Spaces and exchanges: what impacts do global cities in people's everyday life?

Spaces and exchanges

I'm going to talk about the notion Spaces and exchanges.

Today’s world is a global village and urban growths are on the rise with the emergence of global cities. These Urban spaces and exchanges are shaped by transformation and advances.

I will ask the following question: what impacts do global cities on people’s everyday life? 

1. Global cities
2. Problems and initiatives

A global city is usually densely populated.

Urban growth since the industrial revolution has led to the development of global cities such as London and Singapore. Global city is not a new phenomenon. London was always a place of international importance in the past and today

New global cities have appeared: in 1950 there were 83 global cities, in 2000 there were 400 global cities and now there are many global cities with over million inhabitants.

These urban concentrations are ideal spaces of economic and financial exchange. Indeed their role as dynamic hubs in a global network ensures their places as leaders in the world economy. Singapore is an excellent example; the city is a hub for corporations and natural harbour: 40% of world maritime trade.

A global city can provide a high quality education and can offer job opportunities like in London

All those assets attract many people.

Global cities are known for their diversity, since not only nationals but also foreigners come to work or study enriching them with new languages and cultures. It is why global cities are called magnets.

However there is another facet.

The growths of urban concentration and urban sprawls have given rise to a number of issues over the years.

Dense population have caused overcrowding traffic congestion, and air pollution.

Although some air pollution problems such as smog in London have been overcome, there is still progress to be made.

So some cities have decided to react.

Some mega cities have created project to improve the living conditions.

For example:

In Tokyo and LA, the clean car project: limit car pollution by using eco-friendly cars)

The velib in Paris: a bike for all service to avoid congestion

He congestion charge in London: a fee for motors vehicles

The bedzed project: a holistic view to an eco-friendly way of life

The numerous bens in Singapore and the chewgum ban

        To conclude,  thanks to the urban development, global cities have became more and more important, which brings positive aspects, such as diversity or a world economy, but it has also created problems, that we are nowadays trying to solve. 

The challenge for the future is to find sustainable solutions to the problems in order to create cleaner and healthier urban spaces.

...