Establishing Global Cities - Coursework Example

Concept of Globalization By Professor Class University City Date of submission Introduction With the rising number of businesses searching to invest in cities that would offer an international competitive advantage, most countries have been on their economic statuses, international linkages, and political influence to create an environment that attracts these investors. From such point, a global city is a term used in describing cities that stand out internationally in relations to their economic power, cultural impact, political influence, and international linkages. Currently, larger global population lives in the cities. In the case of developing countries, cities embody the hope for better and prosperous life. In addition, the inflows of the poor residents into the cities have been able to create hubs of urban poverty (McMahon, 2009, 101). Over the past decades, people have shifted to global market. The process of globalization plays a significant role in increasing the economies of countries around the world over time. Such integration do occur due to technological advancements that expedite trade of goods and services, capital flow, and migration of people across international borders. Without any doubt, globalization has had several positive effects on both the nations and businesses around the world. However, there are some challenges associated with globalization. The concept of global city gives most companies access to a wider market and consumers. These benefits are not always shared across the involved trade parties. Unfortunately, the developing countries that need the potentials associated with benefits of globalization often end up the losers and exploited by the developed countries. Advantages of a global city A global city offers an efficient and reliable network of transport that makes management of business activities easier. These transport systems include buses, subways, tramways, taxis, and planes. Besides, the global cities often boast of strengths associated with diverse economic sectors. As a result, most consider global cities as places where there are considerable capital accumulation achievable through several means. From an economic point of view, it means that the towns have considerable economic power with it’s financial sector generating a large quantity of wealth. These cities tend to attract more investors considering the number of opportunities emerging from globalization. Since globalization attracts people from diversified cultures, these cities enjoy cultural legacy and dynamic creative industries (Laird, McLain, & Wynberg, 2010, 128). With globalization, the cities tend to enjoy impressive economic connections with other international markets across the globe,which turn out to be convenient areas to conduct businesses than the typical urban centers. Strategic location also come out as a benefit associated with global cities. In most cases, global cities are highly accessible through numerous means of transports making them convenient for frequently traveling investors. Such strategic locations could have a significant impact on the fortunes of a business. Furthermore, most of the international investors prefer conducting their businesses and acquire accommodation in places proving them with additional competitive advantage (Asmussen, 2011, 165). More importantly, the concept of global city means much more than economic size and cultural diversity. To some extent, it incorporates diversification of culture and attractiveness as tourist destination. Consequently, sometimes the global cities are referred to as necessary cities meaning the one cannot help but visit while considering doing business from a global perspective. From the political front, global cities define themselves based on the multi-cultural societies and immigration policies designed to attract skilled workers. It is important to note that cultural integration plays an important role the modern business environment as countries seek to open their markets in others locations. The global city also reflects increased level of interdependence, integration on global scale, and connectivity in relation to ecological, cultural, political, economic, and technological levels. Global integration among the countries helps to provide a boost to the trade practices, thus reducing cultural differences. Since global city attract many foreign and local investors, it can foster employment rates in the country. Employment rates often increase due to increment in company numbers and new markets where both skilled and unskilled labor is required. Moreover, globalization reduces trade barriers associated with cultural and political differences (Inglis & Gimlin, 2009, 134). As a result, global cities increase immigration between which in turn provides better opportunities for most people around the globe. With increased accessibility to employment, global cities offer improved living standards of the people, thus poverty reduction. Mutual trades among cities have brought better understanding for the protection of the environment. Global cities reflect increased populations and industrial activities in these areas. As a result, there is more pressure subjected the environment with the growing cities. Disadvantages of global cities Since globalization attracts several investors and industrial activities, environmental degradation is often the most conspicuous effect. Increased industrial activities have contributed to increment in carbon dioxide emission and associated global warming. Besides, global cities trigger competition among different countries with each trying to outdo one another to create a competitive advantage. As a result, more stress is placed on the environmental resources. All businesses like operating in market structures that would offer economic, social, and cultural benefits. Global cities would attract investors from both developed and developing nations, which in the end might result in an increment in inequality, as there are winners and losers. Richer countries tend to benefit more at the expense of poorer countries. Another risk associated with the global city is interdependence of economies. With countries increasingly depending on each other, adverse economic shock in one country might quickly spread to other countries. Due to such structural changes, people could lose their jobs and widen the gap between the rich and poor. Immigrants are also moving into the global cities in search of jobs. As a result, most countries find it difficult to hold the skilled personnel who are attracted with lucrative payments in these areas. Furthermore, free interaction of people with different religious and cultural backgrounds could lead to loss of culture. Global cities substantially contribute to the disappearance of culture and tradition of the people (Blair & Carroll, 2009, 192). Attractions of people from different countries also increase the spread of communicable diseases from another country to another. Establishing a global city means a direct attack on the local and smaller business especially those that cannot cope with the rising competition from the giants industries. Although the global cities often result in improved living standards, it could to some extent increase the cost of living. With the rising cost of living, most people especially those who have no ability of sustaining their livelihoods tend to move to areas with low cost of living (Margulis, McKeon, & Borras, 2014, 260). Unfortunately, the natives with no capacity of sustaining their livelihood in the global cities are often forced seek residences elsewhere at the expense of foreigners with the larger financial base. In places like Sydney, globalization has contributed to constant jams along motorways and main arteries. The roles played by globalization in land use change and metropolitan planning policy in Sydney Sydney is Australia’s leading global city. For many years, the global Sydney has been an aspiration for most the government plans including Our Cities, Our Future by the Commonwealth government, Sustainable Sydney 2030, by the City of Sydney Council, and Metropolitan Plan for Sydney 2036 by the New South Wales state government. In addition to government plans, Sydney is also an inspiration for business activities. With the rising developments associated with globalization in Sydney, there has been inflow in the number people from different places seeking opportunities in the global city. The current socioeconomic drivers of land use changes associated with globalization mainly produce land use changes in Sydney (Gibbs & Leech, 2009, 187). With most people moving into the city, there have been increased demand for more space for construction and agricultural activities. As a result, the land use practices of the bordering areas have changed. Areas that were initially set aside for residential areas have encroached with most people displaced to live room for the ever-expanding city. Besides, globalization is also changing the traditional land use patterns especially with most people investing in industrial processes. The demand for food has recently been on the increase due to land use changes associated with agricultural lands even as more people come into the city to seeking for better opportunities. Consequently, the primary challenge involves how to preserve forest ecosystems and rich biodiversity while improving food production. Such challenges often confront the force behind globalization, which seeks cropland and triggering deforestation. Globalization has made Sydney grow into a global city of international importance, a hub of commerce, governance, population, and retail center. Initially, Sydney developed as a walking city with most of the residential developments located close to areas of employment. With globalization, the growth transport facilities and industrial development have influenced these settlement patterns with most people seeking residences along the corridors of these areas (Tran-Nam, Long, Tawada, & New Paradigms in Economics of Welfare and Trade under Globalisation and Regionalisation, 2008, 97). In addition, the movement of the relatively affluent residents in the inner suburbs of Sydney played a significant role in increasing population levels and prices of most property. These factors led to displaced of many people especially those who could not afford the rising rents. Considering the manner in which the population of the city is rising, there is the need for the Metropolitan to have a plan for curbing the rising rates. It is predicted that the growth of Sydney would rise to six million by 2050, a value the metropolitan views as unstainable. It is from such background that the metropolitan department of Sydney managed to establish settlement growth plan to ensure efficient distribution of infrastructure. Such distribution of infrastructure and economic developmental activities would attract the movement into other cities as well. The new Environmental Planning and Assessment Act (1979) and new planning and environmental institution (1980) was developed mainly to assist in addressing the modern style of planning while giving full consideration to the escalating concerns about social development and environmental protection. Although globalization plays a significant role in fostering economic developments, it is important that effective policies be put in place to control the negative effects. As a result, New South Wales government has over the years released several policy documents to guide the future of the Sydney metropolitan area (Blair & Carroll, 2009, 302). Among the policies released by the Metropolitan, include Metropolitan Strategy for Sydney 2031 – City of Cities: A Plan for Sydney’s Future by the Department of Planning. Later, the New South Wales government released State Infrastructure Strategy: New South Wales 2006–07 to 2015–16 in June 2006. These policies attracted an array of reactions from the planning academia, public sectors, and professionals since several issues of concern were not incorporated into the policies. Consequently, the government released the new State Infrastructure Strategy for 2008–09 to 2018–19 while in December 2010; the Metropolitan Department of Planning released Metropolitan Strategy Review: Sydney towards 2036 with an aim of superseding the initial documents (Selman, 2005, 265). Predominantly, the Metropolitan Strategy Review had an objective of incorporating the principles of the Metropolitan Transport Plan 2010: Connecting the City of Cities and integrating transport and land-use. Conclusion Establishing global cities is important in every country considering the number of opportunities associated with it. However, it is imperative to note that there are several disadvantages associated with the practices. Most challenges often relate to environmental degradation, pressures on existing resources, and pollution from the industrial activities. Besides, globalization has several effects on the land use practices. As a result, cities that have invested in developing global cities like Sydney are focusing on developing policies that would assist in reducing the negative impacts. References Asmussen, C. G. 2011. Dynamics of Globalization: Location-specific advantages or liabilities of foreignness? Bingley: Emerald Group. Blair, J. P., & Carroll, M. C. 2009. Local economic development: Analysis, Practices, and globalization. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications. Blair, J. P., & Carroll, M. C. 2009. Local economic development: Analysis, Practices, and globalization. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications. Gibbs, T., & Leech, G. M. 2009. The failure of global Capitalism: From Cape Breton to Colombia and Beyond. Sydney: Cape Breton University Press. Inglis, D., & Gimlin, D. L. 2009. The globalization of food. Oxford: Berg. Laird, S. A., McLain, R. J., & Wynberg, R. 2010. Wild product governance: Finding policies that work for non-timber forest products. London: Earthscan. Margulis, M. E., McKeon, N., & Borras, S. M. 2014. Land grabbing and global governance. London: Routledge. McMahon, W. W. 2009. Higher learning, greater good: The private and social benefits of higher education. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Selman, P. 2005. Planning at the Landscape Scale. Hoboken: Taylor & Francis Ltd. Tran-Nam, B., Long, N, Tawada, M., & New Paradigms in Economics of Welfare and Trade under Globalisation and Regionalisation. 2008. Globalization and emerging issues in trade theory and policy. United Kingdom: Emerald. Read More