Cities and Globalization
Introduced| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| world cities/wɜːld ˈsɪtiz/ | Cities with major roles in international networks of finance, business, communication and decision-making, regardless of population size alone. |
| hierarchy/ˈhaɪərɑːki/ | An arrangement of people, categories or elements in ranked levels. |
Cities that run the world
- Some cities have influence far beyond their own country.
- World cities 世界城市 (or global cities) command the world economy.
- New York, London, and Tokyo are the classic examples.
New York, London, and Tokyo are examples of...
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World cities command the global economy.
A city is a world city mainly because of its command of the global economy, not just its size.
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Finance, headquarters, and connections define a world city.
Command centres
- World cities concentrate finance, corporate headquarters, and culture.
- They are hubs in the global network, connected to each other more than to their own regions.
- A decision made in one can affect jobs across the planet.
The Manhattan skyline in New York, a world city: its banks and headquarters help run the global economy
World city or ordinary big city?
Sort each trait by whether it marks a top world city or just a large city.
Select all things concentrated in world cities.
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Finance, headquarters, and culture concentrate in world cities; farmland is rural.
Match each term to its meaning.
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World city = command; hierarchy = tiers; globalization = tighter links.
A tiered network
- World cities form a hierarchy 等级体系: a few top-tier hubs, then regional centres below.
- Globalization strengthens the top cities and links them tightly.
- This can widen the gap between global hubs and left-behind places.
World cities form a ____ of hubs, with a few top-tier cities above regional centres.
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The world-city hierarchy has top hubs above regional centres.
A world city is not just a big city. What makes it "global" is its command of the world economy — finance, headquarters, and connections — not raw population. A megacity can be huge yet not be a top world city.
London is not the biggest city in the world, but it is a top world city: global banks, corporate headquarters, and stock markets there shape money and jobs on every continent. Its links to New York and Tokyo matter more than its size.
World cities (global cities) like New York, London, and Tokyo command the global economy through finance, headquarters, and connections — not just size. They form a hierarchy of hubs, tightened by globalization, sometimes widening the gap with left-behind places.
Write from headquarters raising a city's rank
- City A has fewer people than City B.
- City A hosts many global corporate headquarters and City B hosts few.
Why can City A rank higher in the world-city network?
Global-city rank follows economic command, not size alone.
What can raise a smaller city's global rank?
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Command functions matter more than headcount.