What Makes London a Global City?

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A global city is characterized by several factors like a centre for world finance and trade flows, immigration in large scale, growing income, and polarized occupation (Sassen, 2001) & (Eade, 2000). London has attained the level of being characterized as a global city due to its effort of increasing citizen’s income and occupation. For several years, business inputs in London city have been high as well as large commercial spaces and availability of labour. Like other global cities, luxury goods are offered in most of the selling places.

However, the immigrants and other minority groups cannot afford to purchase these goods, and hence why they take an extra step of purchasing them from the co ethnic producers or even from other low cost shops of other immigrants. In London, there are niche markets composed of small packed goods which are meant to target the most competent consumers. However, this has led to labour intensive which mostly results from immigrants (Atkinson, and Bridge, 2004).

City of London like many other global cities has an increased population of immigrants which has led to a major growth of small scale producers. This has led to a noted competition between large stores and supermarkets with small scale producers.

It has been recognized as a world class and full of much dynamism due to its ability of giving many people different types of benefits and creation of opportunities. To mention but a few, London is a centre for transport which creates a connection between Europe and most parts of the world. According to Amin (2006), airport terminals in London conduct more than 110000 flights in one month.

Diversity is another opportunity offered by the global city of London due to its high population capacity which was estimated to be around 7.62 million by the year 2008, Cowan, (2005). The city population is mainly composed of black and other minority groups such as Asians.

It is looking forward to have these groups as the majority in working age population by 2013. As far as communication is concerned, Londoners speak in more than 300 languages with more than 15 different religions. In terms of business and finance, London has qualified to be a global city as it received the highest number of votes as a European city conducting different types of businesses.

This was based on the factors that it has an easier accessibility to various markets, availability of highly qualified personnel who can ensure the success of most businesses. Its internal and external transport and communication connections are effective. Different languages which are spoken in this global city also make it possible for the business transactions to be conducted smoothly (Block, 2007) & (Fyfe & Kenny, 2005).

London city has also managed to be the European headquarters for the most prestigious global companies which are over 550 in number. Most of the issues affecting these companies are tabled in London city. Globally, there are a lot of foreign transactions which are conducted regularly and more than 50% of these transactions are traded in London city.

This city has also offered a place to the whole world where majority of currency exchanges are performed more than how it’s done in New York or Tokyo. In addition, more than 80% of all the commerce duties done in London are international. This makes this city to be outstanding than other cities that relies on the domestic markets, making it a global city (Hall, 2001) & (Sassen, 2000).

Environmentally, most cities are faced by different challenges and the way in which a city faces its challenges determines its position to be recognized as a global city (Block, 2008). London city has developed some technical ways through which it faces its challenges like developing environmental excellence which can effectively accommodate climate changes.

These techniques include dividing energy production units and coming up with congestion charge. Most of the environmental challenges which are faced by London city are as a result of purchases and usage of energy (Clark, 2003).

Another reason which qualifies London as a global city is excellence in knowledge. London is recognized by its strong foundation in improving scientific matters and in advancement of its technology. Several scientific events and designs have placed this city on a very competitive edge (Paddison, 2001).

Most of the well known researchers have been promoted in London city through advanced medical and clinical research centres which are equipped by this city with modern laboratories, equipment and staffs. London city has been recognized through by its provision of higher education, which is managed by qualified staffs in its advanced institutes of academics (Winder, 2010).

There are over 50 these advanced institutes in the city, which have made it to offer the most competitive staffs in the world. Students in London are in a position to choose international courses which are above 50000 and recognized globally. This has made the city to accommodate more than 88000 students from all over the world. Therefore, it is explicit that all factors put in to consideration; London qualifies to be termed as a global city (Zukin, 1992).

Reference List

Amin, A. 2006. The good city, Urban Studies 43.5/6, 1009-1023.

Atkinson, R. and Bridge, G. 2004. Gentrification in a global context: the new urban colonialism. London: Routledge

Block, D. 2008. The new economy of the inner city: restructuring, regeneration and dislocation in the twenty-first-century metropolis. London: Routledge.

Block, D. 2007. Multilingual Identities in a Global City: London Stories. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 11 (4), 531–534.

Clark, D. 2003. Urban world/global city. London: Routledge.

Cowan, R. 2005. The dictionary of urbanism. Streetwise Press, Chicago, IL.

Eade, J. 2000. Placing London: from imperial capital to global city. Oxford: Berghahn Books.

Fyfe, N. & Kenny, J. 2005. The urban geography reader, Routledge, New York, NY.

Hall, T. 2001. Urban geography, 2nd end. Routledge, New York, NY.

Paddison, R. 2001. Handbook of urban studies. London: SAGE.

Sassen, S. 2000. ‘The Global City: Strategic Site/New Frontier’, American Studies, 41, pp. 79-95.

Sassen, S. 2001. The global city: New York, London, Tokyo. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Winder, G. M. 2010. Global Reach? Reuters News and Network, 1865, 1881, and 1914 London’s. Journal of World History, 21 (2).

Zukin, S. 1992. The Best of Cities, The Worst of Cities. Contemporary Sociology, 21 (4), 481-484.

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What Makes London a Global City?

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