the-global-city-the-contemporary-world-is-an-ever-changing-mix-of-social-and-political-changes.pptx

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The Global City - The contemporary world is an
ever-changing mix of social and political changes.
The Contemporary World (Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan)
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2. Introduction
If you had the chance, would you move to New York? Tokyo? How
about in London? Chances are many of you would probably wanted to visit
these major cities. Some of you might have imagined yourself, travelling in
Sydney or studying in Paris, or tour around in Singapore. There are lot of
stories about global cities, perhaps you’ve already heard from your relatives
describing such cities with buzzing metropolises, with forests of skyscrapers.
and train lines that zigzag on top of each other. Likewise, you already have an
idea of what these cities look like based on what have you seen in movies and
televisions. Not all people have been to global cities, but most people know
this or has an idea about global cities. Actually, it’s influence extends even to
one’s imagination. What are these global cities? Why are they important?
How does these cities are related with the process of globalization?
This lesson, will bring us towards a better understanding of Global Cities and
how these became important centers of growth and economic development
that reflects the core dimensions of a globalized social realm. Likewise, it will
also discuss the essential characteristics of global cities, analyzing global
cities in terms of indexes and outlooks, as well as the challenges faced by
different global cities in relation to migration and mobility.
Lecture
Defining Global Cities
The Global City
Intended Learning Outcomes:
1. Gain a fuller and a more solid understanding about the concept of a
Global City and the other ideas associated with it;
2. Be able to analyze the importance and significance of the Global City in
the realm of economic, political and socio cultural dimensions of the
contemporary global setting;
3. Be able to correlate the Concept of Global City within the greater
construct of Globalization; and
4. Equip students with 21st
century learning and develop higher order
thinking skills that will lead towards a deeper understanding of the subject
matter and correlate the topic with the Philippines.
• Sociologist Saskia Sassen popularized the term “global city” in the
1990’s. Her work, The Global City: New York, London, Tokyo (1991) has
shaped the concepts and methods that other theorists have used to analyze
the role of cities and their networks in the contemporary world. Key to
Sassen's concept of the global city is an emphasis on the flow of information
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3. and capital. Cities are major nodes in the interconnected systems of
information and money, and the wealth that they capture is intimately related
to the specialized businesses that facilitate those flows -- financial institutions,
consulting firms, accounting firms, law firms, and media organizations.
Sassen points out that these flows are no longer tightly bound to national
boundaries and systems of regulation; so the dynamics of the global city are
dramatically different than those of the great cities of the nineteenth century.
• Likewise, global cities serve as engines and place where globalization
takes place where highly globalized and competitive metropolitan economies
with the deepest and most settled concentrations of firms, capitals, and talent
are located. The “Big Six” includes the traditional “super cities” of London,
New York, Paris, and Tokyo, joined by the most recent global urbanized cities
of Hong Kong and Singapore.
• Sassen mentioned some attributes of global cities. To sum up the
indicators of global cities of Sassen, we could remember the acronym 3
Power: Economic Power; Political Power; and Cultural Power. Economic
power is the foremost characteristics of global cities as Sassen strongly
emphasize that economic power largely determines which cities are global.
Like for example, New York may have the largest stock market in the world
but Tokyo houses the most number of corporate headquarters (613 company
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.
• Global cities are also seats of political power and center of
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authority. Washington D.C may not be as wealthy as of New York, but it is the
seat of the American state of power. Likewise, the city was known all over the
world for its major landmarks such as the White House, the Capitol Building
(Congress), the Supreme Court, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Washington
Monument. Similarly, the cities that house the major international
organizations may also be considered centers of political influence. The
perfect example, for this are the United Nations in New York and the
European Union in Brussels. A decision made in this city can therefore, affect
the political economy of an entire continent and beyond.
• Finally, global cities are centers of higher learning and culture. A lot of
publishing industries, well known universities, and film industries are found on
these cities. The cultural power of global cities today, becomes globally
diverse. Los Angeles, is the center of the American film industry. Universities
such as the National University in Singapore, Ecole Polytechnique in Paris,
and Boston’s University of Montreal are known as the leading universities in
the world for their strongest research development both in academe and in
field of science and technology.
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4. • Aside from the essential traits of a global city, Sassen identifies four
key functions of the global city: 1) they are highly-concentrated command
posts in the organization of the world economy; 2) they are key locations for
finances and specialized service firms providing “producer services”
(professional and corporate services, i.e., services inputs for TNCs), to the
leading global firms; 3) they are sites for the production and innovation of
these producer services and also headquarters for producer-service firms; 4)
they are markets for the products and innovations produced and in these
cities.
Analyzing Global Cities
Global Power City Index (GPCI)
• GPCI evaluates and ranks the major cities of the world according to
their “magnetism,” or their comprehensive power to attract people, capital,
and enterprises from around the world. It does so through measuring six
functions—Economy, Research and Development, Cultural Interaction,
Livability, Environment, andAccessibility—providing a multidimensional
ranking. The GPCI is able to grasp the strengths, weaknesses, and
challenges of global cities in a continuously changing world not only through a
ranking, but also through analyzing that ranking’s specific components.
• There was no change in the top 10 ranking from last year’s GPCI. In
comparison with the top 3 cities of London, New York, and Tokyo, Paris’s drop
in score was minimal, narrowing the gap once again between the French
capital and Tokyo. Although Paris experienced a downtrend in score following
the repeated terror attacks of 2015, following the 2017 confirmation as host-
city of the 2024 Olympic Games, an upward trend in score is building. Among
the 4 new cities added this year (Melbourne, Helsinki, Dublin, Tel Aviv),
Melbourne at #11 was the highest performer.
Global City Outlook (GCO) 2019
• GCO is a projection of city’s potential based on the rate of change in 13
indicators across four dimensions: personal well-being; economics;
innovation; and governance. Global Cities Outlook focuses on bringing a
forward looking perspective to city-level policies and practices that shape
future competitiveness. The indicators it covers are designed to measure
characteristics of long term success, such as environmental performance,
safety, and innovation capacity.
The Challenges of Global City
• The UN estimates that 55% of the global population lives in urban
areas – a figure that is projected to rise to 68% by 2050. With few exceptions,
cities are expected to become bigger and more numerous.
• As urbanization speeds up, particularly in Asian andAfrican countries,
here are five of the biggest challenges confronting the future of cities
1. Environmental threats
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• Rapid urbanization, which strains basic infrastructure, coupled with
more frequent and extreme weather events linked to global climate change is
exacerbating the impact of environmental threats. Common environmental
threats include flooding, tropical cyclones to which coastal cities are
particularly vulnerable, heat waves and epidemics. Owing to the physical and
population density of cities, such threats often result in both devastating
financial loss and deaths. Making cities more resilient against these
environmental threats is one of the biggest challenges faced by city
authorities and requires urgent attention.
2. Resources
• Cities need resources such as water, food and energy to be viable.
Urban sprawl reduces available water catchment areas, agricultural lands and
increases demand for energy. While better application of technology can
boost agricultural productivity and ensure more efficient transmission of
electricity, many cities will continue to struggle to provide these resources to
an ever-growing urban population. Beyond these basic requirements,
haphazard growth will see the reduction of green spaces within cities,
negatively affecting livability. As fresh water becomes scarce and fertile lands
diminish, food prices may escalate, hitting the poorest hardest.
3. Inequality
• When it comes to both the provision of basic resources and resilience
against environmental threats, the forecast is uneven for different groups of
urban inhabitants. As the number of urban super-rich grows, many cities will
also see increased numbers of urban poor.
• The widening gap between the haves and have-nots will be
accentuated in the megacities of the future. Such inequalities, when left
unchecked, will destabilize society and upend any benefits of urban
development. There is a critical need for policy-makers to ensure that the
fruits of progress are shared equitably.
4. Technology
• Technology will be increasingly used in the development and running of
cities of the future. Smart planning used in Singapore can harness solar
energy for use in housing estates and create man-made wetlands for
ecological balance. Smart mobility technology can alleviate traffic gridlocks
which plague many cities. The use of environmental technologies which can
cool buildings more efficiently or run vehicles that are less polluting will also
lead to better future cities. Installing sensors in the homes of ageing seniors
living alone can connect them to the community and summon help when they
are unwell or hurt.
5. Governance
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6. • Future cities offer immense possibilities to enrich the lives of their
inhabitants even as the challenges are stark. To make the best out of
inevitable urbanization, good governance is imperative. Cities will increase in
size and their populations become more diverse. Governing these cities will,
therefore, be progressively complex and require the most dedicated of minds.
Increasingly, cities around the world are learning about the best governance
and planning practices from one another, even as they remain accountable to
their respective national governments. The broad goals of urban governance
should address issues of equity, livability and sustainability in cities of the
future.
E-Learning
To know more about global city and additional information of why
these cities are important in our economy, watch these video
• Calling Wood. (October 9, 2019). What is a Global City? [Video Clip].
Retrieved 20 July 2020 from
• ExamRace. (February 18, 2019). Global Cities, World City, Alpha City
or World Center: Urban Geography – Geography [Video Clip]. Retrieved 20
July 2020 from
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7. Global Demography
“The idea that population growth guarantees a better life, financially or otherwise
— is a myth that only those who sell nappies, prams and the like have any right to
believe.” –Kofi Annan
Introduction
Demography represents the study of statistics such as birth, deaths, income, or the
incidence of disease, which illustrate the changing structure of human populations and thus
poses an effect on globalization on a holistic level. Over the course of history, demographic
patterns were reasonably stable; human populations grew slowly, and the age structures,
birth rates, and death rates of populations changed only gradually. But, in the past 50 years,
however, this trend of long-term stability has given way to the biggest demographic upheaval
in history, due to population explosion brought by the result of improved nutrition, public
health infrastructure and medical care.
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• It is evident that population changes have potentially huge implications for the pace
and progress of economic development. In relation with these, humanity seems to be always
on the move. Throughout history, we have seen how civilizations and empires arose out of
constant human mobility. We have witnessed how patterns of social transformation as well as
institutions were shaped because of the desire to explore and the zeal to discover. Thus, we
could see that demographic patterns are somewhat related, influenced, and is intertwined
with migration patterns of the people.
In this lesson, we shall shift our focus to a very vital and truly indispensable
component of Globalization; the people. This lesson shall be focused on global population
and mobility, and how these related concepts are intertwined. Moreover, the lesson will
discuss global demography in depth meaning and intends to provide insights on important
data that comprises the current demographic situation of the world. Likewise, this lesson will
look at the dynamics of global migration, various reason for global migration, and the issues
and concerns related to migration.
•
Learning Outcomes
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8. 1. Discuss the relationship between population and mobility;
2. Explain the trends of changes in demographic patterns and migration
patterns of humanity and how it affects economy;
3. Suggests solutions to the current concerns affecting global
demography and migration.
Lectures
Patterns of Global Demographic Changes
• The current world population of 7.2 billion is projected to increase by 1 billion over
next 12 years and reach 9.6 billion by 2050, according to a United Nations report, which
points out that growth will be mainly in developing countries, with more than half in Africa.
A small number of countries will account for most of the increase. While some
countries continue to grow rapidly, others are seeing their populations decline. At the same
time, the world is growing older, as global life expectancy continues to rise and the fertility
level continues to fall. Such changes in the size and distribution of the world’s population have
important consequences for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and
ensuring that no one is left behind.
The following key findings are based on World Population Prospects 2019: Highlights,
which presents the latest round of global population estimates and projections by the United
Nations.
The world’s population continues to increase, but growth rates vary greatly across
regions. The world’s population is projected to grow from 7.7 billion in 2019 to 8.5 billion in
2030 (10% increase), and further to 9.7 billion in 2050 (26%) and to 10.9 billion in 2100
(42%). The population of sub-Saharan Africa is projected to double by 2050 (99%). Other
regions will see varying rates of increase between 2019 and 2050: Oceania excluding
Australia/New Zealand (56%), Northern Africa and Western Asia (46%), Australia/New
Zealand (28%), Central and Southern Asia (25%), Latin America and the Caribbean (18%),
Eastern and South-Eastern Asia (3%), and Europe and Northern America (2%).
Nine countries will make up more than half the projected population growth between
now and 2050. The largest increases in population between 2019 and 2050 will take place in:
India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, the United Republic
of Tanzania, Indonesia, Egypt and the United States of America (in descending order of the
expected increase). Around 2027, India is projected to overtake China as the world’s most
populous country.
Rapid population growth presents challenges for sustainable development. Many of
the fastest growing populations are in the poorest countries, where population growth brings
additional challenges in the effort to eradicate poverty (SDG 1), achieve greater equality
(SDGs 5 and 10), combat hunger and malnutrition (SDG 2), and strengthen the coverage and
quality of health and education systems (SDGs 3 and 4).
In some countries, growth of the working-age population is creating opportunities for
economic growth. In most of sub-Saharan Africa, and in parts of Asia, Latin America and the
Caribbean, recent reductions in fertility have caused the population at working ages (25-64
years) to grow faster than at other ages, creating an opportunity for accelerated economic
growth. To benefit from this “demographic dividend”, governments should invest in education
and health, especially for young people, and create conditions conducive to sustained
economic growth.
Globally, women are having fewer babies, but fertility rates remain high in some parts
of the world. Today, close to half of all people globally live in a country or area where fertility is
below 2.1 births per woman over a lifetime. In 2019, fertility remains above this level, on
average, in sub-Saharan Africa (4.6), Oceania excluding Australia/New Zealand (3.4),
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9. Northern Africa and Western Asia (2.9), and Central and Southern Asia (2.4). The global
fertility rate, which fell from 3.2 births per woman in 1990 to 2.5 in 2019, is projected to
decline further to 2.2 in 2050.
People are living longer, but those in the poorest countries still live 7 years less than
the global average. Life expectancy at birth for the world, which increased from 64.2 years in
1990 to 72.6 years in 2019, is expected to increase further to 77.1 years in 2050. While
considerable progress has been made in closing the longevity differential between countries,
large gaps remain. In 2019, life expectancy at birth in the least developed countries lags 7.4
years behind the global average, due largely to persistently high child and maternal mortality,
as well as violence, conflict and the continuing impact of the HIV epidemic.
The world’s population is growing older, with persons over age 65 being the fastest-
growing age group. By, 2050, one in six people in the world will be over age 65 (16%), up
from one in 11 in 2019 (9%). Regions where the share of the population aged 65 years or
over is projected to double between 2019 and 2050
include Northern Africa and Western Asia, Central and Southern Asia, Eastern and South-
Eastern Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean. By 2050, one in four persons living in
Europe and Northern America could be aged 65 or over. In 2018, for the first time in history,
persons aged 65 or above outnumbered children under five years of age. The number of
persons aged 80 years or over is projected to triple, from 143 million in 2019 to 426 million in
2050.
Falling proportions of working-age people are putting pressure on social protection
systems. The potential support ratio, which compares numbers of working-age people aged
25-64 to those over age 65, is falling around the world. In Japan, this ratio is 1.8, the lowest in
the world. An additional 29 countries, mostly in Europe and the Caribbean, already have
potential support ratios below three. By 2050, 48 countries, mostly in Europe, Northern
America, and Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, are expected to have potential support ratios
below two. These low values underscore the potential impact of population ageing on the
labour market and economic performance as well as the fiscal pressures that many countries
will face in the coming decades as they seek to build and maintain public systems of health
care, pensions and social protection for older persons.
A growing number of countries are experiencing a reduction in population size. Since
2010, 27 countries or areas have experienced a reduction in the size of their populations of
one per cent or more. This is caused by low levels of fertility and, in some places, high rates
of emigration. Between 2019 and 2050, populations are projected to decrease by one per
cent or more in 55 countries or areas, of which 26 may see a reduction of at least ten per
cent. In China, for example, the population is projected to decrease by 31.4 million, or 2.2 per
cent, between 2019 and 2050.
Migration has become a major component of population change in some countries.
Between 2010 and 2020, Europe and Northern America, Northern Africa and Western Asia,
and Australia/ New Zealand will be net receivers of international migrants, while other regions
will be net senders. Fourteen countries or areas will see a net inflow of more than one million
migrants, while ten countries will see a net outflow of more than one million migrants. Some of
the largest migratory movements are driven by the demand for migrant workers (Bangladesh,
Nepal and the Philippines) or by violence, insecurity and armed conflict (Syria, Venezuela and
Myanmar). Belarus, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, Serbia
and Ukraine will experience a net inflow of migrants over the decade, helping to offset
population losses caused by an excess of deaths over births.
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E-Learning Materials
• Watch the video below to learn more about demography and related
concepts.
Downloaded by Kris Martinez (kris231986@gmail.com)
KhanAcademy. (2 May 2014). Overview of demographics | Society and
Culture | MCAT | KhanAcademy [Video Clip]. Retrieved 23 July 2020 from
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