World city
A world city, or a world-class city, is a city with a set of somewhat subjective traits which often include the following:
- A fairly large population.
- An international airport.
- In the West, several international cultures and communities (such as a Chinatown, a Little Italy, or other immigrant communities).
- International financial institutions, corporations (especially conglomerates), and stock exchanges.
- A variety of cultural institutions and venues such as film festivals and premieres, a lively musical scene, theatrical plays, art galleries and museums.
- A unique cultural air and sophistication produced by its inhabitants.
- Non-chain retailers and eateries, upscale boutiques and hotels, and trendy nightlife.
- Spectacular natural background, and landmarks.
- To have hosted the Summer Olympics (this would exclude New York, however, whilst including, on this point, Saint Louis--see 2012 Summer Olympics to see where the New York bidding process goes)
Several powerful and influential media outlets with an international reach are based in the world cities, such as the BBC, The New York Times, Le Monde, The Times, and Pravda. Many of these cities are renowned tourist attractions.
New York, London, Paris, and Tokyo are often considered the top four world cities - not incidentally, they also serve as symbols of the global capitalism that won a definitive triumph at the end of the Cold War. Beyond these, most people have a personal subjective list, and any two lists are very likely to differ based on cultural background, values, and experience. A devout Muslim, for example, might feel that Mecca is a world city, an Arab that Cairo is one, an Australian that both Sydney and Melbourne are, all while rejecting the others' claims out of unfamiliarity or differing values.
In order to boost urban regeneration, tourism, and revenue especially in the wake of the massive decline of manufacturing-based economies and of decades of urban decay, the goal of building a world-class city has recently become an obsession with the governments and populaces of mid-size cities in the United States, such as Louisville, Columbus, Indianapolis, etc. Most of these would not be recognised outside the U.S. as "world cities." This phenomenon has also been observed in many other cities such as Sydney, Australia and Toronto, Canada which have recently emerged as large and powerful cities in mid sized countries.
