Sarosh Chaudhry
06/04/14
Prof: Darren Barany
SSN: 187.1801
Globalization and its Impact on Cities
Globalization is almost a household word among geographers. Geographers allude to its effects on urban systems and individual cities so often that it seems to be the core of a new research paradigm, the overarching explanation of urban change. Yet such a patent answer should itself be questioned: the idea that this (or any) secular trend actually warrants the status of research paradigm must be exposed to academic scrutiny. In contrast to studies celebrating the success of market-driven globalization, critical approaches that reexamine the dynamics and restructuring of global capitalism, provide us with a fresh look at the complicated consequences of contemporary globalization.
Since the world war II, many countries who were stuck in the war have been relieved of the problems that they were seeing, and couldn't have prosper had got a chance to grow strong as publicly and economically.
Since 1980's the industrialized nations are changing in response to changes in economic and political conditions. Theses economic changes have occurred on both national and global scale, and so many believe that the most important factor affecting cities is the process of economic globalization. Globalization refers to the increasing interdependence of the world's economies.
According to Journal of housing "Globalization is the accelerated circulation of people, com- modities, capital, identities, and images through global space, as well as the increasing mobility of ideologies, economic principles, policies, and lifestyles". This expresses that globalization has been elevated to a blanket explanation of social changes in images, cultures, lifestyles - that are brought to bear by the media and technological developments. It is perceived as a universal economic force with a strong impact on societies and on the processes that shape them. In that sense, it summarizes...