Chicago’s Global Status:

Is Chicago a “global city”?

GaWC: rates cities’ “global” status

[Globalization and World Cities Study Group

& Network: Loughborough University

English]

Proposed criterion for defining a global or “world-class” city:

1. 1st name basis: “Paris,” not “Winnemucca, Nevada” or “Cleveland, Tennessee”

2. involvement in international affairs:

NATO: Brussels, UN: New York, etc.

Proposed criterion for defining a global or “world-class” city:

3. population: 1+ million/ center of big metro area.

4. big international airport with hubs

Proposed criterion for defining a global or “world-class” city:

5. advanced transportation system: mass transit, expressways, multiple modes

6. international/immigrant communities: Chinatown, Little Italy, diplomats, etc.

Proposed criterion for defining a global or “world-class” city:

7. International financial institutions, law firms, corporate headquarters and stock that have influence over the world economy.

8. Advanced communications infrastructure: fiberoptics, Wi-Fi networks, cell phone services, high-speed communications.

Proposed criterion for defining a global or “world-class” city:

9. World-renowned cultural institutions

10: A lively cultural scene

11: Several powerful and influential media outlets with an international reach

Defining and ranking global cities:

GaWC ranking system: • ranked cities alpha, beta, gamma

• point-system based on "advanced producer services," such as accounting, advertising, banking/finance and law.

So where does Chicago stand?

Alpha Cities:

• 12 points: London, New York City, Paris, Tokyo

Alpha Cities:

• 10 points: Chicago, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Milan, Singapore

Beta Cities:

• 9 points: San Francisco, Sydney, Toronto, Zurich

• 8 points: Brussels, Madrid, Mexico City, São Paulo

• 7 points: Moscow, Seoul

Gamma Cities:

• 6 points: Amsterdam; Boston; Caracas; Dallas; Dusseldorf; Geneva; Houston; Jakarta; Johannesburg; Melbourne; Osaka; Prague; Santiago; Taipei; Washington, D.C.; Montréal

• 5 points: Bangkok, Beijing, Rome, Stockholm, Warsaw

Gamma Cities:

• 4 points: Atlanta, Barcelona, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Budapest, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Miami, Minneapolis, Munich, Shanghai