Notion Spaces and Exchanges

Spaces and exchanges

1. Introduction

        In today’s globalised world, each one of us is subject to unstopping exchanges. The concept of “exchanges” implies the idea of mutuality. In effect, the act of exchanging, swapping or trading implies giving and receiving reciprocally, interchanging, with the help of one or several partners.  The notion of spaces on the other hand refers to any type of area or place: a city, a country or even a school or a railway station. Talking about spaces also implies gaps, borders between the individuals, that can be seen as either a barrier or an open space for trading. The bond between those two notions leads us to think more precisely about the exchanges between different groups of people. Those diverse cultural, economical or social interactions are shaping today’s world into a global melting pot.

The thriving metropolis of London fully embodies this idea of reciprocity within a defined area; it may arguably be considered as the capital of the world.

Thus, I’m going to figure out which aspects of London make it the prime example of a global city.

1. I – Multicultural city

        London is a melting pot of cultures. At the first glance, you could take a guess and say that there is possibly someone born in every country in the world living in this vibrant and thriving city : more than 200 different countries are represented and over 300 languages are spoken there. What is so special about London is not only the diversity of races making up the population but also the incredible amount of various religions that are expressed : christians, muslims, hindus, jews and many others are all blended together. London is also the capital for multicultural events and festivals including Notting Hill Carnival, The London Mela, St Patricks Day, Chinese New Year and many, many others.

What makes London unique is that all the people from all over the world blend together and share their customs in absolute harmony : it deserves its title of the « capital of the world ».

1. II – Economics

London has always been a commercial city and has nowadays one of the largest city economies in the world. The city thrives in trade and commerce. It has a GDP of over £565 billion, which is about 17 percent of the UK's total GDP. The size of its economy is larger than several European nations’. London hosts a variety of international financial services, notably in finance, insurance, real estate, banking, accountancy, and marketing. London is also a vibrant center for arts and fashion, film, media, design, law and computing industries. E-commerce and related industries ranks amongst the fastest growing sectors in the city's economy. Tourism is another important sector with high growth potential.

We can therefore consider London as one of the world's leading financial centers.

1. III – Education

        London also attracts many students : it’s home to over 100,000 international students for more than 200 countries, and this number is still increasing every year. The UK’s capital is without a doubt a top preference for overseas students looking to study in another country. it is clear that London’s universities offer one of the best quality of education in the world. London has one of the highest concentrations of elites universities with about 40 institutions packed into the capital city. On top of that, London also provides academic support and facilities for students such as libraries, including the British Library which houses over 150 million books. Besides this, many essential discoveries that have shaped modern scieces like the discovery of DNA, fingerprints and penicillin were realised by students of London universities.

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