The Nature, Character and Spatial The Nature, Character and Spatial Distribution of World CitiesDistribution of World Cities

Categories of World Cities

1. Dominant world cities: New York, Tokyo, London, Paris – command and control centres of the world economy.

2. Major world city: e.g Singapore, Osaka

3. Secondary world city: e.g. Sydney, Chicago, Rome

Singapore

The Role of World CitiesThe Role of World Cities

• Command and control centres for organising the Command and control centres for organising the world economyworld economy

• Focuses on telecommunications technologies as Focuses on telecommunications technologies as well as infrastructure developmentwell as infrastructure development

• Powerful centres of cultural diversityPowerful centres of cultural diversity• Sites of production for innovative new industriesSites of production for innovative new industries• Focuses for the location of finance and Focuses for the location of finance and

specialised service firms e.g. law, accounting, specialised service firms e.g. law, accounting, which have replaced manufacturing as the which have replaced manufacturing as the dominant economic activity of such citiesdominant economic activity of such cities.

• Headquarters of major TNC’s

• Answer questions 2,3,4,6 and 7 p123

• Activity: q3, p123

• P124 ‘Understanding the text’ question