Why Global Cities Matter

Global cities play an increasingly important role at the global and regional level: From Asia to Africa, from South and North America to Europe, large urban centers enjoy significant competitive advantages and serve as primary nodes in the globalized economic system. They interact with states and other international actors, pursue objectives that are often intertwined with global economic agendas, and are crucial to questions related to climate change, mobility and migration, technological innovation, economic development and infrastructure. At the same time, global cities dramatically display the challenges posed by social inequalities and exclusion. What impact do global cities have on these issues, and what impact do these issues have on them in turn? Do global cities and their global networks only play an economic role, or can they also be considered as international actors from a political standpoint? What does the future hold for urbanization trends and for the global role of cities? The first Dossier of ISPI’s new Desk on Global Cities tries to answer these questions.