Cities: From Local to Global

Cities remain the dominant form of civilization in the 21 st century, and they are locations where humanity’s struggle for survival takes place. With more than half of the world’s population now living in cities, they are the world’s engine of growth. As the economist Ed Glaeser puts it, “we are an urban species,” and there are no signs of any slowdown in the growth of cities. 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 cities 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.