A team of management consulting and foreign policy professionals has released a report analyzing which cities of the world are most global in reach, looking at business activity, human capital, and information exchange. New York comes out on top.
"The top cities on the index-which also include Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Los Angeles-aren't surprising, given their financial markets and sophisticated business climates. But their positions as global leaders also are bolstered by the presence of top-quality universities, world-class museums, international cuisine, and culturally diverse populations. New York, for instance, has the world's largest foreign-born citizenry and Tokyo boasts the largest number of inhabitants with university degrees.
[Paul Laudicina, managing officer and chairman of A.T. Kearney] says the index also helps to explain why businesses choose headquarters in places that can present considerable cost disadvantages. A good example is the San Francisco Bay Area, ranked 15th, where real estate prices and taxes are among the highest in the U.S. The region is made more appealing, Laudicina says, by high quality of life, the prevalence of multidisciplinary academic and scientific research, and other cultural dimensions.
The index reveals another trend, too. Cities in emerging economies, such as Beijing, Moscow, Shanghai, and Dubai, eventually may dislodge the old guard. China's industrial explosion and Russia's recent oil and gas boom have pulled in tourists, foreign investment, and internal migrants looking for the fruits of prosperity."
FULL STORY: The World's Most Global Cities

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

Seattle’s Pike Place Market Leans Into Pedestrian Infrastructure
After decades of debate, the market is testing a car ban in one of its busiest areas and adding walking links to the surrounding neighborhood.

The World’s Longest Light Rail Line is in… Los Angeles?
In a city not known for its public transit, the 48.5-mile A Line is the longest of its kind on the planet.

Quantifying Social Infrastructure
New developments have clear rules for ensuring surrounding roads, water, and sewers can handle new users. Why not do the same for community amenities?
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions