Online Variables

Political News Updates…

Posted in Uncategorized, World Cities, World Nations with tags Asia, China, News, Politics on March 18, 2009 by what44

World Heritage List…

Posted in Uncategorized with tags Cultural Heritage, World Heritage on March 18, 2009 by what44

The World Heritage List includes 878 properties forming part of the cultural and natural heritage which the World Heritage Committee considers as having outstanding universal value.

These include 679 cultural , 174 natural and 25 mixed properties in 145 States Parties. As of April 2009, 186 States Parties have ratified the World Heritage Convention.

Bahrain

Qal’at al-Bahrain – Ancient Harbour and Capital of Dilmun

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Luxembourg

City of Luxembourg: its Old Quarters and Fortifications

Paraguay

Jesuit Missions of La Santísima Trinidad de Paraná and Jesús de Tavarangue

San Marino

San Marino Historic Centre and Mount Titano

Saudi Arabia

Al-Hijr Archaeological Site (Madâin Sâlih)

Sudan

Gebel Barkal and the Sites of the Napatan Region

the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid region ²⁵

Togo

Koutammakou, the Land of the Batammariba

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Uruguay

Historic Quarter of the City of Colonia del Sacramento

Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

Notes

Extension of the “Australian East Coast Temperate and Subtropical Rainforest Park”.
name changed 2007 from ‘Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves (Australia)’
Renomination of “Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park” under cultural criteria.
The “Belfries of Flanders and Wallonia” which were previously inscribed on the World Heritage List, are part of the transnational property “The Belfries of Belgium and France”.
Extension of “Jaú National Park”.
Extension of the “Glacier Bay/Wrangell/St Elias/Kluane” property.
The “Burgess Shale” property, which was previously inscribed on the World Heritage List, is part of the “Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks”.
Extension of “The Potala Palace and the Jokhang Temple Monastery, Lhasa” to include the Norbulingka area.
The “Belfries of Flanders and Wallonia” which were previously inscribed on the World Heritage List, are part of the transnational property “The Belfries of Belgium and France”.
The “Chateau and Estate of Chambord”, which was previously inscribed on the World Heritage List, is part of the “Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes”.
The “Hadrian’s Wall” which was previously inscribed on the World Heritage List, is part of the transnational property “Frontiers of the Roman Empire”.
At the time the property was extended, cultural criterion (iv) was also found applicable.
The “Brihadisvara Temple, Tanjavur”, which was previously inscribed on the World Heritage List, is part of the “Great Living Chola Temples”.
At the time the property was extended, cultural criterion (iv) was also found applicable.
At the time the property was extended, criteria (iii) and (v) were also found applicable.
The Committee decided to extend the existing cultural property, the “Temple of Ggantija”, to include the five prehistoric temples situated on the islands of Malta and Gozo and to rename the property as “The Megalithic Temples of Malta”.
The Westland and Mount Cook National Park and the Fiordland National Park, which were previously inscribed on the World Heritage List, are part of the “Te Wahipounamu – South West New Zealand”.
The “Convent Ensemble of San Francisco de Lima”, which was previously inscribed on the World Heritage List, is part of the “Historic Centre of Lima”.
Extension of “Biertan and its Fortified Church”.
At the time the property was extended, natural criterion (iv) was also found applicable.
Extension of the “Alhambra and the Generalife, Granada”, to include the Albayzin quarter.
Extension of the “Mosque of Cordoba”.
The property “Parque Güell, Palacio Güell and Casa Mila in Barcelona”, previously inscribed on the World Heritage List, is part of the “Works of Antoni Gaudí”.
Extension of the “Churches of the Kingdom of the Asturias”, to include monuments in the city of Oviedo.
Extension of the “Mudejar Architecture of Teruel”.
In 1979, the Committee decided to inscribe the Ohrid Lake on the World Heritage List under natural criteria (iii). In 1980, this property was extended to include the cultural and historical area, and cultural criteria (i)(iii)(iv) were added.
The “Hadrian’s Wall” which was previously inscribed on the World Heritage List, is part of the transnational property “Frontiers of the Roman Empire”.
Extension of “Gough Island Wildlife Reserve”.
Extension of the “Glacier Bay/Wrangell/St Elias/Kluane” property.

*: transboundary property
^#: As for 19 Natural and Mixed Properties inscribed for geological values before 1994, criteria numbering of this property has changed. See Decision 30.COM 8D.1

Legend

Category of site
Cultural site Natural site Mixed site

Site inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger
Cultural site Natural site Mixed site

Source link…

Hello World Cities!

Posted in Uncategorized, World Cities, World Nations with tags Governments, World Cities, World Nations on March 18, 2009 by what44

A global city (also called world city) is a city deemed to be an important node point in the global economic system. The concept comes from geography and urban studies and rests on the idea that globalization can be understood as largely created, facilitated and enacted in strategic geographic locales according to a hierarchy of importance to the operation of the global system of finance and trade. The most complex of these entities is the “global city,” whereby the linkages binding a city have a direct and tangible effect on global affairs through socio-economic means.^[1] The terminology of “global city”, as opposed to megacity, is thought to have been first coined by Saskia Sassen in reference to London, New York and Tokyo in her 1991 work The Global City,^[2] though the term “world city” to describe cities which control a disproportionate amount of global business dates to at least Patrick Geddes‘ use of the term in 1915.^[3]

Characteristics

Global City or world city status is seen as beneficial, and because of this many groups have tried to classify and rank which cities are seen as ‘world cities’ or ‘non-world cities’.^[3] Although there is a general consensus upon leading world cities,^[4] the criteria upon which a classification is made can affect which other cities are included.^[3] The criteria for identification tend either to be based on a “yardstick value” (“e.g. if the producer-service sector is the largest sector, then city X is a world city”)^[3] or on an “imminent determination” (“if the producer-service sector of city X is greater than the producer-service sector of N other cities, then city X is a world city”).^[3]

The characteristics sometimes chosen include

International, first-name familiarity; whereby a city is recognized without the need for a political subdivision. For example, although there are numerous cities and other political entities with the name London or variations on it, one would say “London“, not “London, United Kingdom“.
Active influence on and participation in international events and world affairs; for example, Washington, Berlin, Brussels are major capitals of influential nations or unions.
A fairly large population (the centre of a metropolitan area with a population of at least one million, typically several million).
A major international airport that serves as an established hub for several international airlines.
An advanced transportation system that includes several highways and/or a large mass transit network offering multiple modes of transportation (rapid transit, light rail, regional rail, ferry, or bus).
In the West, several international cultures and communities (such as a Chinatown, a Little Italy, a Tehrangeles or other immigrant communities); for example, New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto, Chicago, San Francisco, São Paulo and Vancouver. In other parts of the world, cities which attract large foreign businesses and related expatriate communities; for example, Hong Kong, Moscow, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo.
International financial institutions, law firms, corporate headquarters, international conglomerates, and stock exchanges (for example the World Bank, or the New York Stock Exchange) that have influence over the world economy.
An advanced communications infrastructure on which modern trans-national corporations rely, such as fiberoptics, Wi-Fi networks, cellular phone services, and other high-speed lines of communications.
World-renowned cultural institutions, such as museums and universities.
A lively cultural scene, including film festivals (such as the Berlinale or the Toronto International Film Festival), premieres, a thriving music or theatre scene (for example, West End theatre and Broadway); an orchestra, an opera company, art galleries, and street performers.
Several powerful and influential media outlets with an international reach, such as the BBC, Reuters, The New York Times, or Agence France-Presse.
A strong sporting community, including major sports facilities, home teams in major league sports, and the ability and historical experience to host international sporting events such as the Olympic Games, Football World Cup, or Grand Slam tennis events.

Studies

2004 GaWC studies

One of the first attempts to define, categorize, and rank global cities was made in 1999 by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network (GaWC) based at the geography department of Loughborough University. The roster was outlined in the GaWC Research Bulletin 5 and ranked cities based on their provision of “advanced producer services” such as accountancy, advertising, finance, and law.^[4] The GaWC inventory identifies three levels of global cities and several sub-ranks. This roster generally denotes cities in which there are offices of certain multinational corporations providing financial and consulting services rather than denoting other cultural, political, and economic centres.

Another attempt to redefine and re-categorise leading global cities was made by GaWC in 2004. This new roster acknowledged several new indicators but still ranked economics ahead of political or cultural importance. The 2004 roster is reproduced below:

Global Cities^[5]

Well rounded global cities

Very large contribution: London and New York City

Smaller contribution and with cultural bias: Los Angeles, Paris, and San Francisco
Incipient global cities: Amsterdam, Boston, Chicago, Madrid, Milan, Moscow, Toronto

Global niche cities — specialised global contributions

Financial: Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo
Political and social: Brussels, Geneva and Washington, D.C.

World Cities

Subnet articulator cities

Cultural: Berlin, Copenhagen, Melbourne, Munich, Oslo, Rome, Stockholm
Political: Bangkok, Beijing, Vienna
Social: Manila, Nairobi, Ottawa

Worldwide leading cities

Primarily economic global contributions: Frankfurt, Miami, Munich, Osaka, Singapore, Sydney, Zurich
Primarily non-economic global contributions: Abidjan, Addis Ababa, Atlanta, Basel, Barcelona, Cairo, Denver, Harare, Lyon, Manila, Mexico City, Mumbai, New Delhi, Shanghai

2008 Foreign Policy Ranking

In October 2008, the American journal Foreign Policy, in conjunction with consulting firm A. T. Kearney and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, published a ranking of global cities, based on consultation with Saskia Sassen, Witold Rybczynski, and others. Foreign Policy noted that “[t]he world’s biggest, most interconnected cities help set global agendas, weather transnational dangers, and serve as the hubs of global integration. They are the engines of growth for their countries and the gateways to the resources of their regions.”^[6]

The rankings are based on the evaluation of 24 metrics in five areas: business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural experience, and political engagement. The top thirty of the 60 cities ranked were:

Rank	City	Best category (position in that category)
1	New York City	Business Activity and Human Capital (1st)
2	London	Cultural Experience (1st)
3	Paris	Information Exchange (1st)
4	Tokyo	Business Activity (2nd)
5	Hong Kong	Business Activity and Human Capital (5th)
6	Los Angeles	Human Capital (4th)
7	Singapore	Business Activity (6th)
8	Chicago	Human Capital (3rd)
9	Seoul	Information Exchange (5th)
10	Toronto	Cultural Experience (4th)
11	Washington, D.C.	Political Engagement (1st)
12	Beijing	Political Engagement (7th)
13	Brussels	Information Exchange (2nd)
14	Madrid	Information Exchange (9th)
15	San Francisco	Human Capital (12th)
16	Sydney	Human Capital (8th)
17	Berlin	Cultural Experience (8th)
18	Vienna	Political Engagement (9th)
19	Moscow	Cultural Experience (6th)
20	Shanghai	Business Activity (8th)
21	Frankfurt	Business Activity (11th)
22	Bangkok	Political Engagement (13th)
23	Amsterdam	Business Activity (10th)
24	Stockholm	Information Exchange (13th)
25	Mexico City	Cultural Experience (9th)
26	Zürich	Information Exchange (8th)
27	Dubai	Information Exchange (14th)
28	Istanbul	Political Engagement (8th)
29	Boston	Human Capital (9th)
30	Rome	Cultural Experience (15th)

Selected criteria

The GaWC list is based on specific criteria and, thus, may not include other cities of global significance or elsewhere on the spectrum. For example, cities with the following:

Large populations, proper and agglomerated
Diverse demographic constituencies^[7]
Based on various indicators:^[8]
- Population, habitat,^[9] mobility,^[10] and urbanisation^[11]
Significant financial capacity/output:
- city/regional^[12] GDP^[13]
- Stock market indices^[14]/market capitalisation
- Headquarters for multinational corporations
- Financial service provision;^[15] e.g., banks, accountancy
- Employment
Based on quality of life^[16] or city development^[17]
Based on costs of living^[18]
- Based on personal wealth; e.g., number of billionaires^[19]
Significant transport infrastructure:
- Airports with significant passenger traffic^[20] or cargo movements
- Extensive and popular^[21] mass transit systems
- Prominent rail usage^[22]
- Road vehicle usage^[23]
- Major seaports^[24]
Significant technological capabilities/infrastructure:
- Prominent skylines/skyscrapers^[25]

Significant institutions:
- Educational institutions; e.g., universities,^[26] international student attendance^[27]
- Research facilities
- Health facilities; e.g. hospitals, medical laboratories
Sites of pilgrimage for world religions
Hosting headquarters for international organizations
Cities containing World Heritage Sites of historical and cultural significance^[28]
High endowments of cultural facilities:
- Notable museums and galleries
- Notable opera
- Notable orchestras
- Notable film centres and film festivals
- Notable theatre centres
- Sites of major international sports events; e.g., Olympic Games sites^[29]
Tourism throughput:
- Visitors
- Economy
- Events
Site or subject in Arts and Media
- TV, Film, Video Games, Music
- Literature, Magazines, Articles, Documentary
- Historic Reference, Showcase

References

^ Sassen, Saskia – The global city: strategic site/new frontier
^ Sassen, Saskia – The Global City: New York, London, Tokyo. (1991) – Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-07063-6
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Doel,M. & Hubbard, P., (2002), “Taking World Cities Literally: Marketing the City in a Global Space of flows”,City, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 351-368. Subscription required
^ ^a ^b GaWC Research Bulletin 5, GaWC, Loughborough University, 28 July 1999
^ Leading World Cities, GaWC, Loughborough University
^ “The 2008 Global Cities Index“. Foreign Policy (November/December 2008). October 21, 2008. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4509. Retrieved on 2008-10-31.
^ Chapter 5: Globalization and cultural choicePDF (352 KB), “2004 Human Development Report” (page 99), UNDP, 2004
^ Chapter 9: Urban DataPDF (196 KB), “World Resources 1998-99″, WRI, 1998
^ City Profiles, UN
^ Mobility 2001PDF (1.59 MB), WBCSD
^ WORLD URBANIZATION PROSPECTS: THE 2003 REVISIONPDF (3.73 MB), UN, 2004
^ Urban Characteristics,City Level, 1993PDF (61.6 KB), “World Resources 1998-99″, WRI, 1998.
^ Global Urban Indicators Database 2 (1998 data) (data sets in .ZIP), UN-HABITAT
^ World Indices, Bloomberg
^ J.V. Beaverstock, World City Networks ‘From Below’, GaWC, Loughborough University, 29 September 2005
^ World-wide quality of living survey, Mercer, 10 April 2006
^ The city development indexPDF, “THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CITIES REPORT 2001″, UN-HABITAT, 21 June 2006
^ ^a ^b 2006 worldwide cost of living survey results released, Mercer, 26 June 2006
^ The World’s Billionaires, Forbes, 2008
^ Mapping the Global Network Economy on the Basis of Air Passenger Transport Flows, GaWC, Loughborough University, 8 December 2004
^ Estimated Ridership of the World’s Largest Public Transit Systems, 1998
^ COMMUTER RAIL (SUBURBAN RAIL, REGIONAL RAIL) IN THE UNITED STATES: INTERNATIONAL CONTEXTPDF (218 KB), October 2003
^ Traffic Intensity by International Urban Area: 1990
^ Largest seaports of the world
^ The World’s Best Skylines
^ [1]PDF (registration required)
^ K. O’Connor, International Students and Global Cities, GaWC, Loughborough University, 17 February 2005
^ World Heritage List, UNESCO
^ P. De Groote, Economic and Tourism Aspects of the Olympic Games, GaWC, Loughborough University, 21 September 2005
^ gstudy.com international statisticsPDF (522 KB)
^ http://www.aci.aero/aci/aci/file/Press%20Releases/2007_PRs/PR_180707_TOP10.pdf
^ INTERNATIONAL PRIVATE WEALTH MANAGEMENTPDF (240 KB), International Financial Services, December 2004
^ Forbes reports billionaire boom, BBC, 10 March 2006
^ 500 richest in Russia, Finance Magazine, published by RBC. February 2006.
^ PriceWaterhouseCoopers, “UK Economic Outlook, March 2007″, page 5. “”Table 1.2 – Top 30 urban agglomeration GDP rankings in 2005 and illustrative projections to 2020 (using UN definitions and population estimates)”" (PDF). http://www.ukmediacentre.pwc.com/imagelibrary/downloadMedia.asp?MediaDetailsID=863. Retrieved on 2007-03-09.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Global City

Repository of Links Relating to Urban Places
World Cities article by Jennifer Curtis of Charles Sturt University
The World-System’s City System: A Research Agenda by Jeffrey Kentor and Michael Timberlake of the University of Utah and David Smith of University of California, Irvine
The State of the World’s Cities, 2001, UN Human Settlements Programme
“U.S. Cities in the ‘World City Network’”, by Peter J. Taylor and Robert E. Lang, February 2005 (Full Report in PDF)
http://standards.emporis.com/?nav=worldcitystandards&lng=3 GaWC world cities in combination with building information of Emporis)

Link to World Countries….

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