While sitting in a class on International Management, we were introduced to the concept of Global cities. The term seemed interesting and my mind immediately wanted to check if my city was a Global city 🙂 One hour into the lecture, we realized its impact on us globally..! Sharing what I learned thus far..!

The picture below was what we all deliberated on, while the professor was sharing the names of different industries and asking us to discuss the impact of this picture across the world for those industries. Let us do a similar brainstorming session here..!

Take a few minutes to read the legend key and understand the picture. Will try to explain it in simple terms…

The red dots are the projected global cities for 2030 and the yellow ones show a good growth potential.

1. United states has most prominent NY, SFO and LA areas as global cities and others mostly as green, showing growth potential and southern US and South East coast seems to have yellow dots meaning they are already expanding areas.
   1. Larger companies are setting up base in Texas and South East – population is moving there
   2. Think about real-estate prices, new homes vs vintage homes
   3. Low cost of living, low taxes, good climate
   4. Urbanization is 80-100%
2. See the extent of growth projected in Africa
   1. Digital era, schools, education, community service projects, literacy projects, fundraising avenues, political and corporate alliances are all in play
   2. Some organizations even have the practice of sending their leadership teams to Africa and set up new business based on local needs as a Leadership development exercise
   3. Still has some rural areas
3. China has mostly red dots and yellow… signifying population explosion..
   1. See the extent of urbanization
4. India has mostly red and green dots – meaning global cities in the north, south, east and west side and mid / north east green dots showing growth potential
   1. See the extent of urbanization – cannot see any land area
   2. Age of skyscrapers
   3. Communication channels
5. Not much of red dots or yellow ones in Europe
   1. What does that say about potential growth?
6. Globally – What does it say? What can we say about agricultural land? How would cities dispose off garbage? Waste removal services? Inter and Intra city transportation – how would these be? Virtually we we will be strongly connected, physical transportation can use some out-of-the-box thinking 🙂 How innovative can a country get? Who pays for it? Who pays for the technology advancements in the country? How would these countries earn their revenue? What natural resources will be left and what renewable sources can be tapped into? Textile industry and recyclables?

Realized that leading a country into a growth era is not an easy one 🙂 Neither is sustaining a large economy while remaining to be a role model for growth and advancement!

For areas with multiple global cities, survival of the fittest attitude and severe competitive environment would prevail. Look at the areas where the growth is not going to be too high.. we probably can expect good homes, good education, pathbreaking research and advancement being driven from these places.

What do you think?