Exploring the connections between globalization and urbanization, this notable book places particular emphasis on understanding the economic function of global cities, the political process of globalizing cities, and the cultural significance of cosmopolitan cities.

The book explores the meaning of the globalizing project in cities:

• the maintaining, securing and increasing of urban economic competitiveness in a global world
• the reimagining of the city
• the rewriting of the city for both internal and external audiences
• the construction of new spaces and the hosting of new events.

Specific chapters look at the significance of signature architects, the hosting of the Summer Olympics and the role of the super-rich. The main thesis of the book is that this discourse of globalizing is a major force in the restructuring of cities around the world.

John Rennie Short is Chair and Professor of the Department of Geography and Environmental Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He has published twenty-five books and numerous articles and is recognized as an international authority on the study of globalization and the city.

1. Introduction 2. Globalization and The City 3. From World City to Globalizing City 4. Globalizing Cities 5. Black Holes and Loose Connections in a Global Urban Hierarchy 6. Tensions in The Global City 7. The Modalities of The Global City 8. Going for Gold: The Summer Olympics and The Global City 9. The Super-Rich and The Global City 10. The Global, The City and The Body References