of cities by population|Population of city (proper)]] !! [[List of metropolitan areas by population|Population of metropolitan area]] !! Percentage foreign born <ref name="chap5"/> !! Cost of living <ref name="living"/> !! [[Top 10 rail systems in terms of annual passenger rides|Metro systems by annual passenger ridership]] !! Annual passenger air traffic (2002) <ref>http://www.iaurif.org/en/doc/studies/airports/INTRO.pdf</ref> <!--NOTE - the focus of this article is cities, not airports, so please do not keep restoring the list of the largest airports when this is less relevant than a list of cities by airport traffic--> !! [[List of cities with the most billionaires|Number of billionaires (United States Dollars)]] <ref>[http://www.ifsl.org.uk/uploads/PB_Private_Wealth_2004.pdf INTERNATIONAL PRIVATE WEALTH MANAGEMENT], ''[[International Financial Services]]'', December 2004 {{PDFlink}}</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4791848.stm Forbes reports billionaire boom], ''[[BBC]]'', 10 March 2006</ref><ref>[http://rating.rbc.ru/graphs/full.shtml?2006/02/10/6036130 500 richest in Russia], Finance Magazine, published by RBC. February 2006.</ref>

|-

| 1 || [[Mumbai]] || [[Tokyo]] || [[Miami, Florida|Miami]] || [[Moscow]] || [[Tokyo]] || [[London]] || [[New York City]]

|-

| 2 || [[Shanghai]] || [[Seoul]] || [[Toronto]] || [[Seoul]] || [[Moscow]] || [[Tokyo]] || [[Los Angeles]]

|-

| 3 || [[Karachi]] || [[Mexico City]] || [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] || [[Tokyo]] || [[Seoul]] || [[Chicago]] || [[Moscow]]

|-

| 4 || [[Buenos Aires]] || [[New York City]] || [[Vancouver]] || [[Hong Kong]] || [[Mexico City]] || [[New York City]] || [[London]]

|-

| 5 || [[Delhi]] || [[São Paulo]] || [[New York City]] || [[London]] || [[New York City]] || [[Atlanta]] || [[Hong Kong]]

|-

| 6 || [[Manila]] || [[Mumbai]] || [[Singapore]] || [[Osaka]] || [[Paris]] || [[Paris]] || [[Chicago]]

|-

| 7 || [[Moscow]] || [[Delhi]] || [[Sydney]] || [[Singapore]] || [[London]] || [[Los Angeles]] || [[San Francisco]]

|-

| 8 || [[Seoul]] || [[Shanghai]] || [[Abidjan]] || [[Copenhagen]] || [[Osaka]] || [[Dallas/Ft._Worth_metro_area|Dallas Fort-Worth]] || [[Paris]]

|-

| 9 || [[São Paulo]] || [[Kolkata]] || [[London]] || [[Zurich]] || [[Hong Kong]]|| [[Frankfurt]] || [[Dallas]]

|-

| 10 || [[İstanbul]] || [[Jakarta]] || [[Paris]] || [[Oslo]] || [[Singapore]] || [[Houston]] || [[Tokyo]]

|}

==See also==

{{portal|Cities|World}}

*[[List of most expensive cities]]

* [[MetropolisCaput Mundi]]

* [[City quality of life indices]]

*[[Megalopolis (term)|Megalopolis]]

* [[Ecumenopolis]]

* [[List of cities by GDP]]

* [[Ranally city rating system]]

==References==

{{reflist}}

<div class="references-small">

<references/>

</div>

{{Commons}}

==External links==

{{Cities}}

* [http://www.brookings.edu/metro/pubs/20050222_worldcities.htm "U.S. Cities in the 'World City Network'"], by Peter J. Taylor and Robert E. Lang, February 2005 ([http://www.brookings.edu/metro/pubs/20050222_worldcities.pdf Full Report in PDF])

{{Authority control}}

* [http://science.uniserve.edu.au/school/curric/geography/urban.html Repository of Links Relating to Urban Places]

* [http://hsc.csu.edu.au/geography/urban/cities/worldcities/World_Cities.html World Cities] article by Jennifer Curtis of Charles Sturt University

* [http://www.irows.ucr.edu/conferences/globgis/papers/Smith.htm The World-System’s City System: A Research Agenda] by Jeffrey Kentor and Michael Timberlake of the University of Utah and David Smith of University of California, Irvine

* [http://www.unchs.org/Istanbul+5/statereport.htm ''The State of the World's Cities, 2001''], UN Human Settlements Programme

{{DEFAULTSORT:Global City}}

[[Category:Cities]]

[[Category:Metropolitan areas|Cultural geography]]

[[Category:Economic geography]]

[[Category:Economic globalization]]

[[Category:Index numbers]]

[[Category:Lists of cities]]

[[Category:Loughborough University]]

[[Category:Metropolitan areas]]

[[Category:Types of cities]]

[[bg:Глобален град]]

[[deCategory:WeltstadtUrban areas]]

[[el:Παγκόσμια πόλη]]

[[es:Ciudad de clase mundial]]

[[fr:Ville mondiale]]

[[he:עיר עולם]]

[[hu:Világváros]]

[[nl:Wereldstad]]

[[ja:世界的大都市]]

[[pl:Metropolia globalna]]

[[pt:Cidade global]]

[[fi:Globaali kaupunki]]

[[vi:Thành phố toàn cầu]]

[[zh:全球城市]]

{{commons|Global City}}