Chapter 1: Global cities in the English-speaking World
New York City, London, Mumbai
1. Using the following key words, define globalisation. (Key words : capitalism, axis,
networks, transnational scale, international scale, flows)
2. Using personal research and the following text, define global cities.
Source 1: The grid of global cities:
The organizational side of the global economy materializes in a worldwide grid1 of strategic
places, uppermost2 among which are major international business and financial centers. We
can think of this global grid as constituting a new economic geography of centrality, one that
cuts across national boundaries and increasingly across the old North-South divide. It has
emerged as a transnational space for the formation of new claims by global capital but also by
other types of actors. The most powerful of these new geographies of centrality at the interurban level bind3 the major international financial and business centers: New York, London,
Tokyo, Paris, Frankfurt, Zurich, Amsterdam, Los Angeles, Sydney, Hong Kong, among
others. But this geography now also includes cities such as Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Bangkok,
Taipei, and Mexico City. The intensity of transactions among these cities, particularly through
the financial markets, transactions in services, and investment, has increased sharply4, and so
have the orders of magnitude involved. […]
The space constituted by the worldwide grid of global cities, a space with new economic and
political potentialities, is perhaps one of the most strategic spaces for the formation of
transnational identities and communities. This is a space that is both place-centred in that it is
embedded in particular and strategic cities, and trans-territorial because it connects sites that
are not geographically proximate yet are intensely linked to each other. It is not only the
transmigration of capital that takes place in this global grid but also that of people, both rich—
i.e., the new transnational professional workforce—and poor— i.e., most migrant workers;
and it is a space for the transmigration of cultural forms, for the reterritorialisation of ‘local’
subcultures. […] Global cities and the new strategic geographies that connect them and
bypass national states can be seen as constituting part of the infrastructure for global civil
society.
Source: Saskia Sassen, professor of the University of Chicago, Global civil society, Chapter 9: global cities and
diasporic networks: microsites in global civil society, Oxford University press, 2002.
Key question: In what ways London, New York City and Mumbai could be considered global
cities?
I.
London, a global city, impulse center of globalisation.
Key question: In what ways Global cities are symptomatic territories of globalisation that they
dominate and lead?
A. An impulse center of globalisation
Sources to use: International maritime routes in 2010 (Dr Rodrigue, Department of geographical
studies, Hofstra University, 2010), World air Travel, 2010 (Oxford world Atlas, 15th edition, 2011),
London airports give London the status of world hub (London Airports official website, 2013), World
financial market on May 2012 (Political science school, cartography workshop, Paris, 2013), World
universities and foreign students in 2009 (Political science school, cartography workshop, Paris,
2013), The 25 leading transnational companies in the world in 2012 (Political science school,
cartography workshop, Paris, 2013).
1
Grid : réseau
Uppermost : le plus haut
3
bind : lier
4
sharply : brutalement
2
Chapter 1: Global cities in the English-speaking World
New York City, London, Mumbai
Source 1: International maritime routes in 2010
Source: Dr Rodrigue, Department of geographical studies, Hofstra University, 2010.
Source 2: World air Travel, 2010.
Source: Oxford world Atlas, 15th edition, 2011
Chapter 1: Global cities in the English-speaking World
New York City, London, Mumbai
Source 3: London airports give London the status of world hub:
Source: London Airports official website, 2013.
Chapter 1: Global cities in the English-speaking World
New York City, London, Mumbai
Source 4: World financial market on May 2012
Source: Political science school, cartography workshop, Paris, 2013
Source 5: World universities and foreign students in 2009
Source: Political science school, cartography workshop, Paris, 2013
Chapter 1: Global cities in the English-speaking World
New York City, London, Mumbai
Source 6: The 25 leading transnational companies in the world in 2012
Source: Political science school, cartography workshop, Paris, 2013
Questions:
1. Show that London is a major hub in globalisation.
2. Show that London is a major impulse center of globalisation (define what an impulse
center is first).
3. Show that London is a very attractive space worldwide.
B. The manifestations of power
Sources to use: London aerial view (The Guardian, 2012), London bridge quarter and Waterloo station
(Source : BBC), The Docklands, another CBD for London (Source : aeroengland, bbc.co.uk), London,
looking eastward (European section schoolbook, 2006), Economic specialisation in London (Oxford
Atlas of London, 2012).
Chapter 1: Global cities in the English-speaking World
New York City, London, Mumbai
Source 1: London aerial View
The City
London
Eye
Westminster
Parliament
Source : The Guardian
Source 2 : London, London bridge quarter and Waterloo station :
The
City
with
the
Gherkin
The Shard Tower
ended in 2012, heart
of the CBD named
London
Bridge
Quarter
Source : BBC
Waterloo station, one of the most
important stations in London and with a
direct connection to London Heathrow
and the Eurostar
Chapter 1: Global cities in the English-speaking World
New York City, London, Mumbai
Source 3: The Docklands, another London CBD:
Source : aeroengland, bbc.co.uk
Source 4: London, looking eastward
The City
The
Tower of
London
Tower
Bridge
The New
London
City Hall
Source: European section schoolbook, 2006
Source 5: Economic specialisation in London
Chapter 1: Global cities in the English-speaking World
New York City, London, Mumbai
Source: Oxford Atlas of London, 2012.
Questions:
1. Identify the symbolic locations of the economic, political and cultural functions in the city
of London.
2. Show in what ways those places are characteristic of the power of the city of London.
3. Show that London is very attractive in its region as to phagocyte its activities.
C. Socio-spatial segregation, specialization and urban space fragmentation.
Sources to use: pictures from the previous section, source 5 from the previous section, Specialization
in the districts of London (based on European section schoolbook, 2006 – scheme completed in 2013),
The London Docklands redevelopment plan (LDDC), View of the District of Strafford (BBC).
Chapter 1: Global cities in the English-speaking World
New York City, London, Mumbai
Source 1: Specialization in the districts of London
Source: based on European section schoolbook, 2006 – scheme completed in 2013.
Source 2: The London Docklands redevelopment plan:
A major planning development is taking place in the old Docklands on the River Thames, in
London, England. The area [...] has become, due to the decline of the docks, a derelict area.
The London Docklands Development Committee (LDDC) was set up in 1981 to revitalize
Dockland. They plan to [...] attract new industry and ensure that housing, social, and
recreation facilities are provided. [...]
The Docklands are close to the "City", the name given to the one square mile central part of
London which houses the banks that make London the biggest financial center in the world.
However the City has no room to expand and so the LDDC planned to attract many of the
City's financial companies to the Docklands[…].
Transport and communications, vital to the success of the project, are being planned [...].
Firstly, a light rail line is being built from the City to the eastern side of the Docklands.
Secondly, a new road network with a fiber optic cable beneath [...] to allow access to other
parts of London and Britain. British Telecom has installed satellite dishes to allow immediate
contact with other world financial centers like New York and Tokyo. [...] London City
Airport, is being built on a wharf in the east Docklands to connect with European cities within
a 400 mile radius of London. [...] Future plans include a huge shopping center, a marina, and
technology village.
Source: London Docklands Development Committee (http://www.lddc-history.org.uk), January 2008.
Chapter 1: Global cities in the English-speaking World
New York City, London, Mumbai
Source 3: Strafford, 2008
Source : bbc.co.uk
Source 4: Strafford, 2011
Source : bbc.co.uk
Questions :
1. Show that London is marked by a strong spatial specialization.
2. Show that London is touched by an urban space fragmentation
3. Show that London has been highly gentrified and organised on a service-based economy.
Conclusion : Make a scheme of London as a global city.
Chapter 1: Global cities in the English-speaking World
New York City, London, Mumbai
N
Stantsted
Luton
Saint Pancras
London City Airport
Heathrow
Tamise
Gatwick
Vers Paris
et Bruxelles
I.
A highly accessible impulse center
International airports allowing a connection to Europe and the world
The Thames River connects London to the Northern Range
Star pattern of the communication networks (motorways and thoroughfares, railroads)
Saint Pancras Station links London the European continent with the Eurostar
High speed train to Europe
II.
A spatial structure made of belts
The Greater London, heart of the global city
Green belts, created in 1947, maximal extension of the city of London
Metropolitan area, maximal extension of the sprawling city
III.
A urbanisation, symbol of the integration in globalisation
CBDs extending East and South
The Thames Gateway, regeneration of the Thames River’s mouth
Port and industrial facilities, the Londonian gate to the Northern Range.
Gentrification since the 1990’s
Chapter 1: Global cities in the English-speaking World
New York City, London, Mumbai
II.
New York City, at the head of the hierarchy of the global cities ?
Factfile: Officially The City of New York (nicknamed "Big Apple" or "Gotham") is located
in the southern end of the state of New York, thus in the northeast of the USA, approximately
halfway between Washington D.C. and Boston. It is placed at the mouth of the Hudson River,
and much of the city is built on the 3 islands of Manhattan, Staten Island and western Long
Island. It was founded as the colony of New Amsterdam by Dutchmen in the early 17th
century, and then ceded as part of the Province of New York to the British in 1664. Composed
of 5 boroughs – i.e. counties (if each were to be independent cities, 4 of the boroughs Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx - would be among the 10 most populous cities in
the USA), the city spread from its beginnings on Manhattan Island (between the Hudson and
East rivers) onto nearby Staten Island, western Long Island, and mainland North America,
incorporating the other communities in 1898.
Sources to use: Map of Manhattan (based on a French schoolbook), New York's boroughs (H
.J. de Blij, Peter O.Muller, Geography : Realms, Regions and Concepts, John Wiley and Son
Inc., 2002), New York aerial view, taken from the film Home made by Yann Arthus Bertrand
in 2009, New York/New Jersey region's trade and transportation network (New York
government website, 2012), Global cities, an attempt of definition (Fu-Chen Lo and Yue-Man
Yeung, Globalisation and the world of large cities, UN University Press, 2008), The following
is the text of Mayor Bloomberg's weekly radio address as prepared for delivery on 1010
WINS News Radio for Sunday, May 20, 2007, The 9/11 terrorist attack in New York seen
from
New
Jersey
(http://static.911digitalarchive.org/REPOSITORY/IMAGES/PHOTOS/1005.jpeg),
The
present-day economic crisis (http://www.usnews.com/cartoons/ economycartoons?s_cid=art_btm, 2013), Wealth gap in cities creating a social time bomb (The
Guardian, October 23, 2008).
Source 1: Map of Manhattan (based on a French schoolbook)
Chapter 1: Global cities in the English-speaking
English speaking World
New York City, London, Mumbai
Source 2: New York's boroughs
Source: H.J. de Blij, Peter O.Muller, Geography : Realms, Regions and Concepts,
Concepts John Wiley
and Son Inc., 2002
Source 3:: New York aerial view, taken from the film Home made by Yann Arthus
Bertrand in 2009.
Chapter 1: Global cities in the English-speaking
English speaking World
New York City, London, Mumbai
Source 4:: New York/New Jersey region's trade and transportation network
Source: New York government website, http://www.panynj.gov/port-authority
authority-ny-nj.html, 2013
Source 5:: Global cities, an attempt of definition:
[…] There is a class of cities that are critical to the new global economy. These are called
global cities, because they perform certain functions that differentiate them from others and
that help drive
rive the global economy. […] One key element of the functional global city system
is that new networks and linkages are created in the system and global cities are the points of
convergence of these networks and thus acquire growing centrality and importance.
importan Network
functions are engendered through financial flows, headquarter-branch
headquarter branch relations, high-tech
high
service intensity, and telecommunications networks […] Global cities should be seen as a
“junction in flows” of goods, information. […] Competitive leadership
leadership depends upon the
nodality5, density, and efficiency of international transport and communication networks
linking theses cities to the rest of the world. Hubs within these networks have accounted for a
disproportionate share of urban development and have
have attracted firms engaged in transport
logistics, telecommunications, and air passenger transports.
Fu-Chen Lo and Yue-Man
Man Yeung, Globalisation and the world of large cities,, UN University Press, 2008
Source 6: The following is the text of Mayor Bloomberg's weekly radio address as
prepared for delivery on 1010 WINS News Radio for Sunday, May 20, 2007.
"Good Morning. This is Mayor Mike Bloomberg.
5
Characteristic of being a hub.
Chapter 1: Global cities in the English-speaking World
New York City, London, Mumbai
"There's no longer much doubt that the greenhouse gases we produce by burning fossil fuels contribute
to global warming; the real question now is 'What are we going to do about it?' New York's answer is
straightforward; we aim to reduce our release of greenhouse gases by 30% by 2030. In fact, City
government is going to lead the way by hitting that 30% target by 2017. These are ambitious goals,
and last week we took some major steps toward reaching them.
"On Wednesday, I joined former President Bill Clinton in announcing a multi-billion dollar publicprivate partnership that will help property owners and government agencies in New York and 15 of the
world's other biggest cities cut energy consumption in our existing buildings.
"Working with the Clinton Foundation, five major international banks have each pledged $1 billion to
finance upgrades in heating, cooling, and lighting systems and other worldwide building
improvements that will cut energy use-and greenhouse gas production-by as much as 50%. This will
make a big difference in New York, because the more than 900,000 buildings in the five boroughs
account for nearly 80% of the greenhouse gases we produce. […]
"Automobile exhaust is another major source of greenhouse gases. It also produces the air pollution
responsible for the tragically high rates of serious childhood asthma in our city. That's what makes our
proposed pilot project of automobile congestion pricing in Manhattan below 86th Street so important.
It would cut the number of vehicles on those streets-and on streets and highways throughout the city
and region-and also finance major mass transit projects. […]
"I stressed our city's environmental goals-especially those relating to global warming-when I spoke to
mayors of many of the world's greatest cities when they were in New York last week for a global
summit on climate change. Cities are at the forefront of fighting global warming. Even though cities
produce more than 70% of the world's greenhouse gases, the good news is that because our homes and
businesses are relatively compact and close to one another, and because we rely so heavily on mass
transit, New York and other cities also tend to be very energy efficient.[…]
"This is Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Thanks for listening."
Source 7: The 9/11 terrorist attack in New York seen from New Jersey
Source: http://static.911digitalarchive.org/REPOSITORY/IMAGES/PHOTOS/1005.jpeg
Source 8: The present-day economic crisis
Source: http://www.usnews.com/cartoons/ economy-cartoons?s_cid=art_btm, 2013
Chapter 1: Global cities in the English-speaking World
New York City, London, Mumbai
Source 9: Wealth gap in cities creating a social time bomb
Growing inequality in US cities could lead to widespread social unrest and increased
mortality, says a new UN report on the urban environment. In a survey of 120 major cities,
New York was found to be the ninth most unequal in the world [...]. "High levels of inequality
can lead to negative social, economic and political consequences that have a destabilising
effect on societies," said the report. "[They] create social and political fractures that can
develop into social unrest and insecurity."
According to the annual State of the World's cities report from UN-Habitat, race is one of the
most important factors determining levels of inequality in the US and Canada. "In western
New York state nearly 40% of the black, Hispanic and mixed-race households earned less
than $15,000 compared with 15% of white households. The life expectancy of AfricanAmericans in the US is about the same as that of people living in China and some states of
India, despite the fact that the US is far richer than the other two countries," it said. [...]
Source: The Guardian, October 23, 2008
Use also sources 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 from the case study on London.
A. An impulse center of globalisation
Sources to use: sources 1 to 4 and sources1, 2 and 4 to 6 from the case study on London.
Questions:
1. Prove that New York City has all the functions of a global city (define what a global city
is first).
2. Prove that New York City is a hub
B. The manifestations of power
Sources to use: source 5 from the case study on London, sources 3 and 4.
Question: Prove that New York City has a regional, national and international influence.
C. A master of globalisation showing weaknesses?
Sources to use: sources 6 to 9
Questions:
1. Prove that NYC decided to develop a sustainable development program (source 6).
2. Explain that NYC has had to face an increase of socio-spatial segregation and urban
fragmentation that has created weaknesses since the last decade.
Chapter 1: Global cities in the English-speaking World
New York City, London, Mumbai
III.
Mumbai, a megacity attempting to be an A level global city.
Sources to use: Model of LDCs urban area (based on Sao Paulo urban area) (BBC geography website,
2013), Mumbai, a megacity from an emerging country (Mrs Ferlut), Mumbai, a megacity with world
rank or a global city (J Nijman, Mumbai, a global city, a theoritical essay, in International Handbook
of Globalization and World cities, 2011, p. 448), Mumbai, a land of opportunities (Rashmi Nakaskar,
The Times of India, July 20th, 2011), Mumbai economic organization (Mumbai, Britannica
Encyclopedia, 2011), Mumbai congestion and its future (: Discovery channel, February 2013),
Extreme poverty in Mumbai, the example of Dharavi Slum (bbc.co.uk/geography, 2013), Slums
development programs (Del Arani, bbcnews, 2010).
Source 1: Model of LDCs urban area (based on Sao Paulo urban area)
Source: BBC geography website, 2013.
Chapter 1: Global cities in the English-speaking World
New York City, London, Mumbai
Source 2: Mumbai, a megacity from an emerging country:
Vasai Creek
Sanjay Gandhi
National Park
Oman
Sea
Bandra Kurla
Navi Mumbai
Belapur
Thane
Creek
JNTP
Narinam Point
10 km
Chapter 1: Global cities in the English-speaking World
New York City, London, Mumbai
I A megacity submitted to an important urban sprawl
and growth...
The inheritances of the colonial past
The colonial city,
original inner-city
the
The old CBD
District of the former textile industries
Former port
Spatial spread
City limits
Spontaneous urbanisation along the railroads
City sprawl
New planned axis to Navi
Mumbai planned new
cities
Natural protected zones endangered by the urban sprawl
II … with strong inequalities
Major slums
Districts progressively gentrified
Possible rehousing programs
III. … and with deep mutations
A megacity with a more and more developed services based
economy
New CBDs
New Port JNPT, first port of India
First Indian Airport
New infrastructures
Maritime bridge Bandra Worli Sea Link
New Airport, in project
Subway line #1 in project.
Chapter 1: Global cities in the English-speaking World
New York City, London, Mumbai
Source 3: Mumbai, a megacity with world rank or a global city?
[…] Mumbai is the country’s main articulation with the global economy and the most
globally connected city in India. For example, its airports has more international passengers
than any other in India; the seaport registers more international cargo ship than any other in
the nation; Mumbai houses more TNCs (Transnational Companies) than any other city; it has
the largest share of foreign collaborations (joint ventures); it has the largest share of FDI
(Foreign Direct Investments) as well as the largest share of international trade and customs
duties; and it has more Internet connections that any other city in India.
But how important is Mumbai on the global scene, from a global perspective? Until recently,
the city rarely showd up in rankings of any sort. It had (and still has) few headquarters of
major TNCs and it seemed remote from the leading centers such as New York and London.
[…] The exposure of the national economy to forces of globalisation was and still is highly
uneven, and fragmentary, but there can be little doubt about the effects on Mumbai in
particular.
The last 15 years or so have witnessed accelerating foreeign investment in Mumbai and a
rapide increase in the presence of TNCs, especially in the sphere of finance and producer
services. […]
Mumbai’s greater vsibility can be seen as an integral part of the rise of some emergin
markets. Other cities that have come to the fore during the past decade including São Paulo,
Moscow, Buenos Aires, Shanghai and Beijing. The ascent of China and Inda in the global
economy is unmistakable and Hong Kong seems to have taken the place of Tokyo in the Trad
that dominates the world city hierarchy, along with New York and London. In one recent
comprehensive study, Mumbai was categorised in the third tier of the world city system along
with cities such as Madrid, Seoul and Kuala Lumpur.
This is still a debatable ranking if one considers the enormous reach of Mumbai as the most
dominant city in all of South Asia – there may be another city in the world that dominates
such an enormous region. […]
Source: J Nijman, Mumbai, a global city, a theoritical essay, in International Handbook of Globalization and
World cities, 2011, p. 448.
Source 4: Mumbai, a land of opportunities
Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay) is not only the commercial capital of India but also
one of world's top 10 centres of commerce in terms of global financial flow. For a while, if we
keep aside the commercial aspect, Mumbai is also synonymous to - the 'city that never sleeps',
the 'city of dreams' and the 'land of opportunities' to hundreds of people staying here. Besides,
Mumbai is also home to Bollywood, the country's movie capital.
Located on the west coast of India, the coast line made trade easier for Mumbai. Mumbai
houses about 17 million of population making it the second most populated city in the world.
All these factors add up to make Mumbai as the most lucrative location in India. Explains
Poonam Mahtani, National Director - Residential Services & Knowledge Systems, India,
Colliers International , "Mumbai is the city of wealth which provides ample opportunities to
people. Mumbai is the head quarter for major financial regulatory bodies like National Stock
Exchange (NSE), Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Mint.
Especially in the last five years, Mumbai has witnessed almost double growth. Moreover,
Mumbai is also considered as the pulse of residential estate.
"The city being so cosmopolitan in nature, even people relocating from out of India find
Mumbai as the best option as it is quite fast moving in nature and they can relate to the
lifestyle" , says Poonam.
Mumbai houses many big names from the corporate world with major MNCs having their
Indian head quarters here.
Avers Ramesh Nair, Managing Director - West India, Jones Lang LaSalle India, " While India
is still a far cry from being comparable to Shanghai in terms of aesthetics and infrastructure ,
20
Chapter 1: Global cities in the English-speaking World
New York City, London, Mumbai
the fact remains that most large corporations and financial institutions have their presence in
this city. The commercial demographics are large and variegated, and there is a constant
inward migration from all over the country. Mumbai, being the archetypal 'City of
Opportunity' generates an unprecedented demand for properties across the residential,
commercial and retail sectors.
"The realty market in Mumbai therefore is and will always remain highly lucrative. It attracts
a huge amount of foreign investments, has a gigantic consumer market and boasts of high
quality workforce. All these factors, coupled with growing urbanisation, are fuelling the
demand for property constantly. Moreover, with limited space available in the central city,
Mumbai's boundaries are constantly extending into newer areas", he adds.
All these factors have pushed the boundaries and given a complete new picture to Mumbai's
real estate industry. Places like Navi Mumbai, Virar, Kalyan - Dombivali have seen
exponential growth in residential and also in commercial.
Commenting on the growth in geographical locations, Ravi Ahuja, Executive Director ,
Development Services, India , Cushman & Wakefield states, "Initially , most BFSI companies
located themselves in South Mumbai, but in recent times, as they have started to expand and
consolidate, they have started to consider other suburban locations for the same, which are in
proximity to staff residences and have greater connectivity to airports , rail and proposed
metro links, western and eastern express highways, etc.
As per the latest inputs, from C&W research, BFSI recorded a growth of over 170 % in
uptake of place over the last quarter. BFSI formed approximately 47% of the total absorption
in 2Q 2011. Interestingly , Mumbai accounted for approximately 41% of the total absorption
by the BSFI sector across the seven major cities in India.
All said and done, Mumbai still needs to ramp up to come at par with other leading cities of
the world. Says Apurva Shah, President - Sales and Marketing, Kanakia Spaces, "The quality
and quantity of infrastructure needs to be improved drastically. The turnaround time to
complete a project needs to be addressed. The city definitely needs better infrastructure
considering the fact that Mumbai is the commercial hub of the nation. We need to have a
longer vision for a better future."
Source: Rashmi Nakaskar, The Times of India, July 20th, 2011.
Source 5: Mumbai economic organization:
Bombay is the economic hub and commercial and financial centre of India. Its economic
composition in some respects demonstrates India's peculiar fusion of the nuclear and cowdung ages. The city contains the Indian Atomic Energy Commission's establishment, which
includes nuclear reactors and plutonium separators. In many areas of the city, however,
traditional biogenic sources of fuel and energy are still in use.
The cotton-textile industry, through which the city prospered in the 19th century, is still
important but is in relative decline. New growth industries—metals, chemicals, automobiles,
electronics, engineering, and a host of ancillary enterprises—as well as urban industries such
as food processing, papermaking, printing, and publishing have been at the core of expansion
of manufacturing employment.
Source: Mumbai, Britannica Encyclopedia, 2011
Source 6: Mumbai congestion and its future:
Video mumbai a gateway for India through world global cities (0 to 3.37 minutes, 28.30 to 32
min, 35.40 to 42 min)
Source: Discovery channel, February 2013.
Source 7: Extreme poverty in Mumbai, the example of Dharavi Slum:
21
Chapter 1: Global cities in the English-speaking World
New York City, London, Mumbai
One indication of the extreme poverty is the slum area in Mumbai. The area is called Dharavi,
and was featured in the film “Slumdog Millionaire”. Below is a list of the key features of
this slum:
- It is one of the largest slums in Asia.
- The slum area was initially an area of temporary squatter shelters – and has now
grown to 4 sq km and become permanent.
- The area is unplanned, and most dwellings are illegal. The means that basic sanitation
is not present, with an average of one toilet for over 1000 people.
- Water pipes and electricity cables are present and do connect to many dwellings.
However, many have been set up in a DIY fashion and pose health and safety risks.
- Informal industries have been set up which help to bring money in to the residents.
- The government and developers want to redevelop the area. The area is located in a
highly desirable area of Mumbai, which could command a high price for rents when
developed.
Source: bbc.co.uk/geography, 2013.
Source 8: Dharavi Slum:
Source: bbc.co.uk/geography, 2013.
Source 9: Slums development programs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOlg-q4LSoE
Source: Del Arani, bbcnews, 2010
Questions:
1. Prove that Mumbai can be considered a global city.
2. Show that the problems in Mumbai are those of mega city from LDCs.
22
Chapter 1: Global cities in the English-speaking World
New York City, London, Mumbai
3. Show that Mumbai is “the real capital of India”?
4. Show that Mumbai is marked by inequalities due to differences of development and to
globalization?
5. How does Mumbai try to resolve the problem encountered to become a real modern and
global city? Is it effective?
Global cities direct and organise the world. They obey to a hierarchy according to their
influence and are part of the world oligolopy or the world metropolitan archipelago. They
develop interrelations between each other with common activies, services questions and
financial exchanges. This network is organised on a specific core of several global cities of A
level New York City, London, Tokyo, Paris and even Singapore.
Other global cities such as LA, Hong Kong are in other ranks because they don’t dominate the
entire world or only in a specific domain of activity. Megacities from the emerging countries
have begun to enter the hierarchy since the last 10 years such as Sao Paulo, Mexico, Mumbai,
Shanghai, Johannesburg but they are more relays and emerging megacities than complete A
level global cities.
23